Key Figures for Aviation Maintenance Schools in Florida
Aviation Maintenance Schools in Florida
19
FAA AV-Info, Sep 2026
Ranked in This State
18
Methodology 2.1
Top Score in the State
73.8
Broward College
Median Aircraft Mechanic Pay
$76,940
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Aircraft Mechanics Employed
14,850
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Miami-Fort Lauderdale's aircraft mechanics work at a location quotient of 2.58, one of the strongest concentrations of the occupation among Florida's metros, and the field statewide is projected to grow 14.9% through 2034, well above the national rate of 4%.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach offers a four-year BS in Aviation Maintenance Science, while Epic Flight Academy in New Smyrna Beach runs a certificate track that accepts GI Bill benefits and publishes a total program cost. The Panhandle holds its own cluster: George Stone Technical College and Pensacola State College, both in Pensacola, plus Tom P. Haney Technical College in Panama City and Northwest Florida State College in Crestview.
Aircraft mechanics in Florida earn a median of $76,940 a year, below the $79,870 national median, and the state ranks 28th among 50 states for that pay. Growth is projected at 14.9% through 2034, adding 2,120 positions, with about 1,370 openings expected each year.
Top Picks
Top Picks in Florida
Among the aviation maintenance schools in Florida, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties and one-school lists produce none.
Top Pick in Florida
Most Affordable in Florida
Highest overall score of the 18 ranked schools, 73.8 out of 100.
Lowest comparable program cost of the 5 ranked schools with one: $3,116, from IPEDS in-state tuition and the published length.
Florida Ranking
Top-Ranked Aircraft Mechanic Schools in Florida
The 18 ranked aviation maintenance schools in Florida, best score first. Each card shows the school's verified facts and the points it earned on each factor; the top 10 get cards, and the table after them lists every ranked school's points. 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 Florida
- Most Affordable in Florida
#1
Broward College
Pembroke Pines, Florida #3 nationally
73.8 of 100
This associate degree program fits someone in South Florida who wants airframe, powerplant, and avionics training under one aviation institute, on either a traditional or accelerated schedule.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate of Science (AS) in Aviation Maintenance
- Length
- Traditional track: 18-19 months (5 semesters); Express track: 13 months (3.5 semesters)
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- Morning or evening classes
- Starts
- Spring 2027 cohort (Express track, applications open)
- Avionics
- Separate avionics program at the same institute
-
#2
George Stone Technical College
Pensacola, Florida #55 nationally
52.7 of 100
This program fits a Florida resident who wants full-time day training toward both Airframe and Powerplant certification at a fixed total cost.
- Type
- Technical College
- Credentials
- OCP A: Aviation Maintenance General Technician (AMT0705); OCP B: Airframe Technician 1 and 2, or Powerplant Technician 1 and 2
- Length
- 1,350 clock hours
- Cost
- $5,400, total program, Florida resident rate
- GI Bill
- Approved
-
#3
A&P Mechanic Institute
Lakeland, Florida #105 nationally
44.7 of 100
This program suits students who want a single private campus offering combined airframe and powerplant ratings on a 15-month day or night schedule in Lakeland, Florida.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Certification
- Length
- 15 months
- Schedule
- day and night classes
-
#4
Eastern Florida State College
Titusville, Florida #115 nationally
43.2 of 100
This program fits Florida residents who want a two-year combined airframe and powerplant certificate path at Melbourne International Airport, with GI Bill eligibility for veterans.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Career and Technical Certificate (two certificates, combined A&P)
- Length
- two years (2,250 total clock hours for both certificates)
- Cost
- $19,000, total program, Florida residents, both certificates combined
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Starts
- Spring 2026 (January Start); Fall 2026 (August Start)
-
#5
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Orlando
Casselberry, Florida #130 nationally
41.7 of 100
This certificate program fits someone in the Orlando area who wants hands-on day or evening training in a dedicated hangar rather than a two-year degree.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Certificate
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- day and evening
-
#6
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida #147 nationally
39.7 of 100
This program fits students who want a short technical certificate covering FAA General, Airframe, and Powerplant exams, with a clear path into a longer aviation maintenance management degree.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Technical Certificate
- Length
- 12 credits
-
#7
National Aviation Academy, Tampa Bay Campus
Clearwater, Florida #150 nationally
39.7 of 100
This program suits students in the Tampa Bay area who want a 14-month, private-school path to FAA Airframe and Powerplant certification, training in an on-campus hangar at National Aviation Academy's Clearwater, Florida location.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Certificate
- Length
- 14 months (2,000 clock hours)
-
#8
Universal Technical Institute Miramar
Miramar, Florida #156 nationally
39.7 of 100
This program fits students who want an 18-month, no-experience-required path to combined airframe and powerplant ratings at one of three UTI campuses, with a graduation tool voucher for eligible students.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Length
- 18 months
-
#9
Epic Flight Academy
New Smyrna Beach, Florida #162 nationally
38.4 of 100
This program fits students who want a fast, hands-on path to an FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificate in 15 months, with GI Bill funding available at its Florida campus.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Certificate
- Length
- 15 months
- Cost
- $36,995, total program
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Starts
- September 28, 2026 (Erlanger, KY)
-
#10
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Daytona Beach, Florida #165 nationally
37.7 of 100
This program fits students who want a four-year bachelor's degree that pairs aviation maintenance science with an optional avionics minor, at a Daytona Beach campus dedicated to aviation.
- Type
- University
- Credentials
- BS in Aviation Maintenance Science
- Length
- 126 credits
- Avionics
- Avionics Line Maintenance minor
| Rank | School | Score | Outcomes (30) | Cost (25) | Program Depth (20) | Access (15) | Scale (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broward College | 73.8 | 15 | 22.9 | 20 | 15 | 0.9 |
| 2 | George Stone Technical College | 52.7 | † | 20.5 | 8 | 5 | † |
| 3 | A&P Mechanic Institute | 44.7 | † | † | 8 | 5 | † |
| 4 | Eastern Florida State College | 43.2 | † | 6 | 8 | 10 | † |
| 5 | AIM Orlando | 41.7 | † | † | 0 | 10 | † |
| 6 | FSCJ | 39.7 | † | † | 8 | 0 | † |
| 7 | NAA Tampa Bay | 39.7 | † | † | 8 | 0 | † |
| 8 | UTI Miramar | 39.7 | † | † | 8 | 0 | † |
| 9 | Epic Flight Academy | 38.4 | † | 1.2 | 8 | 10 | † |
| 10 | Embry-Riddle | 37.7 | † | † | 6 | 0 | † |
| 11 | George T. Baker | 37.7 | † | † | 6 | 0 | † |
| 12 | Charlotte Technical College | 36.7 | † | † | 0 | 5 | † |
| 13 | Lorenzo Walker Technical College | 36.7 | † | † | 0 | 5 | † |
| 14 | Tom P. Haney Technical College | 36.7 | † | † | 0 | 5 | † |
| 15 | Lively Technical College | 31.7 | † | † | 0 | 0 | † |
| 16 | Northwest Florida State College | 31.7 | † | † | 0 | 0 | † |
| 17 | Pensacola State College | 31.7 | † | † | 0 | 0 | † |
| 18 | USAA Kissimmee | 29.1 | † | 1.9 | 8 | 0 | † |
High School Pathways
High School Aviation Maintenance Programs in Florida
This FAA-approved program is run by a high school or career center, so it is listed apart from the college rankings.
By Metro Area
Aviation Maintenance School Rankings by Florida Metro Area
Each metro ranking scores every school within commuting range and adds the local airports, employers, and BLS pay for aircraft mechanics.
| Top-Ranked School | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviation maintenance schools near Miami-Fort Lauderdale | 4 | Broward College | $78,260 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Tampa-St. Petersburg | 6 | A&P Mechanic Institute | $71,510 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Orlando | 8 | A&P Mechanic Institute | $92,430 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Jacksonville | 3 | FSCJ | $67,200 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Sarasota-Bradenton | 6 | A&P Mechanic Institute | $76,730 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Fort Myers-Cape Coral | 5 | A&P Mechanic Institute | $65,870 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Lakeland-Winter Haven | 9 | A&P Mechanic Institute | $61,020 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Daytona Beach | 8 | A&P Mechanic Institute | $61,980 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Melbourne-Palm Bay | 7 | A&P Mechanic Institute | $66,750 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Pensacola | 5 | George Stone Technical College | $63,580 |
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Florida
BLS reports a median annual wage of $76,940 ($36.99 an hour) for aircraft mechanics and service technicians in Florida, where 14,850 people held the job in May 2025. That median ranks 28th of the 50 states with published data; the national median is $79,870.
Projections Central expects statewide employment in the occupation to move from 14,180 in 2024 to 16,290 in 2034 (+14.9%), with about 1,370 openings a year.
Avionics Technician Pay in Florida
See the full Florida aircraft mechanic salary breakdown by metro area
Local Context
The Panhandle's Unusual Concentration of Aviation Schools
Pensacola alone hosts two Part 147 schools, George Stone Technical College and Pensacola State College. Tom P. Haney Technical College in Panama City and Northwest Florida State College in Crestview add two more options to that same stretch of the Florida Panhandle.
Pensacola's aircraft mechanics earn a median of $63,580 a year, well under the $76,940 statewide figure, in a metro of 538,928 people. Even so, that's more schools clustered together than any single city in South Florida hosts on its own.
A Four-Year Degree Option in Daytona Beach
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach offers a BS in Aviation Maintenance Science, a four-year path most Florida programs don't offer. Most of the state's other schools lead to a certificate or a two-year technical college credential instead.
Certificate Options Across Central Florida
A&P Mechanic Institute and Central Florida Aerospace Academy, both in Lakeland, sit alongside Aviation Institute of Maintenance Orlando in Casselberry and US Aviation Academy in Kissimmee, giving the Orlando area several certificate-length options short of a full associate degree.
Methodology
How We Rank Aviation Maintenance Schools in Florida
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 Florida 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 Florida
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 Florida?
How Does Aircraft Mechanic Pay in Florida Compare to the National Median?
What Is the Job Growth Outlook for Aircraft Mechanics in Florida?
Is the Aircraft Mechanic License a State or Federal Credential?
How Long Is Aviation Maintenance School in Florida?
How Much Does Aviation Maintenance School Cost in Florida?
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.