Aviation Technology/Aircraft Structures Mechanic Apprenticeship
West Los Angeles College · Culver City, CA
- Cost
- $10,186
- Length
- 260 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names and program descriptions appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Occupation titles are translated where O*NET publishes a Spanish name. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
No outcomes reported for this program
About a third of California programs report nothing. That is a fact about the program's reporting, not evidence that it works or does not.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Shrinking -13.3%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Related work California expects more of
The U.S. Department of Labor lists these as related to the job above, and California projects growth in them rather than decline. Related is not the same as interchangeable: the training, the licenses and the pay can all differ, and this program does not train for these. It is a place to start asking, not a recommendation.
- Avionics Technicians$95,095 · +8.3% · 1 program here
Where California publishes a separate figure for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Job ads may call this: Aircraft Mechanic · Aircraft Restorer · Aviation Mechanic · Aircraft Maintainer
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
- Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
- Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
- Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.
- Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.
- Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.
- Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.
What this pays in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $59,443 | $86,775 | $130,195 |
| Across California | $55,383 | $88,534 | $119,989 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $88,534per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $89,148
- Projected openings
- 11,680Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 3,680
- Projected change
- +12.8%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Assembler · Assembly Riveter · Structures Mechanic · Sheet Metal Mechanic
- Assemble parts, fittings, or subassemblies on aircraft, using layout tools, hand tools, power tools, or fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or clamps.
- Read blueprints, illustrations, or specifications to determine layouts, sequences of operations, or identities or relationships of parts.
- Set, align, adjust, or synchronize aircraft armament or rigging or control system components to established tolerances or requirements, using sighting devices and hand tools.
- Attach brackets, hinges, or clips to secure or support components or subassemblies, using bolts, screws, rivets, chemical bonding, or welding.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Join structural assemblies, such as wings, tails, or fuselage.
- Adjust, repair, rework, or replace parts or assemblies to ensure proper operation.
- Position and align subassemblies in jigs or fixtures, using measuring instruments and following blueprint lines and index points.
- Cut, trim, file, bend, or smooth parts to ensure proper fit and clearance.
What this pays in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $48,751 | $64,356 | $90,985 |
| Across California | $49,218 | $65,092 | $96,431 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $65,092per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $51,635
- Projected openings
- 2,580Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 560
- Projected change
- -13.3%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
To meet the aerospace industrys demand for well-trained, certificated aircraft mechanics, the college offers an Aviation Maintenance Technician Associate Degree, an Airframe Maintenance Technician Certificate, and an Aircraft Power Plant Technician Certificate. Upon qualifying by written, oral, and practical examinations, students are issued Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificates by the FAA. The Aircraft Maintenance program is a cohort sequenced program with classes starting every eight weeks, with full-time, evening schedules. Students seeking Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification must grant the FAA permission to review their college transcripts for certification purposes..pon successful completion of this program, students will be able to... 1. To effectively communicate both verbally and in writing with a variety of personnel using proper terminology, records, and forms. 2. To be able to apply basic mathematics and graphic principles as used in aviation (aerospace). 3. To apply aerodynamic principals in the assembly, repair and maintenance of power plant and aircraft structures. 4. Apply basic electrical principals as it applies to electrical and mechanical components. The proper use of the multi-meter is now a FAA requirement. 5. To properly inspect, check, service, repair and overhaul airframe and airframe components. 6. The proper use of tools, equipment, safety apparel. The proper procedures for safety in and around aircraft and equipment. 7. Proper work ethics for independent and collectively working with management, co-workers, and the Federal Aviation Administration in order to maximize efficiency in the work place. 8. he student must review the information that will be required by the FAA to pass their required examinations for certification.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-09-18). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
Ask before you enroll, not after
The order the rules set out starts at the center rather than at the school. Before a center can find somebody eligible for training services it has to gather enough to decide, at a minimum through an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning. Referring a person to the provider they have chosen and setting up the account both come after that, and both are the center's to do — the account is a payment agreement with the training provider, and it is the provider that is paid through it. So the call belongs before enrolling and before paying. Anyone who has already done either should still ask, and ask what it means for them.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
West LA WorkSource Center/ AJCCComprehensive center
Phone: 310-309-6000
5446 Sepulveda BoulevardCulver City, CA 90230about 0.4 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Has a veterans' representative
South Bay One Stop Business and Career Center - InglewoodComprehensive center
Phone: 424-419-4343 Ext: 7
110 South La Brea AvenueLa Brea Place Building, 5th FloorInglewood, CA 90301about 2.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Open every other Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Has a veterans' representative
South Los Angeles - WorkSource CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 562-445-3673
5343 Crenshaw BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90043about 3.4 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
At a comprehensive center all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →