Composites Technician Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Composites technicians in Tucson lay up, cure and repair the carbon fiber and fiberglass parts that go into aircraft and drones. Pima Community College trains the skill in a composites lab at its Aviation Technology Center. Current openings are below, followed by who is hiring and what it pays.
Current Composites Technician Openings in Tucson, AZ
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Composites Technician Work in Tucson
Composites work in Tucson follows two lines: building new lightweight structures, and repairing the ones already flying. On the build side, drone and aerospace makers fabricate wings, fuselages and structural parts from carbon fiber, fiberglass and hybrid materials. On the repair side, composite skills sit inside aircraft structures work, the same trade that Pima Community College teaches at its Aviation Technology Center at Tucson International Airport, where students work in sheet metal labs, a composites lab, a sanding booth and a paint booth.
Tucson's aircraft maintenance shops run along South Park Avenue by the airport and at Pinal Airpark north of Marana, and their structures jobs are the natural next step for a technician who can work both metal and composite skins. Postings that say "composites" outright are fewer than general assembly or sheet metal jobs here, so many technicians search under structures and fabrication titles as well.
Top Tucson Employers Hiring Composites Technicians
This Tucson employer has posted composites technician work on its own hiring site: Delta Black Aerospace, which is hiring a Composite Manufacturing Technician for UAV and drone production to hand lay up carbon fiber and fiberglass parts, vacuum bag and cure them, then trim, finish and inspect them. Other composites openings in the metro come and go with aircraft structures and fabrication work.
Search current composites technician openings in Tucson to see every employer posting the role this week.
Composites Technician Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level or apprentice: roughly $18 to $22 an hour.
- Experienced (2 or more years of layup and bagging): roughly $22 to $28 an hour.
- Senior, repair or lead technician: roughly $28 to $36 an hour.
These are estimates that vary by employer and experience. Ascent Aviation Services starts its structures apprentices at $18.50 an hour, the federal wage survey put the Tucson mean for aircraft structure and systems assemblers at $27.62 an hour in May 2023, and World View posts its product engineering technicians, who may bring composites fabrication experience, at $30 to $38. Prepreg, resin infusion and aircraft repair experience push pay up.
How to Become a Composites Technician in Tucson
No Arizona or FAA license is required to work as a composites technician. Employers look for hands-on layup experience: Delta Black asks for 2 or more years in composite manufacturing or aerospace fabrication, with carbon fiber or fiberglass layup, vacuum bagging and curing. The local school route is Pima Community College's Aircraft Structural Repair Certificate, one semester full time at the Aviation Technology Center, which covers inspection, assembly and repair of aircraft sheet metal and composite structures. Technicians who want to work on certificated aircraft can continue into Pima's 16-month Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics Certificate.
What the Job Involves
Composites technicians prepare molds, tooling and materials, cut and lay up plies to a laminate schedule, vacuum bag and cure parts, then trim, sand and finish them. They bond parts into structural assemblies, inspect for voids, fiber orientation and other defects, keep production records and work in protective equipment around resins all day.
Skills Employers Look For
- Hand layup with carbon fiber and fiberglass
- Vacuum bagging, resin systems and cure cycles
- Reading engineering drawings, laminate schedules and work instructions
- Trimming, sanding and finishing cured parts
- Prepreg, foam core sandwich or resin infusion experience
- Safe work with PPE, resins and adhesives
Career Path and Advancement
Composites technicians in Tucson usually move from production layup to lead technician, or across into aircraft structures repair at the MRO shops near the airport and in Marana. Adding sheet metal skills through Pima's structural repair program widens the options, and an Airframe and Powerplant certificate opens aircraft mechanic jobs. Some technicians move into quality inspection, where composite defect experience is valued.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the closest alternatives for composites technicians:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need experience to become a composites technician in Tucson?
For production jobs, usually some. Delta Black Aerospace asks for 2 or more years of composite manufacturing or aerospace fabrication experience. Pima Community College's one-semester Aircraft Structural Repair Certificate is the fastest local way to get hands-on composite training first.
Where can I learn composites work in Tucson?
Pima Community College's Aviation Technology Center at Tucson International Airport has a composites lab and sheet metal labs. Its Aircraft Structural Repair Certificate covers inspection, assembly and repair of sheet metal and composite structures in one full-time semester.
How much do composites technicians make in Tucson?
Entry and apprentice roles run roughly $18 to $22 an hour, experienced technicians about $22 to $28, and senior, repair or lead technicians about $28 to $36. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.
Do composites technicians need a license in Arizona?
No. Arizona has no license for composites work and the FAA does not certify composites technicians. Technicians who want to maintain certificated aircraft can add an FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificate through Pima Community College.
Which Tucson employers hire composites technicians?
Delta Black Aerospace has a composite manufacturing technician job open for UAV and drone production in Tucson. Composites skills also count in aircraft structures and fabrication jobs, so search those titles too.
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