The major employers for aerospace manufacturing are Lockheed-Martin and Boeing, with small plane manufacturers Cessna, Beechcraft and Lear (as well as helicopter manufacturers Bell and Sikorsky) filling in the remainder. The kinds of people that aerospace manufacturing attracts are people who like to make things and who have a passion for high technology work, whether it's making machined parts and assembling them to doing riveting, welding or composite construction.
Building a modern jet liner requires assembling over four million parts into a piece of precision machinery, and stringing over fifty miles of electrical wiring. Modern turbojets are high precision machines built to unbelievably fine levels of tolerance, and there are advances all the time in materials of construction, construction techniques, and even testing of them.
Modern metals manufacturing includes extensive testing procedures — often using X-ray crystallography to find gaps and flaws in the casting or the machining of a part. These tests also provide technical jobs for people with the right skills, and there are plenty of opportunities for on the job training in mentally challenging areas; if you're interested in jobs that use applied science, these can be an excellent way to gain an excellent scientific education with a hands-on experience.
Other jobs in aerospace manufacturing that can prove to be technical and professional challenges are electronics installation and wiring. These jobs can give you direct experience with some of the most advanced radar and communications equipment available in the world. Other jobs that this industry can create are machinist jobs — people who take raw metal stocks and a drill press or a lathe and make a fitted piece. Xcor Aerospace, which does experimental rocketry and aerospace design, has a near constant demand for both engineers and master machinists with years of experience to help make precision fitted parts for rocket engines. Knowledge of not just how to work the lathing machinery, but the material properties of specific metallurgical compounds would be required for this position. Other companies attempting to help the private launch industry lift off are also looking for experienced aviation mechanics and similar specialists.
Some of the higher paying jobs in this industry are in the defense sectors. One example of this is that being a plant shift worker in the factories that make an F-35 or an F-22 starts at $33 per hour with benefits. They also require being able to pass the requisite background checks to hold a security clearance of the requisite level — SECRET or TOP SECRET may be required for most of the work. A security clearance requires that you have no unsecured debt and no convictions for felonies. There are other requirements to get a security clearance, most of which will be disclosed by your hiring officer or placement agency.
Getting into the aerospace repair field isn't solely about working for the manufacturers. All of the airlines need maintenance technicians and mechanics. This has the advantage of letting you specialize in the ins and outs of a particular model of aircraft, meaning that expertise can help you diagnose a problem faster and solve it quicker. Some airlines only use a single make of jet — Southwest and JetBlue are two examples — which mean that the barrier to entry to get into those sorts of jobs is greatly reduced. Other airlines use different aircraft at different hubs, meaning the general skill set is greater, and more experience with a wider range of makes and models is required.
Most of the people who work in the fields of aviation engineering doing maintenance and repair — especially those who work on radar and communications gear get their foundation skill set by serving in the military. Experience on aircraft carriers with the Navy and Marines or in the Air Force is a definite plus. Even working with helicopters in the Army can provide the type of training and expertise that aerospace manufacturing jobs are looking for, so if you're currently in the military and looking for options for what to do after you muster out, aviation maintenance and engineering may be an excellent option.
If you don't have the benefit of a military background for learning the basic skill set needed for aviation maintenance, there are several opportunities to be had — many local technical colleges have introductory courses in basic engine repair, hydraulics repair, electricians work and basic riveting and manufacturing techniques. If you can pass a basic aptitude test, most of the major airlines offer apprenticeship programs which are run by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, or the Aircraft Mechanics Association. There are also 'crash course' schools that will teach you the specifics of maintenance for a specific airframe in a three month span. They are, however, expensive, running around $12,000 per class and often more for the more deeply technical requirements.
However, if you enjoy working with your hands on some of the highest technology aircraft on the planet, on high performance tools, consider getting into aviation maintenance and mechanics for your next career.
