Wrenches, Wages, and the Call to Continue: An Empirical Examination of Aviation Maintenance Manpower Retention in the U.S. Marine Corps

Abstract

The Marine Corps 2025 Aviation Plan prioritizes operational readiness, modernization, and interoperability, all of which depends on retaining experienced talent. The demand for capable pilots and aviation maintainers has only increased in the post–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) civilian market. This suggests that civilian labor market conditions may affect the retention decision of Marine aviation maintainers. To evaluate this hypothesis, this research uses data on retention rates among Marine aviation maintainers and civilian-military wage gaps in the aviation maintenance occupation between 2014 and 2024. The multivariate regressions indicate that a $1,000 increase in civilian-military wage gaps is associated with 9.7% higher odds of separating at the five-year mark. When controlling for demographics, rank, and home of record, a $1,000 increase in civilian-military wage gap is associated with 5.3% higher odds of separating. The key findings of this research could inform decisions regarding how to retain talented aviation maintenance personnel.