Job prospects as an AME-E ?

[Walker]

Hi all,
Iv been out of the aviation game for a few years but considering throwing my hat back into the ring.

I have ~1400 hrs (mostly PIC, with ~70 multi pic).
But at the same time for the past 4 years I have been very involved with electronics industry, specifically design, prototyping, and troubleshooting (PCB design,layout, printing, coding etc.)

If I were to go towards getting an AME-E what sort of job prospects and what sort of salary would be expected these days?

I am trying to decide if I do go back into aviation if I should go from the pilot side or the maint side.


thanks!

[azimuthaviation]

Avionics these days are pretty good. New grads are getting hired at relatively high wages, and theres high paying contract work galore. But having a background in electronics isnt really helpful. Its 2013, everyone is an electronics/IT/C++/PLC expert, theyre a dime a dozen and that isnt what avionics is all about. A lot of resumes coming in from guys who work for Bell(telephone), or fancy themselves electronics design experts because they set up security camera systems and the like.

Theres no way getting around getting an E license in Canada without going to school specifically for avionics, simple as that. There are manufacturing jobs that will hire people without school but it will be the grunt work of avionics, making harnesses, running them, terminating them (also happens to be the highest paid work too). With the skill set you have the best way to utilise them would be working for a company that solely works on homebuilts. They can be quite complicated and require a lot of design and testing, more so than a regular avionics tech working with an STC would need. Of course theres not much demand for that kind of work. bench work may be another option but theres not much money there.

[747-875]

Around these parts a good avionics person is worth their weight in gold, so I'd imagine it woudn't take too much trouble to get a job. Up here for wages you could expect a solid 40 hours a week plus optional overtime at 1.5x, and somewhere around $20/hour as an apprentice and $30-35/hour licensed...

[NeverBlue]

Around these parts a good avionics person is worth their weight in gold, so I'd imagine it woudn't take too much trouble to get a job. Up here for wages you could expect a solid 40 hours a week plus optional overtime at 1.5x, and somewhere around $20/hour as an apprentice and $30-35/hour licensed...

+1

[dashx]

You will invest two years of your time at an accredited college (but I'm sure you already knew that).

http://www.centennialcollege.ca/Program ... ogram=8113

Since you already have experience in the aviation/electronics field you will probably breeze through the program with high marks.

Your first job will (again probably) be a low paying one. then again you might have connections.....

After eighteen months of work experience you will be able to write your CARs exam and get your E license. That's 3 1/2 years of your life.

At that point in your career the aviation industry will be either with you or against you. In any case you will have you E license.

That with your pilot license and your electronics experience will give you the freedom to find a job in more than field.

If you find a job with a small company where you could do M1/M2 work you would have the opportunity to take the ICS course for Aircraft mechanics.

http://www.icslearn.ca/aircraft/index.h ... Mgod7B0ARQ

After 4 years of practical work experience (and a log book filled out correctly and approved by TC) with the ICS course you would be able to write any outstanding exams at a TC office and get your M1 and/or M2 license.

So after a 8 year investment you would be a pilot/E/M1 and/or M2 AME with experience.

My father used to say work and the money will come. So .......

How does that sound?