Birmingham at a Glance
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Birmingham
2
Within 100 mi, FAA 2026
Top Score Nearby
55.6
Snead State Community College
Aircraft Mechanic Jobs, Birmingham Metro
380
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Metro Median Pay
$61,040
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location Quotient
0.82
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Area covered: Birmingham, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 13820).
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport hosts STS Aviation Services' heavy maintenance facility, sized to hold multiple wide-body and narrow-body aircraft at once for A and C checks, structural repairs, and modification work. Local aircraft mechanics and service technicians earn a median $61,040 a year.
Snead State Community College is 58.6 miles away in Albertville, with dual enrollment training available at the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham itself. Calhoun Community College's Alabama Aviation College, 78 miles away in Decatur, is the other option in reach.
Top Picks
Top Picks Near Birmingham
Among the aviation maintenance schools near Birmingham, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties produce none.
Top Pick Near Birmingham
Highest overall score of the 3 ranked schools, 55.6 out of 100.
Birmingham Ranking
Top-Ranked Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Birmingham
The ranked aviation maintenance schools within 100 miles of Birmingham, ordered by score, plus the nearest ranked schools out to 102 miles so the list has at least 3. Scores are national, out of 100, and the table after the cards shows the points behind them.
Distances are straight-line miles from the center of Birmingham.
Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
-
- Top Pick Near Birmingham
#1
Snead State Community College
Albertville, Alabama 59 miles from Birmingham #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
-
#2
Calhoun Community College
Decatur, Alabama 78 miles from Birmingham #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
-
#3
Southern Union State Community College
Opelika, Alabama 102 miles from Birmingham #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 | Snead State Community College | 55.6 | 23.8 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 3.8 |
| 2 | Calhoun Community College | 45.7 | † | † | 14 | 0 | † |
| 3 | Southern Union State Community College | 39.7 | † | † | 8 | 0 | † |
See the full best aviation maintenance schools in Alabama ranking.
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Birmingham
Aircraft mechanics in the Birmingham metro area earn a median of $61,040 a year ($29.35 an hour), $21,220 below the Alabama median of $82,260.
Birmingham Pay vs. Alabama and U.S. Medians
The Birmingham median is $18,830 below the U.S. median of $79,870.
Compare metro areas across the state on the Alabama aircraft mechanic salary page, or see the national aircraft mechanic salary breakdown.
Local Employers
Where Aircraft Mechanics Work in Birmingham
BLS counts 380 aircraft mechanic jobs in the Birmingham metro area as of May 2025, a location quotient of 0.82.
A location quotient above 1.00 means these jobs make up a larger share of local employment than they do nationally.
Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul
STS Aviation Services
Heavy maintenance facility at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)
STS Aviation Services operates a 200,000-square-foot heavy maintenance facility at Birmingham Airport that can hold two wide-body or up to ten narrow-body aircraft for A and C checks, structural repairs, and modification programs.
Approximately 200,000 square feet
Source: Global Aircraft Base Maintenance Services - STS Aviation Group (stsaviationgroup.com)
Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul
Kaiser Aircraft Industries
Repair station in the former Pemco/Hayes hangar complex, Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
Kaiser Aircraft Industries operates an FAA-certified Part 145 repair station at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport providing heavy maintenance, storage, and end-of-life services for transport-category aircraft.
Source: Kaiser Aircraft Industries on kaiseraircraft.com (kaiseraircraft.com)
Airports
Commercial and Cargo Airports in the Area
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International (BHM) recorded 1,596,510 passenger boardings in 2024, the most of the airports listed here.
| Airport | FAA ID | Hub Class | Passenger Boardings, 2024 | All-Cargo Landed Weight, 2024 (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International | BHM | Small hub | 1,596,510 | 199,815,960 |
Local Context
The Heavy Maintenance Hangar at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth
STS Aviation Services operates a heavy maintenance facility at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, sized to handle wide-body and narrow-body aircraft together for A and C checks, structural repairs, and modification programs. Kaiser Aircraft Industries runs a second FAA-certified repair station nearby, in the former Pemco/Hayes hangar complex, adding heavy maintenance and storage work for transport-category aircraft.
A Small-Hub Airport With Cargo Traffic Too
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth is a small-hub airport that handled 1,596,510 enplanements in 2024 and landed 199,815,960 pounds of cargo the same year, freight volume that runs alongside the heavy maintenance work happening on the field.
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Birmingham: Common Questions
What Schools Near Birmingham Train Aircraft Mechanics?
What Do Aircraft Mechanics Earn in Birmingham?
Who Are the Largest Aviation Maintenance Employers in Birmingham?
How Far Is Training From Where Mechanics Work in Birmingham?
Do Hours at a Local Employer Count Toward FAA Certification?
More Metro Guides
Aviation Maintenance School Rankings in Other Metro Areas
Sources for School and Pay Data
- FAA AV-Info Part 147 school records
- Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025: Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (49-3011)
- Commercial Service Airports, CY2024 Enplanements
- Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- STS Aviation Services: Global Aircraft Base Maintenance Services - STS Aviation Group
- Kaiser Aircraft Industries: Kaiser Aircraft Industries
All sources retrieved .
Read how we source and check school, wage, and airport data for every page on this site.