Making $55K A Year As An Aircraft Mechanic in Charlotte, NC | On The Job

Erin Haas Martin, 24, is looking forward to making $55K this year as an aircraft mechanic in Charlotte, NC for PSA Airlines. Before becoming a licensed Airframe and Powerplant mechanic, Erin was in the Marine Corps for 5 years where she worked as a helicopter mechanic on CH-53 aircrafts. Now, Erin works the overnight shift 4 days a week, from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Erin Martin remembers the first time she spoke with her military recruiter. She was 16 years old, she drove a 2007 Chevy Cobalt she repaired herself and she already felt burnt out by school.

"I took AP classes and honors classes in high school. My recruiter actually came into my AP calculus class," she recalls. "In high school, I was pretty much a nerd. I was very heavy on the books. I graduated really high in my class and my plans were to go to college. But after high school, I was pretty burnt out. So I decided to join the Marine Corps."

She enlisted in December 2014.

"I got to choose my job and I chose to be a helicopter mechanic," she says, describing servicing massive C-53 helicopters. "I was always into mechanics growing up, but I didn't know much. Like I know how to work on cars and fix things around the house, but I really wanted to learn a trade."

In the military, Martin earned roughly $800 per week — about $41,600 per year.

In December 2019, Martin left the Marines, moved back into her parents' home outside of Charlotte, North Carolina and began looking for work. She wound up becoming an airplane mechanic making more than $25 per hour and expects to earn roughly $55,000 this year. 

At 24 years old, Martin is planning for a long career and has her eye on advanced airplane mechanic positions, or team "lead" positions, that can pay over $100,000.

"Long-term goal, possibly at a different airline, I hope to be making about six figures. I know that won't happen any time soon, but that's my goal," she says.

Martin says military service "is like a rollercoaster" and transitioning into civilian life is no different. 

"I got out in December of 2019, and it was not as planned. I didn't think I was going to be moving back to Charlotte. I thought I was going to be staying in Jacksonville, North Carolina, working as a contractor on my old helicopter," she says. "But plans didn't work out, so I moved back home and then I found out about PSA."

In 2019, PSA Airlines, a regional affiliate of American Airlines, invested in a recruiting program for veterans. Martin applied and was able to place out of the initial mechanic training because of her military experience. 

PSA paid for her to travel to Ohio to earn her Airframe and Powerplant license.

"A lot of companies don't really try to help veterans transition to the civilian side of things," says Martin. "[PSA] offered to pay for my license, which I did not have at the time. And then there were relocation stipends, sign-on bonuses, experience bonuses to box bonuses — like so much stuff that I couldn't really pass up."

Those bonuses included a $2,500 experience bonus and a professional toolbox worth roughly $5,000. 

Currently, Martin works the night shift, which begins at 9 p.m. and ends around 7 a.m., Sunday through Wednesday.

While she says is used to being a "vampire" after working the night shift for three years during her time in the Marine Corps, Martin admits working at night has its challenges. 

"On a typical day, I'll wake up around 4:00 p.m. drag myself out of bed, go make some coffee, and then I'll try to work out before work," she says. "Then I'll eat breakfast, but it's typically dinner food because it's dinner time."

Her commute takes roughly 30 minutes and her workday begins with a team meeting where tasks are assigned. Tasks range from checking aircraft lights and tire pressure to fixing more serious concerns.

For each task, Martin uses a digital manual to diagnose and address each task — a comforting format she has grown to appreciate. 

"You should never have a question about anything that you're doing in the manual. If you do have questions, there's plenty of people here to help you," she says, mentioning "leads" who serve as shift managers. "But usually, the manuals are like Barney-style super simple to understand."

» Subscribe to CNBC Make It.: http://cnb.cx/2kxl2rf

About CNBC Make It.: CNBC Make It. is a new section of CNBC dedicated to making you smarter about managing your business, career, and money.

Connect with CNBC Make It. Online
Get the latest updates: https://www.cnbc.com/make-it
Find CNBC Make It. on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBCMakeIt
Find CNBC Make It. on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBCMakeIt
Find CNBC Make It. on Instagram: https://bit.ly/InstagramCNBCMakeIt

#CNBC
#CNBCMakeIt

Making $55K A Year As An Aircraft Mechanic in Charlotte, NC | On The Job