Avionics News December 2022 - 24

RATE & LABOR SURVEY
Continued from page 23
The respondents' business predictions revealed a
surprise: Business will increase because of decreased
competition in the post-pandemic marketplace. Product
availability, facility expansion, adding personnel and
airframe and powerplant services to their avionics
capabilities, and advertising and marketing rounded out
the list.
Those who predicted business would remain the same
revealed another surprise. While citing many of the factors
by those expecting a decline, a number of respondents
said their business had found its sweet spot, a manageable
balance of workload, backlog, and the size of their facility
and staff. Several said their business would double if they
marketed and/or advertised their services, but without the
qualified technicians to deliver it, word-of-mouth marketing
is sustaining their business.
Technician economics
The chronic shortage of technicians continues to drive
shop and labor rates higher. To help the AEA focus its
support efforts to mitigate this challenge, the survey asked,
" What is your primary method for recruiting qualified
technicians? " and " Where do you find technicians? "
For recruiting, in round numbers, a third of respondents
employ the company website and/or social media.
Industry job boards work for a quarter of hiring shops,
with recruiting firms working for another fifth. Another
fifth work directly with schools. Only 1% recruited new
technicians at career fairs and through LinkedIn.
Recruiting methods corelate with the source of new
employees. A third find new technicians at other avionics
repair stations. A quarter find them at technical schools.
A fifth hire new technicians from related industries and
provide the necessary on-the-job knowledge. A sixth tap
into the pool of technicians transitioning from the military.
Only 3% turned to college/university programs, and 6%
found grow-your-own talent at high schools.
Hiring technicians from other shops immediately fulfills
the experience and knowledge requirements, but it does
nothing to expand the technician labor pool, which comes
at a price. With one exception, bench and install labor rates
increased nationwide, as did (with one exception) their
corresponding service and install shop rates. (The Western
region's install shop rate dropped to $118.52 from $118.97.)
The number of shops giving salary increases increased
nationwide, with more shops in the coastal regions offering
incentive payments. Changes to employee benefits were
more variable.
24 avionics news * december 2022
Geographic variations
In the Western region, 52% of shops increased their
shop rates an average of 6.8%. Using the region's average
rates, service increased 3.78%, a $4.48 jump to $123.15
an hour. The 2022 install rate fell 0.38%, down 45 cents to
$118.52.
Two-thirds of shops increased salaries this year, down
from 2021's 74%. Bench techs received a 5.31% raise,
$1.34 to $26.57. Install techs got a 16.11% bump, up $3.54
to $25.52 an hour. The number of shops offering incentive
pay nearly doubled to 56%, with the average amount
staying the same, $1,850.
Employee benefits changed only a few points up or
down in most categories with life insurance down to 33%,
individual health insurance down to 63%, dental down to
48%, and retirement down to 56%. Flight training, on the
other hand, jumped to 48% from 29%.
Another substantial change was in the profile of aircraft
maintained. The number of shops serving piston planes
nearly tripled, to 89% in 2022. Turboprops increased 4
points to 81%, jets dropped 11 to 44%, and rotorcraft
climbed 5 to 63%. The Western region's business outlook
was relatively unchanged. Those predicting growth dropped
4 to 70%, remain the same added 3 to 23%, and those
seeing decline grew by 1, to 7%.
Heading into the heartland, two-thirds of shops in the
Central region increased their shop rates an average of 8%,
not much of a change from 2021's 64% and 7%. The service
shop rate had the biggest increase, 9.97%, $111.07 to
$122.14. The install rate climbed 6.59%, $7.21, to $116.64.
The percentage of shops giving salary increases climbed
4 points to 80%, with the average increase up 1 to 6%.
Install techs received a 9.04% bump to $21.11 an hour,
$1.75 over last year's $19.36. Bench techs got a 5.89%
increase, up $1.11 from last year's $18.85. Incentive pay
fell to 41% from 52%, but the average incentive grew to
$3,583 from $2,910.
Except for retirement, which climbed 9 points to 61%,
employee benefits fell across the board. Life insurance
dropped 7 to 41%. Individual health fell 17 to 64%, but
family health insurance stepped back only 2 to 50%.
Dental insurance took similar steps to 41%. Flight training
descended 21 to 34%.
The profile of aircraft maintained revealed significant
changes in jets, up 18 to 68%, and rotorcraft, up 25 to 70%.
Piston planes stepped up 2 to 95%, and turboprops stepped
down 4 to 89%. In recutting the region's business pie, the
increase slice grew from 57% to 61%, the decrease slice
gained 3 to 5%, and the remain the same narrowed to 34%
from 41%.
Avionics News December 2022

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