Role Snapshot

ANZSCO Code: 323111 — Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
Role Variants: Avionics Engineer, Structures Technician, Propulsion Engineer, Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME), Base Maintenance Engineer, Line Maintenance Engineer, RAAF Avionics/Airframes Technician
Parent Category: AU Aviation Roles
Skill Level: 1
Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL): Yes — enabling employer-sponsored entry via the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa — Subclass 482
Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL): Yes — enabling access to points-based independent pathways (189, 190, 491). Requires TRA assessment and Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect.
Skills Assessment Body: TRA (Trades Recognition Australia)

🇳🇿Also available for New ZealandAircraft Maintenance Engineer Roles in New ZealandNZQA · Skill Shortage→

Australia’s aviation maintenance sector is driven by a large domestic airline network, active regional aviation serving remote communities and the mining sector, substantial military maintenance requirements, offshore helicopter operations, and one of the southern hemisphere’s most active general aviation fleets. The key credential is the CASA Part 66 licence — EASA Part 66 holders and NZCAA-licensed engineers both have well-established conversion pathways, which makes Australia a realistic destination for experienced LAMEs. Demand is persistent: fleet ageing, aviation growth, and defence expansion are all generating consistent maintenance engineering vacancies across multiple categories and aircraft types.

• Performing scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on aircraft in line with approved maintenance data
• Certifying maintenance releases and completing maintenance documentation to CASA Part 66 LAME requirements
• Troubleshooting aircraft systems defects using AMM, SRM, and IPC documentation
• Conducting base maintenance checks (C-checks, heavy maintenance inputs) and line maintenance turnaround support
• Performing avionics installation, troubleshooting, and repair on aircraft electrical, navigation, and communication systems
• Managing tooling, GSE, and consumables in line with CASR Part 145 approved maintenance organisation requirements
• Liaising with flight operations, engineering management, and CASA as required

Typical employers: Qantas Engineering, HAECO Australia, ST Engineering, Jetstar, Virgin Australia Engineering, Alliance Airlines, Air BP/Shell (general aviation), RAAF (Defence), CHC Helicopters, Toll Aviation, Cobham Aviation Services.

Salary Benchmark

Typical Range: $75,000 – $155,000+ AUD per year. FIFO and remote operations carry significant premiums and often include camp accommodation. LAME certification status is the primary salary differentiator — unlicensed engineers working toward their CASA licence earn at the lower end; LAMEs with sought-after type ratings command the upper range.

• Trade-level / unlicensed engineer: $70,000–$88,000
• Licensed engineer (LAME) mid-career: $95,000–$125,000
• Senior LAME / team leader / base maintenance: $125,000–$155,000+
• FIFO / remote operations: $120,000–$160,000+ (with camp accommodation)

Source: SEEK AU — Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Salary | Hays Salary Guide AU 2026 | Data reviewed May 2026

FIFO aviation maintenance premium: WA mining aviation and remote charter operations pay a significant roster premium. CHC Helicopters, Toll Aviation, and Cobham Aviation regularly advertise FIFO-based LAME roles; for engineers open to FIFO rosters, the total remuneration package is materially higher than metropolitan line maintenance equivalent roles.

Cost of living: For an independent comparison, see Numbeo — Australia. TEFI provides clients with a detailed financial planning workbook to model living costs by city and lifestyle — ask Tate for a copy.

Where Demand Is Strongest

• Sydney, NSW — Qantas Engineering and HAECO Australia base maintenance facilities. Sydney is the primary hub for heavy maintenance, base checks, and engineering management roles with the Qantas Group. Largest single concentration of commercial AME demand in Australia.
• Melbourne, VIC — Jetstar Engineering, Virgin Australia Engineering, and ST Engineering all operate Melbourne facilities. Second-largest commercial AME hub nationally.
• Brisbane, QLD — Qantas Engineering Brisbane, Alliance Airlines, and a growing charter sector. Alliance Airlines’ significant turboprop and jet fleet generates consistent maintenance demand.
• Perth, WA — FIFO mining aviation (CHC Helicopters, Toll Aviation, remote charter operators) and a substantial general aviation market. Highest salary premiums nationally for FIFO-based LAME roles.
• Darwin, NT & Cairns, QLD — RAAF maintenance at both locations; Cairns and Darwin also support a significant charter and tourism aviation sector generating line and base maintenance demand.

Licensing & Professional Registration

CASA Part 66 licence is mandatory to certify maintenance on Australian-registered aircraft. Working as an unlicensed engineer (B2 avionics, B1 mechanical) under a supervising LAME is possible while your conversion is in progress, but the CASA licence is the key credential for certification authority and salary progression.

Licence conversion process:

• EASA Part 66 holders: EASA Part 66 is directly comparable to CASA Part 66. Application for credit is well-established; CASA assesses individual category holdings and type ratings and issues an equivalent Australian licence
• NZCAA-licensed engineers: New Zealand has a direct recognition pathway for CASA Part 66 conversion. This is one of the more streamlined licence conversion processes available and is well-understood by Australian operators who employ NZ engineers regularly
• FAA and other ICAO-state holders: Conversion is possible but requires a more detailed equivalence assessment. CASA provides guidance on the specific documentary requirements
• Full details at casa.gov.au under AME licensing

Part 66 licence categories:

• Category A: Line maintenance certifying mechanic (limited scope)
• Category B1: Mechanical systems and structures — the most common LAME category for airframe and propulsion engineers
• Category B2: Avionics — electrical, instrument, and communications systems
• Category C: Base maintenance certifying engineer (broad scope, typically requires B1 or B2 first)

Your category determines the scope of your certification authority — employers will ask your category and current type ratings before any other credential discussion.

Professional association: Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) — relevant for employment conditions, industrial relations, and professional networking. Familiarity with ALAEA enterprise agreement conditions is useful background for salary negotiation.

Immigration Pathway

Skills assessment required: Yes — TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) for ANZSCO 323111 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. TRA assesses your trade qualifications and practical experience against Australian trade standards. This is the migration skills assessment pathway; the CASA Part 66 licence is the separate operational credential required to actually certify maintenance.

Visa options:

• Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa — Subclass 482 (Medium-Term Stream) — Employer sponsor required. Duration: up to 4 years.
  Home Affairs — TSS Visa 482
• Skilled Independent Visa — Subclass 189 — Points-based, no sponsor required. Permanent residence directly. Requires TRA assessment and EOI via SkillSelect.
  Home Affairs — Skilled Independent 189
• Skilled Nominated Visa — Subclass 190 — State nomination, points-based, permanent residence. Requires TRA assessment and EOI via SkillSelect.
  Home Affairs — Skilled Nominated 190
• Skilled Work Regional Visa — Subclass 491 — Regional Australia, 5-year temporary visa with PR pathway. Relevant for engineers open to Darwin, Cairns, or WA regional aviation roles. Requires TRA assessment and EOI via SkillSelect.
  Home Affairs — Skilled Work Regional 491

Important: TEFI does not provide immigration advice. We recommend working with a registered Australian migration agent. We refer clients to New Zealand Shores — contact Fabien Maisonneuve at Fabien@newzealandshores.com and mention Tate sent you.

Migrant Readiness Signals

• CASA Part 66 conversion application started: This is non-negotiable to certify maintenance — even EASA and NZCAA holders need to apply; starting the conversion process before the job search (and being able to state your application reference number and expected completion date) removes the biggest employer risk flag immediately
• Aircraft type ratings clearly listed in AU-readable format: Major operators (Qantas Engineering, Jetstar, Virgin, Alliance) are type-specific in their maintenance approvals; listing your type ratings with the full ICAO aircraft designator, category held, and years of experience on each type is the primary shortlisting filter
• Regulatory framework familiarity demonstrated: AU CASR (Civil Aviation Safety Regulations) Part 145 (approved maintenance organisations), Part 66, and CASA maintenance release and defect documentation procedures differ in specific detail from EASA and NZCAA equivalents — demonstrating you have read the relevant CASR parts and understand the AU framework signals you are genuinely transition-ready
• FIFO and remote work readiness signalled for WA roles: Mining aviation and remote charter are significant demand pools in WA; candidates who explicitly communicate openness to FIFO rosters — and can credibly explain why — move materially faster into WA aviation maintenance roles
• Base vs line maintenance preference clearly stated: Base maintenance (heavy checks, C-checks, modifications) requires different skills, temperament, and scheduling flexibility than line maintenance (turnaround, defect rectification, AOG response) — making your preference and capability explicit on your CV removes ambiguity for hiring managers

Where to Find Roles

• SEEK AU — search: “Aircraft Maintenance Engineer”, “LAME”, “Avionics Engineer”, “B1 Engineer”, “B2 Engineer”. Filter by state for targeted results; WA returns the most FIFO-premium roles
• LinkedIn — follow Qantas Engineering, HAECO Australia, Virgin Australia Engineering, Cobham Aviation, CHC Helicopters, Toll Aviation; LinkedIn is active for mid-to-senior LAME and avionics roles not always posted on SEEK
• Aviation job boards and specialist recruiters — AeroProfessional, Altus Aviation, and dedicated aviation recruitment agencies maintain active databases of AME candidates and roles; registering with specialist recruiters gives access to roles that are never publicly advertised
• Australian Defence Force Careers — RAAF technical trades (avionics, airframes, propulsion) offer structured military career pathways for AMEs open to uniformed service

Direct to employer: Qantas Engineering, HAECO, and Jetstar all accept direct applications through their corporate career pages. For FIFO roles, CHC Helicopters and Cobham Aviation both have dedicated careers sections and are accustomed to receiving direct applications from overseas LAMEs with CASA conversion applications in progress.

A note on cold applications: Australian aviation maintenance is a specialist community where professional reputation and type rating currency matter significantly. LAMEs who approach employers with a clear CASA conversion in progress, specific type ratings relevant to the operator’s fleet, and a demonstrated understanding of AU regulatory requirements will consistently outperform candidates who rely on a generic CV. If you’re unsure how to position your AME background for the Australian market, upload your CV for no-cost, practical feedback — Tate typically responds within one business day.