Aerospace recruiters who know the stamps.
Structures assemblers, A&P mechanics, avionics technicians, NDT inspectors, composite technicians, CNC machinists and quality engineers for airframe, engine, MRO and defense programs and the supplier base that feeds them. Direct placement, contract or temporary, recruited nationwide. Response within one business day.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, aerospace product and parts manufacturing, series CES3133640001, 594,500 in July 2026 (preliminary) versus 568,500 in July 2025, seasonally adjusted, fetched September 13, 2026. Boeing second quarter 2026 results, investor release, July 28, 2026. AIA and McKinsey study on tackling talent gaps in aerospace and defense, June 16, 2025, sample of more than 30 A&D organizations. Quote turnaround is C3 Workforce policy.
Three searches aerospace employers hand to us.
Aerospace hiring is a rate story. Airframers are raising production rates, engine makers are buying up casting capacity, and defense primes are staffing multiyear munitions and shipbuilding programs at the same time. The people who can do this work are scarce and the search takes time most HR teams do not have.
Credentialed roles a posting will not fill
An A&P certificate takes years to earn. An NDT Level II in ultrasonic is not the same person as a Level II in penetrant. These are recruiter led searches: we know who holds the certification, who is open to a move and who has already worked inside an AS9100 quality system.
Rate increases down the supply chain
Every 737 or single aisle rate step scales source inspection, first article work and machining hours at the shops that make, machine and inspect the parts. We place machinists, programmers and inspectors with the machining, castings, tooling and harness suppliers that feed the primes.
Program ramps on contract
A multiyear defense award or a new engine line needs manufacturing and quality engineers now, not after the next budget cycle. Contract engineering staffs the ramp without carrying headcount, and converts to direct hire when the money is obligated.
Rising rates, a record backlog, and a certified workforce that is retiring.
What the national numbers say about aerospace and defense in September 2026, and what they mean for the program manager or HR lead with a requisition that has been open since spring.
US aerospace product and parts manufacturing employed 594,500 people in July 2026, up 26,000, or 4.6 percent, from a year earlier and up 16,900 since December. Manufacturing as a whole has recovered 58,000 jobs since its December 2025 low, and aerospace is one of the largest contributors. The industry behind those jobs recorded $988.6 billion in sales in 2025 and supports 2.1 million jobs, 930,000 of them at the end use companies and 1.1 million in the supply chain, with about two thirds of direct employees in technical roles. Exports rose 25 percent to $172.7 billion, and capital spending rose 13 percent to $45 billion, with investment in machinery up 17 percent. Companies are buying equipment ahead of the people to run it.
Commercial production is the engine. Boeing delivered 418 airplanes through August 2026, its best eight month total since 2018, and Airbus delivered 475. Boeing's backlog stands at a record $715 billion including more than 6,200 commercial airplanes, and the 737 line began moving to 47 a month during the second quarter. Airbus holds a backlog of 9,222 aircraft and is targeting an A320 family rate of 75 a month by the end of 2027. Across all manufacturers, 131 aircraft were built in August, and the binding constraints are engines, castings and cabin interiors rather than final assembly labor. That is why GE Aerospace plans 5,000 US manufacturing and engineering hires in 2026 on top of 5,000 in 2025, and agreed in September to buy a castings supplier with about 6,600 employees for $11.75 billion. Every rate step at the airframers scales machining hours, first article inspections and source inspection visits at the shops that feed them.
Defense demand is layered on top. Congress enacted $839.2 billion in national defense appropriations for fiscal 2026 plus $152.3 billion in multiyear reconciliation funding for the Department of Defense, roughly $25 billion of it for munitions and $29 billion for shipbuilding. The fiscal 2027 request is $1.5 trillion, but as of mid September a continuing resolution runs through December 11 and the reconciliation portion has no bill. Funded munitions and shipbuilding lines keep hiring: one cruise missile program received a $22.9 billion seven year contract to push output above 1,000 a year, and one submarine builder plans 8,000 hires in 2026. New program starts slip while the funded ramps pull machinists, welders, harness assemblers and quality engineers out of the same regional labor pools that commercial suppliers use.
The workforce is the constraint everyone shares. Aerospace and defense attrition ran near 15 percent in 2024, more than double the average across other US industries, with engineering and skilled trades the hardest roles to fill. Boeing's 2026 outlook projects a need for 728,000 new maintenance technicians worldwide through 2045, two thirds of them replacing retirees and attrition rather than supporting growth. The FAA issued slightly more than 9,000 new airframe and powerplant certificates in 2024, down 4 percent from the prior year, and the certificated mechanic shortfall is projected at 10 percent in 2025 narrowing only to 7 percent by 2035, roughly 10,000 mechanics short, while about a third of seats in FAA approved maintenance schools go unfilled. BLS projects 6 percent growth and about 13,100 openings a year for aircraft and avionics mechanics and technicians through 2035, 12 percent growth for aerospace engineering technicians, and about 5,700 openings a year for nondestructive testing specialists. Deloitte expects supply chain pressure to persist through at least 2027 and the share of aerospace postings requiring data analysis skills to rise from 9 percent to nearly 14 percent by 2028.
For the person staffing a program, the hours tell the near term story. Production workers in transportation equipment manufacturing averaged 44.3 hours a week in August 2026 versus 42.0 a year earlier, and overtime ran 5.5 hours a week in July, up from 5.2. The two major machinist strikes of 2025 were settled with 24 percent wage increases over the contract at one airframer's defense plants and a 6 percent first year raise at an engine maker, which sets the market for the shops around them. Hiring in this industry is credential constrained, regulation constrained and clearance constrained all at once. The search takes longer than a production order, so the requisition needs to open before the rate step, not after the overtime does.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, aerospace product and parts manufacturing, series CES3133640001, July 2026 preliminary, seasonally adjusted, fetched September 13, 2026; BLS Employment Situation, September 4, 2026 (manufacturing employment change since December 2025); BLS CES transportation equipment manufacturing, series CES3133600007 (weekly hours) and CES3133600009 (overtime), August and July 2026; BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 to 2035 projections, updated August 27, 2026; O*NET, nondestructive testing specialists, BLS projections. Aerospace Industries Association, 2026 Facts and Figures, June 25, 2026 (data year 2025). Forecast International, Airbus and Boeing August 2026 orders and deliveries (September 9, 2026) and August 2026 commercial aircraft production trends (September 1, 2026). Boeing second quarter 2026 results, July 28, 2026. Airbus first half 2026 results, July 29, 2026. GE Aerospace press releases, March 9, 2026 and September 8, 2026. Congressional Research Service, R48891, April 2, 2026 (fiscal 2026 appropriations and reconciliation); Breaking Defense, February 23, 2026 (reconciliation spend plan) and September 10, 2026 (continuing resolution); CSIS, April 10, 2026 (fiscal 2027 request). RTX, August 17, 2026. Manufacturing Dive, August 26, 2026 (shipbuilder hiring) and November 2025 (strike settlement); IAM District 837 and IAM Locals 1746 and 700 contract ratifications, November 13, 2025 and May 27, 2025. AIA and McKinsey, talent gaps study, June 16, 2025. Boeing 2026 Pilot and Technician Outlook, July 18, 2026. ATEC 2025 Pipeline Report. Deloitte 2026 Aerospace and Defense Industry Outlook, November 13, 2025.Down 4 percent from the 2023 record, against a projected 10 percent shortfall of certificated mechanics in 2025.
Source: ATEC 2025 Pipeline Report, FAA certificate data.Worldwide, two thirds of them to replace retirements and attrition rather than to support fleet growth.
Source: Boeing 2026 Pilot and Technician Outlook, July 18, 2026.August 2026, up from 42.0 a year earlier, with overtime at 5.5 hours a week in July. The rate increase is being met with hours first.
Source: BLS CES series CES3133600007 and CES3133600009, August and July 2026, seasonally adjusted.Eight aerospace role families, the stamps that matter, and what we verify.
In this industry the credential is the job. Here is what each person does, the certifications and quality system experience that matter, what C3 screens for before presenting anyone, and the shifts these seats usually run.
Aircraft structures and systems assemblers
On the floor. Drills, reams and countersinks to tight edge margins, installs fasteners and rivets, applies sealant, shims and fits panels, routes and clamps systems, and works to a planning document with buyoff at every step.
What matters. Blueprint and planning reading, precision drilling in aluminum, titanium and composite stack ups, torque and fastener standards, foreign object debris discipline, and often documented US person status on defense lines.
C3 screens for. Platforms and structures worked, fastener and sealant experience, the ability to explain a buyoff step, and references from a lead or inspector.
Shifts. Two and three shift on rate programs. BLS projects about 2,800 openings a year for aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging and systems assemblers even as automation trims the occupation, so the openings are replacement driven.
A&P mechanics
On the floor. Inspects, troubleshoots, repairs and returns aircraft and components to service on the production flight line, at MRO stations and in completion centers, and signs for the work under the certificate.
What matters. FAA airframe and powerplant certificate with ratings verified, type experience, familiarity with maintenance manuals and the documentation discipline the FAA expects, and for repair station or airline work, participation in an FAA compliant drug and alcohol testing program under 14 CFR Part 120.
C3 screens for. Certificate verified against the FAA airmen registry, platforms and systems actually worked, and Part 120 program coordination arranged with you before the placement, not after.
Shifts. MRO runs around the clock with heavy night check work. BLS projects 6 percent growth and about 13,100 openings a year for aircraft and avionics mechanics and technicians combined.
Avionics and electrical technicians
On the floor. Installs, tests and troubleshoots wiring, connectors, antennas and avionics units, builds and repairs harnesses to a drawing, performs functional tests and documents results.
What matters. IPC/WHMA A 620 for harness work and IPC J STD 001 for soldering, FCC general radiotelephone license or an A&P where preferred, schematic reading, and test equipment competence. ITAR US person status on defense platforms.
C3 screens for. Current IPC certifications verified, platforms and test procedures worked, and a wiring or soldering practical when you want one.
Shifts. Days in manufacturing, all shifts in MRO. BLS projects growth for avionics technicians much faster than average as electronics content per aircraft rises.
Composite technicians
On the floor. Lays up plies to a ply book and orientation, bags and cures in an autoclave, trims and drills cured parts, performs repairs, and works inside clean room and temperature controlled limits.
What matters. Hand layup and prepreg handling, ply orientation and material out time tracking, bagging and leak checks, autoclave cycle familiarity, and OEM or equivalent composite training. Clean room discipline is not optional.
C3 screens for. Materials and part types laid up, repair experience, and how the candidate handles a material out time or a bag leak mid cycle.
Shifts. Two and three shift on widebody and business jet programs; autoclave cycles run overnight.
CNC machinists and programmers, aerospace alloys
On the floor. Sets up and runs 3, 4 and 5 axis machining centers and lathes on titanium, Inconel, high strength aluminum and steel; holds tight tolerances across small lots; runs first articles; adjusts for tool wear and thermal growth.
What matters. GD&T to ASME Y14.5, CMM and hand gauge competence, controls run (Fanuc, Siemens, Heidenhain, Okuma), CAM for programmers (Mastercam, NX, CATIA), AS9100 shop experience, first article inspection to AS9102, and traceability discipline for material certifications.
C3 screens for. Alloys and tolerances actually held, controls by name, first article history, and a practical on your equipment when you want one.
Shifts. Two shift with lights out third shift common. BLS projects about 30,400 openings a year for machinists and tool and die makers nationally, nearly all replacement, and 6 percent growth for CNC programmers.
Nondestructive testing inspectors
On the floor. Inspects castings, forgings, welds and composite layups by ultrasonic, penetrant, magnetic particle, eddy current or radiographic methods, interprets indications against the acceptance standard and signs the part off or rejects it.
What matters. Level II certification by method under NAS 410 or the employer's written practice to ASNT SNT TC 1A, documented training hours and experience per method, current vision exam, and familiarity with customer specific acceptance criteria. A Level II in ultrasonic is not a Level II in penetrant.
C3 screens for. Methods and levels held with training and experience records, so your Level III can certify the person to your written practice quickly, plus the part families inspected.
Shifts. All shifts; inspection follows production. About 5,700 openings a year are projected nationally for the parent occupation, and every casting and weld in a rate increase needs a Level II signature.
Quality inspectors and source inspectors
On the floor. Performs receiving, in process and final inspection, runs CMM programs and layouts, completes first article inspection reports to AS9102, manages nonconformance documentation, and represents the customer at supplier sites as a source inspector.
What matters. GD&T, CMM operation (PC DMIS, Calypso), AS9100 quality system experience, AS9102 FAI, calibration and traceability discipline, and the judgment to hold a part when the schedule says ship it.
C3 screens for. A print reading exercise, FAI reports completed, quality systems worked in, and references from a quality manager.
Shifts. All shifts. Source inspection travels. BLS projects about 66,700 openings a year for inspectors, testers and sorters across all industries.
Quality, manufacturing and supplier quality engineers
On the floor. Owns the quality plan for a program, runs root cause and corrective action, qualifies suppliers and audits them to AS9100, plans and improves manufacturing processes, supports rate increases and leads customer and regulator interactions.
What matters. Engineering degree or equivalent, AS9100 auditor training, first article and production part approval experience, statistical methods, familiarity with special process controls, and clearance eligibility where the program requires it.
C3 screens for. Programs supported, audits led, corrective actions closed with the customer, and whether the candidate has lived through a rate increase or a quality escape.
Shifts. Days, with program deadlines. Most go out on contract for a ramp or direct for a permanent seat. BLS projects 8 percent growth for aerospace engineers with about 3,800 openings a year, and 12 percent for industrial engineers.
Four reasons an aerospace requisition stays open longer than any other.
The pipeline is fixed by regulation, the workforce is retiring, the screens are legal requirements, and the demand arrives in steps.
A certificate pipeline that cannot flex
The FAA issued slightly more than 9,000 new airframe and powerplant certificates in 2024, down 4 percent, while the industry needs 728,000 new maintenance technicians worldwide through 2045. Two thirds of new mechanics come through FAA approved schools, where about a third of seats sit empty, and the certificated mechanic shortfall is projected at 10 percent in 2025, still 7 percent in 2035. No employer can accelerate that pipeline on its own.
How C3 handles it. A recruiter led search that knows who holds the certificate and who is open to a move, including the 14 percent of mechanics who come from military experience, rather than a posting that waits for a certificated person to apply.
Sources: ATEC 2025 Pipeline Report (FAA certificate data). Boeing 2026 Pilot and Technician Outlook, July 18, 2026.Attrition near 15 percent, and the retirees behind it
Aerospace and defense attrition was nearly 15 percent in 2024, more than double the average across other US industries, with engineering and skilled trades the hardest roles to fill. Two thirds of projected technician demand is replacement, not growth. BLS projects about 30,400 openings a year for machinists and tool and die makers nationally on an occupation that is not growing, which is the retirement wave showing up in the data.
How C3 handles it. Contract engineering and temp to hire so a program can staff a ramp before the permanent budget is approved, plus check ins with the candidate after start, because the first ninety days are when a placement in this industry is won or lost.
Sources: AIA and McKinsey, talent gaps in aerospace and defense, June 16, 2025, sample of more than 30 organizations. Boeing 2026 Pilot and Technician Outlook. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, machinists and tool and die makers, 2025 to 2035.Screens that are legal requirements, not preferences
Export controlled work requires documented US person status under 22 CFR 120.62, which includes permanent residents and protected individuals, so asking only about citizenship both excludes qualified people and creates discrimination exposure. Any mechanic performing maintenance for a Part 121, 135 or 145 employer must sit inside an FAA compliant drug and alcohol testing program under 14 CFR Part 120, at any subcontract tier. Security clearances are sponsored by the employer of record and cannot be obtained by a candidate independently.
How C3 handles it. The screens are written into the job order in the first call. We document US person status the way the regulation defines it, coordinate Part 120 coverage before a repair station placement, and tell you plainly what we can and cannot do on a cleared requisition.
Sources: 22 CFR 120.62 and 120.63; 14 CFR 120.105; 8 U.S.C. 1324b. Regulatory references, not statistics.Demand that arrives in steps
When a 737 line moves to 47 a month or an engine maker adds casting capacity, every supplier's machining hours, first article inspections and source inspection visits jump at once, and 131 aircraft a month industry wide means the jump lands on the same shops simultaneously. Transportation equipment production workers were already at 44.3 hours a week in August 2026, up 2.3 hours in a year. The plant that starts hiring when the rate letter arrives is competing with every other supplier on the same program.
How C3 handles it. Contract and temporary placements for the inspection and machining surge, direct placement for the permanent seats, and a bench recruited before the rate step so the short list exists when the requisition opens.
Sources: Boeing second quarter 2026 results, July 28, 2026. Forecast International, August 2026 production trends, September 1, 2026. BLS CES series CES3133600007, August 2026.The hangar, the shop floor and the quality lab.
This is a credential heavy industry and we treat it that way. We know the difference between an NDT Level II in ultrasonic and one in penetrant, what AS9100 and first article inspection mean for a quality hire, and why documenting US person status for export controlled work has to be done carefully and without over screening. We know that a mechanic supplied to a repair station has to sit inside an FAA compliant drug and alcohol testing program.
Mechanics and technicians
Machining and inspection
Engineering
A search built around the screens your program requires.
Direct, contract or temporary, the screen is written into the order
For direct placement, the hire is your employee from day one and we run the search. For contract and temporary placements, C3 Workforce is the employer of record: we hire, pay, insure and, when necessary, dismiss. Either way, the requirements below are set in the first call, not discovered in week two.
- Recruiter led sourcing from a network of certified aerospace talent
- Certification verification: A&P, NDT Level II, AWS D17.1, IPC
- US person status documented for export controlled work, without over screening
- FAA Part 120 drug and alcohol program coordination for repair station placements
- AS9100 and first article inspection experience screened for quality roles
- Background and drug screening to your requirements
- E Verify and I 9 employment eligibility verification
- Payroll, taxes, workers compensation and unemployment administration on contract and temporary placements
- Contract to direct conversion at any time
- A recruiter who checks in with you and the candidate
Four steps from requisition to a hire with the right stamps.
No portal, no sales sequence. The person who takes your call is the person who works your search.
Consult
You talk to a salesperson, not an intake form. Program, platform, certifications required, export control status, quality system, shift and pay range. Written quote within 24 hours.
Source and screen
Relationships, not resumes. We verify the certificate, ask which platforms, materials and inspection methods the candidate has actually worked, and check references from people who worked beside them.
Present and start
You see a short list worth your interview time, not a stack to screen yourself. For contract and temporary placements, onboarding, payroll and required notices are handled before day one.
Support
A recruiter checks in with you and the candidate after the start. If something is not working, call us. We respond within one business day.
What the market looks like right now.
Every figure is national, sourced and dated. Data as of September 13, 2026.
July 2026, preliminary. Up 26,000 from 568,500 in July 2025 and up 16,900 since December 2025. One of the fastest growing manufacturing sectors in the country.
Source: BLS Current Employment Statistics, series CES3133640001 (aerospace product and parts manufacturing), fetched Sept 13, 2026. Seasonally adjusted.Second quarter 2026, including more than 6,200 commercial airplanes. The 737 program began moving to a 47 per month rate during the quarter.
Source: Boeing second quarter 2026 results, investor release, July 28, 2026.Aerospace and defense attrition was nearly 15 percent in 2024, more than double the average across other US industries. Engineering and skilled trades are the hardest roles to fill.
Source: AIA and McKinsey study on tackling talent gaps in aerospace and defense, released June 16, 2025, sample of more than 30 A&D organizations.Employment growing 4.6 percent a year on a record backlog means the people you need are already employed by a competitor and being asked to work more hours, while attrition near 15 percent means your own bench is thinning at the same time. That combination favors opening the requisition before the rate step, using contract placements to staff the surge in machining and inspection, and reserving direct placement for the certificated and engineering seats where the search is a relationship, not a posting.
Straight answers.
Our September 2026 analysis of BLS, Boeing, AIA and ATEC data shows aerospace adding jobs faster than any large manufacturing industry while attrition runs near 15 percent and the FAA issues only about 9,000 new A&P certificates a year, which is why mechanics, NDT inspectors and machinists stay open the longest.
Do you recruit aerospace roles nationwide?
Yes. We place with airframe, engine, MRO and defense programs in multiple markets across the country, and with the supplier base of machining, castings, tooling and harness shops that feeds them. Aerospace direct placement is one of several services we offer, alongside temporary, temp to hire and contract staffing across manufacturing, automotive, food, logistics and technical work.
How do you handle ITAR and US person requirements?
Carefully and without over screening. Under 22 CFR 120.62 a US person includes citizens, lawful permanent residents and protected individuals, so asking only about citizenship excludes people who legally qualify. We document status the way the regulation defines it and build the requirement into the job order when your work is export controlled.
Can you supply mechanics to an FAA repair station?
Yes. A mechanic performing maintenance for a Part 121, 135 or 145 employer has to sit inside an FAA compliant drug and alcohol testing program under 14 CFR Part 120, and that applies to contract and temporary employees at any tier. We coordinate that requirement with you before the placement, not after.
Direct placement or contract for an engineer?
Direct placement fits a permanent seat with an approved budget. Contract fits a program ramp, a rate increase or a quality system upgrade where you need the person now and want to convert later. Contract placements can convert to direct hire at any time. We will lay out both in the quote.
How long does an aerospace search take?
Longer than a production order, and it depends on the certification, the clearance requirement, the location and the pay range. Cleared roles are the slowest to fill through any third party because the clearance is sponsored by the employer of record. We give you a realistic timeline in the quote rather than a promise we cannot keep.
Can you find candidates who already hold a security clearance?
We can recruit clearance eligible and currently cleared candidates for your direct hire, where you become the sponsoring employer. For contract placements the clearance question depends on who holds the facility clearance and the contract's requirements, and we will not pretend otherwise. Tell us the clearance level and the program on the call and we will say plainly what we can do for that requisition.
How do you verify an A&P certificate or an NDT certification?
An airframe and powerplant certificate is checked against the FAA airmen registry, including the ratings held. NDT Level II status belongs to the employer's written practice, so we verify the candidate's training hours, experience by method and prior certifications, and give your Level III the records needed to certify the person to your practice without starting from zero.
Do you screen for AS9100 and special process experience?
Yes. For quality roles we ask which quality systems the candidate has worked inside, how many first article inspection reports they have completed to AS9102, and whether they have supported a customer or registrar audit. For machinists, welders and NDT inspectors we ask about the special process controls and customer acceptance criteria they worked to, because a shop with accredited special processes has different expectations than one without.
Do you place assemblers and machinists on temp to hire, or only credentialed roles?
Both. Structures assemblers, composite technicians, harness assemblers and machinists often start on temp to hire so you can evaluate them on your floor before committing, and convert to your payroll when they prove out. Credentialed roles such as A&P mechanics, NDT Level II inspectors and engineers more often go direct or on contract. The screen is the same either way.
Do you work with MRO and repair stations as well as manufacturers?
Yes. Repair stations, airline maintenance operations and completion centers have a different regulatory footing from production certificate holders, in particular the FAA drug and alcohol program under 14 CFR Part 120, and we build the placement around that from the first call. The recruiting network is the same; the compliance steps are different.
How does pricing work for aerospace placements?
Direct placement is quoted as a fee tied to the hire, and contract or temporary placements as an hourly bill rate that covers the person's pay plus everything an employer owes. Either way you see the structure in a written quote within 24 hours of the consult, and contract placements can convert to direct hire at any time. Details are on our pricing page.
Pick the model that fits the program.
Send us the requisition. We’ll send the short list.
Most quotes go out within one business day. No pitch, no pressure. Just a number and a realistic timeline.