AME Salary and Jobs in India

AME salary in India

Aircraft maintenance is one of the better-paid technical careers in Indian aviation, and pay grows steadily with your licence, type ratings and experience. Here is what current data shows:

Salaries vary a lot between employers, cities and aircraft types, so treat these as a guide rather than a promise. Trainees and unlicensed technicians earn less; pay rises sharply once you can certify aircraft.

What raises an AME's pay

• The licence: a DGCA licence lets you sign the certificate of release to service, which is what employers pay for.
• Type ratings: each aircraft type endorsed on your licence, such as an Airbus A320 family or ATR 72, makes you more valuable.
• Category: B1 and B2 engineers with type ratings are in demand; Category C opens base maintenance roles later.
• Experience: years on line and base maintenance, and a clean safety record.
• Employer: large airlines, international carriers and MROs serving foreign operators usually pay more.

Where aircraft maintenance engineers work

• Airlines: domestic, regional and international passenger airlines, at main bases and transit stations.
• Cargo carriers: freight and logistics airlines operating in India and abroad.
• MRO organisations: maintenance, repair and overhaul companies that service aircraft for other operators.
• Component workshops: repair, modification and testing of aircraft components.
• Aircraft manufacturing: companies that build aircraft parts and assemblies.
• General aviation: flying clubs, state government hangars, charter, air ambulance and helicopter operators.
• Paramilitary aviation: licence holders may serve in the aviation wings of forces such as BSF and ITBP.
• Technical publications: companies that prepare maintenance documentation for operators and MROs.

A typical AME career path

1. Student: basic training under CAR-147 and DGCA module exams. See the licence process.
2. Technician or trainee engineer: practical experience on operating aircraft at a CAR-145 organisation.
3. Licensed engineer: DGCA licence in Category B1 or B2, and your first type rating.
4. Senior certifying engineer: more type ratings, shift lead and supervisory roles.
5. Specialist or manager: Category C, quality, planning, technical services or training roles.

Working abroad

Indian engineers work with airlines and MROs in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and beyond. Most countries ask for their own licence or a conversion of your DGCA licence, plus type ratings on the aircraft they fly. Because CAR-66 Issue III is aligned with EASA Part-66, the module structure you study in India follows the same pattern used in many other countries.

Sources: Glassdoor, aircraft maintenance engineer salaries in India; IGRUA AME job notice. Figures change over time.

Frequently asked questions