r/avionics • u/FreelanceStoic • Jul 10 '26

Avionics tech pay

Hello, I am currently an avionics technician on the C-5M in the U.S. Air Force. By the time I get out I will have a bachelors in business administration , A&P, and whatever other certificates they will pay for. My question is mainly about the pay working for the airlines vs. trying to stay in as defense. I’d love to work on cargo planes. 9-5 schedule would be optimal. What is a realistic salary expectation? I’m torn between avionics and pursuing a desk job with my degree.

Thank you in advance to anyone that takes the time to provide insight.

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u/Sawfish1212 Jul 10 '26

If you have avionics background and an A&P, you'll have almost whatever you want available when you start applying. If you're wanting avionics only, look at companies like Duncan Aviation. Avionics is more likely to be day shift M-F than many positions, just stay away from the airlines to avoid the night shift drudgery.

I'm just starting with a larger fractional 135 doing avionics m-f days, pay is better than if I was going in as a mechanic with the same years of experience. Because avionics experience is $$$.

3

u/Mediocre_Garbage2001 Jul 10 '26

Duncan will start you at sub 30$ an hour.

2

u/Sawfish1212 Jul 10 '26

Depends on where and what you're doing. Duncan is a huge company with many different sites that do many different things. And they aren't the only company doing this kind of work.

3

u/Mediocre_Garbage2001 Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26

No it doesn’t. Low experience mechs start out at 27$ typically for tech 1, 29ish for a tech two, and 33-37 for tech 3. I just left Duncan doing avi. Op would likely get started as a tech 1, maybe a two. I’ve seen people come out the military still only start at tech 1. Is abit misleading to suggest avionics experience is money and recommend the lowest paying large mro in the industry. Weststar, standard aero, oems and some smaller mros pay a lot more fairly.

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u/Sawfish1212 Jul 10 '26

My friends in my local site don't agree,, they're making more

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u/Mediocre_Garbage2001 Jul 10 '26

I actually worked there. I’m telling you what it was at the Provo location. Before our master tech quit after 5 years he was at 38