Jacksonville School Rankings, 2026

Best Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Jacksonville, FL (2026)

This ranking orders the aviation maintenance schools near Jacksonville by score: graduation rate, cost, program depth, access, and size. Florida State College at Jacksonville ranks first with 39.7 out of 100.

FloridaGeorgia 100 mi 16 mi87 mi99 mi Jacksonville
  • Jacksonville center
  • School, miles from center
  • 100-mile radius

Schools near Jacksonville, by straight-line distance

  • Florida State College at Jacksonville (Jacksonville): 16 miles
  • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach): 87 miles
  • Epic Flight Academy (New Smyrna Beach): 99 miles

Jacksonville at a Glance

Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Jacksonville

3

Within 100 mi, FAA 2026

Top Score Nearby

39.7

FSCJ

Aircraft Mechanic Jobs, Jacksonville Metro

1,440

BLS OEWS, May 2025

Metro Median Pay

$67,200

BLS OEWS, May 2025

Location Quotient

2.12

BLS OEWS, May 2025

Area covered: Jacksonville, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 27260).

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast performs depot-level maintenance, repair, and overhaul on naval aircraft at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, and it's the largest employer in Northeast Florida. That kind of concentrated aviation work pushes the metro's aircraft mechanic jobs to 2.12 times the national average, with a local median wage of $67,200 a year.

Training options span a range of distances. Florida State College at Jacksonville's Aviation Mechanic program, at the Cecil Center campus, is 15.6 miles from downtown. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach campus, 87.2 miles away, offers a bachelor's degree in Aviation Maintenance Science. Epic Flight Academy in New Smyrna Beach, 98.9 miles out, runs an FAA Part 147 mechanic program.

Top Picks

Top Picks Near Jacksonville

Among the aviation maintenance schools near Jacksonville, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties produce none.

Jacksonville Ranking

Top-Ranked Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Jacksonville

The ranked aviation maintenance schools within 100 miles of Jacksonville, ordered by score. 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 Jacksonville.

Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)

    • Top Pick Near Jacksonville

    #1

    Florida State College at Jacksonville

    Jacksonville, Florida 16 miles from Jacksonville #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
  1. #2

    Epic Flight Academy

    New Smyrna Beach, Florida 99 miles from Jacksonville #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)
  2. #3

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

    Daytona Beach, Florida 87 miles from Jacksonville #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
Points by Factor: Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Jacksonville
RankSchoolScoreOutcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
1FSCJ39.780
2Epic Flight Academy38.41.2810
3Embry-Riddle37.760
Points by factor, methodology 2.1. † Peer median: the school has no figure for that factor, so it scores that factor's peer median (Outcomes 15, Cost 12.5, Scale its median among schools with an awards figure).

See the full best aviation maintenance schools in Florida ranking.

BLS Wage Data

Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Jacksonville

Aircraft mechanics in the Jacksonville metro area earn a median of $67,200 a year ($32.31 an hour), $9,740 below the Florida median of $76,940.

Aircraft Mechanic Salary, Jacksonville Metro $67,200median/yr ($32.31/hr)
$46,400 $91,710
Box shows the 25th to 75th percentile. Line spans the 10th to 90th percentile. BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Jacksonville Pay vs. Florida and U.S. Medians

The Jacksonville median is $12,670 below the U.S. median of $79,870.

Median Annual Aircraft Mechanic Wage
Jacksonville metro $67,200
United States $79,870

BLS OEWS, May 2025

Avionics Technician Pay in Jacksonville

BLS counts 330 avionics technicians in the Jacksonville metro area, with a median of $81,760 a year.

Avionics Technicians, Jacksonville Metro $81,760median/yr ($39.31/hr)
$58,060 $103,110
Box shows the 25th to 75th percentile. Line spans the 10th to 90th percentile. BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Compare metro areas across the state on the Florida aircraft mechanic salary page, or see the national aircraft mechanic salary breakdown.

Local Employers

Where Aircraft Mechanics Work in Jacksonville

BLS counts 1,440 aircraft mechanic jobs in the Jacksonville metro area as of May 2025, a location quotient of 2.12.

A location quotient above 1.00 means these jobs make up a larger share of local employment than they do nationally.

  • Military Depot

    Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE)

    Naval aviation depot-level maintenance facility at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL

    Fleet Readiness Center Southeast is a Navy depot-level maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility for naval aircraft, based at NAS Jacksonville and the largest employer in Northeast Florida.

    More than 5,000 civilian, military and contract workers

    Source: Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)

Airports

Commercial and Cargo Airports in the Area

Jacksonville International (JAX) recorded 3,749,791 passenger boardings in 2024, the most of the airports listed here.

FAA Commercial Service and All-Cargo Airports, Jacksonville Area
AirportFAA IDHub ClassPassenger Boardings, 2024All-Cargo Landed Weight, 2024 (lb)
Jacksonville InternationalJAXMedium hub3,749,791431,035,660
FAA CY2024 enplanement and all-cargo landed weight data.

Local Context

The Navy's Depot for Naval Aircraft

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast performs depot-level maintenance, repair, and overhaul work on naval aircraft at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. It's the largest employer in Northeast Florida, and its scale helps explain why aircraft mechanic jobs here are concentrated at 2.12 times the national average.

Avionics Work Runs Even Deeper Here

Avionics technicians in the Jacksonville metro are concentrated at 3.53 times the national average, with a local median wage of $81,760 a year. That depth follows from the same naval and commercial maintenance work driving the broader mechanic job market.

Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Jacksonville: Common Questions

What Schools Near Jacksonville Train Aircraft Mechanics?

What Do Aircraft Mechanics Earn in Jacksonville?

Who Is the Largest Aviation Maintenance Employer in Jacksonville?

How Far Is Aviation Maintenance Training From Jacksonville?

Do Hours at a Local Employer Count Toward FAA Certification?

More Metro Guides

Aviation Maintenance School Rankings in Other Metro Areas

Florida

See the Best Aviation Maintenance Schools in Florida

The Florida ranking scores every FAA-approved school in the state, with top picks and pay.