Aerospace & Defense Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Aerospace and defense work in Tucson clusters around Tucson International Airport, where Raytheon builds missiles, Bombardier services business jets and Pima Community College trains mechanics on South Park Avenue. The guides below cover every aerospace and defense role in Tucson, who is hiring, and what it pays.
Why Aerospace & Defense Work Is Different in Tucson
Raytheon (RTX) is the anchor. Its missile design and production plant south of the airport makes it the region's largest private employer, at about 14,050 workers in HUD's 2024 Tucson market analysis. Around it sit Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on the southeast side, the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard at Morris Air National Guard Base next to the airport, and Pima County's Aerospace Parkway corridor linking I-19 and I-10, where the county has planned a research park of nearly 2,000 acres.
What makes the market local is the mix of flight line and factory. Bombardier has run a business-jet service center at the airport since 1976, Ascent Aviation Services maintains aircraft in Tucson and at Pinal Airpark in Marana, and L3Harris maintains EA-37B and G550 aircraft in Tucson and at Davis-Monthan. On the build side, Celestica repairs and tests aircraft electronics at an FAA repair station, and World View builds stratospheric balloon systems. Much of the defense work requires U.S. citizenship and a clearance, while commercial maintenance shops are a common way in without one.
Top Aerospace & Defense Employers in Tucson
These employers have posted Tucson aerospace and defense jobs on their own careers sites:
- Bombardier - the Learjet service center at Tucson International Airport, hiring experienced A&P technicians with shift premiums and a sign-on bonus of up to $5,000.
- L3Harris - A&P mechanics, avionics technicians and quality inspectors for the EA-37B and G550 fleet; a Secret clearance is required.
- Celestica - electronics technicians, first article inspectors, production operators and test engineers at its Tucson ITAR repair station.
- Ascent Aviation Services - aircraft maintenance in Tucson and Marana, with entry sheet metal, teardown and NDT roles and a paid Structures Apprentice Program.
- World View - balloon manufacturing technicians, engineers and quality staff for its stratospheric flight systems.
- 162nd Wing, Arizona Air National Guard - full-time federal technicians in aircraft maintenance and avionics; Guard membership is required.
- Delta Black Aerospace - composite manufacturing technicians for UAV and drone production.
Aerospace & Defense Career Paths in Tucson
- Maintenance and avionics - Aircraft Mechanic and Avionics Technician. The flight line trades at Bombardier, Ascent, L3Harris and the 162nd Wing, built on the FAA A&P certificate.
- Build and structures - Aircraft Assembler and Composites Technician. Hands-on production and structural repair, often the entry point for people without aviation experience.
- Quality and electronics - Aerospace Quality Inspector and Defense Electronics Technician. Inspection, test and repair work at Celestica, L3Harris and the defense suppliers.
- Engineering - Aerospace Engineer, plus the broad Aerospace guide for anyone mapping the field before choosing a lane.
How to Start an Aerospace & Defense Career in Tucson
- FAA A&P certificate - a federal certificate, not an Arizona license, needed to sign off aircraft maintenance. Earn it through a Part 147 school or 18 months of experience per rating (30 months for both).
- Pima Community College Aviation Technology Center - at 7211 S. Park Ave at the airport: the Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics Certificate (16 months full time), the one-semester Avionics Technician and Aircraft Structural Repair certificates, and NDT.
- Pima JTED Aviation Technology - a two-year afternoon program for high school juniors and seniors at the same airport campus, earning Pima's Aircraft General Mechanics certificate.
- Ascent Structures Apprentice Program - 12 months including a 6-week class, starting at $18.50 an hour, leading to structures and sheet metal work.
- University of Arizona Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering - BS degrees in aerospace and mechanical engineering for the engineering track.
- U.S. citizenship and a security clearance - required by L3Harris and many defense programs; L3Harris needs at least an interim Secret clearance before hire.
The A&P certificate is legally required to approve aircraft for return to service; school certificates, apprenticeships, degrees and clearances are employer requirements that vary by job.
Aerospace & Defense Salaries in Tucson
- Entry - roughly $18 to $24 an hour for apprentices, assemblers and production technicians.
- Mid - roughly $26 to $38 an hour for certified A&P mechanics, avionics technicians, inspectors and electronics technicians.
- Senior - roughly $38 to $50 an hour for leads and federal technicians, and $75,000 to $165,000 a year for aerospace engineers.
Posted pay anchors these ranges: World View lists $19 an hour for balloon manufacturing technicians and $30 to $38 for product engineering technicians, Ascent starts apprentices at $18.50, and recent 162nd Wing technician openings paid $41 to $50.39 an hour. Federal data put Tucson's aerospace engineers at an annual mean of about $112,850. Defense contractors and the Guard add clearance-driven roles and federal benefits, while commercial shops lean on shift premiums and sign-on bonuses. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a security clearance for aerospace jobs in Tucson?
It depends on the employer. L3Harris requires U.S. citizenship and at least an interim Secret clearance before hire, and Celestica checks export-control eligibility at its ITAR site. Commercial maintenance shops such as Bombardier and Ascent are a common way to start without a clearance.
Do you need an A&P license to be an aircraft mechanic in Tucson?
To sign off aircraft maintenance you need the FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificate, which is federal, not an Arizona license. Pima Community College's 16-month program at the Aviation Technology Center prepares you for it. Entry structures, teardown and assembly jobs often do not require it.
Which employer hires the most aerospace workers in Tucson?
Raytheon is the largest, at about 14,050 workers in HUD's 2024 market analysis, though its careers site has to be checked directly. Bombardier, L3Harris, Celestica, Ascent and the 162nd Wing are the most active hirers with readable postings.
What aerospace jobs in Tucson pay the most?
Aerospace engineers lead, with Tucson's annual mean near $112,850 in federal data. Federal technicians and leads come next at roughly $38 to $50 an hour, and certified A&P and avionics technicians earn roughly $26 to $38.
Are there entry-level aerospace jobs in Tucson with no experience?
Yes. World View's balloon manufacturing technician posting values a willingness to learn over experience, and Ascent's Structures Apprentice Program starts at $18.50 an hour. Pima's one-semester structures and avionics certificates are the quickest classroom routes.
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