Key Figures for Aviation Maintenance Schools in Alabama
Aviation Maintenance Schools in Alabama
5
FAA AV-Info, Sep 2026
Ranked in This State
5
Methodology 2.1
Top Score in the State
61.5
Enterprise State Community College
Median Aircraft Mechanic Pay
$82,260
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Aircraft Mechanics Employed
4,310
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Community and technical colleges carry the full weight of aircraft mechanic training in Alabama, and every Part 147 school in the state with published accreditation data is a public two-year college.
Snead State Community College in Albertville and Calhoun Community College in Decatur both run two-year Airframe and Powerplant AAS tracks in the northern half of the state. Coastal Alabama Community College in Mobile teaches a four-semester, 65-credit program on the Gulf Coast, while Enterprise State Community College in Ozark offers a dual Airframe and Powerplant option in as little as 18 months, with day and evening classes.
Aircraft mechanics in Alabama earn a median of $82,260 a year, above the $79,870 national median, and the state ranks 15th among all 50 states for that pay. The occupation is projected to grow 12.2% through 2034, well above the national rate of 4%, adding 570 positions in the decade.
Top Picks
Top Picks in Alabama
Among the aviation maintenance schools in Alabama, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties and one-school lists produce none.
Top Pick in Alabama
Enterprise State Community College
Highest overall score of the 5 ranked schools, 61.5 out of 100.
Most Affordable in Alabama
Coastal Alabama Community College
Lowest comparable program cost of the 2 ranked schools with one: $7,740, from IPEDS in-state tuition and the published length.
Best Outcomes in Alabama
Highest IPEDS graduation rate of the 3 ranked schools that report one: 49%.
Alabama Ranking
Top-Ranked Aircraft Mechanic Schools in Alabama
The 5 ranked aviation maintenance schools in Alabama, best score first. Each card shows the school's verified facts and the points it earned on each factor. Scores are national, out of 100, so a school scores the same here as on the national ranking.
Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
-
- Top Pick in Alabama
#1
Enterprise State Community College
Ozark, Alabama #26 nationally
61.5 of 100
This program fits Alabama students who want a choice of airframe or powerplant credentials across two campuses, with a path to both ratings in as little as 18 months.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Airframe Technology AAS; Airframe Technology Certificate; plus 2 more
- Length
- Airframe certificate in 12 months
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- day and evening (Ozark campus, Monday-Thursday, 8-week sessions)
-
- Best Outcomes in Alabama
#2
Snead State Community College
Albertville, Alabama #42 nationally
55.6 of 100
Snead State Community College fits students who want a public two-year path to separate airframe and powerplant degrees, with a dual-enrollment option at Birmingham's Southern Museum of Flight.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- AAS in Airframe Technology; AAS in Power Plant Technology; plus 2 more
- Length
- Two (2) Years and One (1) Semester
-
- Most Affordable in Alabama
#3
Coastal Alabama Community College
Mobile, Alabama #77 nationally
48.7 of 100
This program fits Gulf Coast Alabama students who want the state's lowest aviation maintenance tuition, training at Brookley Field alongside Airbus and other aerospace manufacturing partners.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- AAS in Airframe Technology (AAS-AMT); Certificate in Airframe Technology (CER-AMT); plus 3 more
- Length
- Four Semesters, 65 credits
- GI Bill
- Approved
-
#4
Calhoun Community College
Decatur, Alabama #94 nationally
45.7 of 100
This two-year degree program fits someone in North Alabama who wants separate Airframe and Powerplant associate degrees inside the region's aerospace corridor.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Aviation Powerplant AAS; Aviation Airframe AAS
- Length
- two-year degree program
-
#5
Southern Union State Community College
Opelika, Alabama #154 nationally
39.7 of 100
This program fits students who want both the Airframe and Powerplant ratings from a two-year community college track in Opelika, Alabama.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic Certificate
- Length
- two-year program
| Rank | School | Score | Outcomes (30) | Cost (25) | Program Depth (20) | Access (15) | Scale (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enterprise State Community College | 61.5 | 18.2 | † | 14 | 10 | 6.8 |
| 2 | Snead State Community College | 55.6 | 23.8 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 3.8 |
| 3 | Coastal Alabama Community College | 48.7 | 6.8 | 16.7 | 14 | 5 | 6.2 |
| 4 | Calhoun Community College | 45.7 | † | † | 14 | 0 | † |
| 5 | Southern Union State Community College | 39.7 | † | † | 8 | 0 | † |
By Metro Area
Aviation Maintenance School Rankings by Alabama Metro Area
Each metro ranking scores every school within commuting range and adds the local airports, employers, and BLS pay for aircraft mechanics.
| Metro Ranking | Schools Within 100 mi | Top-Ranked School | Median Pay, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviation maintenance schools near Birmingham | 2 | Snead State Community College | $61,040 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Mobile | 5 | George Stone Technical College | $82,260 |
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Alabama
BLS reports a median annual wage of $82,260 ($39.55 an hour) for aircraft mechanics and service technicians in Alabama, where 4,310 people held the job in May 2025. That median ranks 15th of the 50 states with published data; the national median is $79,870.
Projections Central expects statewide employment in the occupation to move from 4,640 in 2024 to 5,210 in 2034 (+12.2%), with about 430 openings a year.
Avionics Technician Pay in Alabama
See the full Alabama aircraft mechanic salary breakdown by metro area
Local Context
Why Mobile Out-Earns Alabama's Biggest Metro
Mobile's aircraft mechanics earn a median of $82,260 a year, matching the statewide figure and topping Birmingham's $61,040, even though Birmingham's metro population, 1,192,583, dwarfs Mobile's 412,339. Size and pay don't move together here.
Coastal Alabama Community College trains right inside that higher-paying Gulf Coast market, in Mobile. The state's other four schools, Snead State, Calhoun, Southern Union, and Enterprise State, sit further north and east, closer to Birmingham and the rest of Alabama's job market.
No School Sits Inside Alabama's Largest Metro
None of Alabama's 5 Part 147 schools sit inside the Birmingham metro, the state's largest at a population of 1,192,583. Snead State Community College in Albertville and Calhoun Community College in Decatur train from the north, while Coastal Alabama Community College in Mobile and Southern Union State Community College in Opelika serve the south and east instead.
Certificate and Degree Options Across Alabama
Every Alabama program builds toward the same Airframe and Powerplant ratings, but the paperwork varies. Snead State and Coastal Alabama Community College both offer an Associate of Applied Science alongside a shorter certificate, while Southern Union State Community College issues a single Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic certificate over a two-year program.
Enterprise State Community College splits the difference, with a standalone Airframe certificate and a combined dual-rating track, both taught day or evening at its Ozark campus.
Methodology
How We Rank Aviation Maintenance Schools in Alabama
Every open FAA-approved college-level school gets one national score out of 100: Outcomes 30 (IPEDS graduation rate), Cost 25 (comparable whole-program price), Program Depth 20, Access 15, and Scale 10 (IPEDS awards a year). This page orders the schools in Alabama by that score, so the ranks here match the national list of 204 ranked schools.
The full rules, including how a missing figure is scored at the peer median, are on our ranking methodology page.
FAA Certification
Getting Your A&P License in Alabama
The FAA issues the mechanic certificate with Airframe and Powerplant ratings, known as the A&P, under federal rules in 14 CFR Part 65, so the path is the same in every state. You qualify by graduating from an FAA-approved school or by documenting at least 30 months of hands-on work for both ratings, then passing three FAA knowledge tests and an oral and practical exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many FAA Part 147 Aircraft Maintenance Schools Are in Alabama?
How Long Is Aviation Maintenance School in Alabama?
How Does Aircraft Mechanic Pay in Alabama Compare to the National Median?
What Is the Job Growth Outlook for Aircraft Mechanics in Alabama?
Is the Aircraft Mechanic License a State or Federal Credential?
What Programs Do Alabama's Aviation Maintenance Schools Offer?
Sources
- FAA AV-Info Part 147 school records
- IPEDS via Hapi, CIP 47.0607-47.0609 (all levels) + 49.0104 (bachelor's/master's)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates
- Projections Central, State Occupational Employment Projections 2024-2034
- eCFR 14 CFR Part 65, Subpart D (Mechanics)
- FAA - Become an Aviation Mechanic
- FAA - Experience Requirements to Become an Aircraft Mechanic
All sources retrieved .
How we source and check each listing is explained on our data methodology page.