Pensacola at a Glance
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Pensacola
5
Within 100 mi, FAA 2026
Top Score Nearby
52.7
George Stone Technical College
Aircraft Mechanic Jobs, Pensacola Metro
660
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Metro Median Pay
$63,580
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location Quotient
3.91
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Area covered: Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 37860).
ST Engineering runs a growing widebody airframe MRO complex at Pensacola International Airport, employing airframe and powerplant technicians, avionics technicians and inspectors as the buildout continues. That kind of employer helps push Pensacola's aircraft mechanic location quotient to 3.91, nearly four times the national concentration. Mechanics here earn a median $63,580.
Training sits minutes from the hangar floor. Pensacola State College is 2.2 miles from the airport and built its new airframe program with support from ST Engineering. George Stone Technical College is 6.8 miles away, and Northwest Florida State College in Crestview, 46.3 miles out, offers a separate airframe track.
Top Picks
Top Picks Near Pensacola
Among the aviation maintenance schools near Pensacola, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties produce none.
Top Pick Near Pensacola
Most Affordable Near Pensacola
George Stone Technical College
Highest overall score of the 5 ranked schools, 52.7 out of 100.
Lowest comparable program cost of the 2 ranked schools with one: $5,400, published by the school.
Pensacola Ranking
Top-Ranked Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Pensacola
The ranked aviation maintenance schools within 100 miles of Pensacola, 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 Pensacola.
Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
-
- Top Pick Near Pensacola
- Most Affordable Near Pensacola
#1
George Stone Technical College
Pensacola, Florida 7 miles from Pensacola #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
-
#2
Coastal Alabama Community College
Mobile, Alabama 54 miles from Pensacola #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
-
#3
Tom P. Haney Technical College
Panama City, Florida 93 miles from Pensacola #176 nationally
36.7 of 100
This program fits students who want a low-cost, credential-stacked path to the airframe rating and mechanic certificate testing eligibility, without enrolling in a two-year degree program.
- Type
- Technical College
- Credentials
- OCP A: Aviation Maintenance General Technician; OCP B: Aviation Maintenance Airframe Technician 1; plus 1 more
- Length
- 900 hours / 34 weeks
- Cost
- $6,708, total program
- Schedule
- Hybrid schedule
-
#4
Northwest Florida State College
Crestview, Florida 46 miles from Pensacola #190 nationally
31.7 of 100
This program fits someone in the Florida Panhandle who wants the airframe rating specifically, on its own certificate track, rather than a combined airframe and powerplant course of study.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Career and Technical Certificate
- Length
- 15 months (clock hour program)
-
#5
Pensacola State College
Pensacola, Florida 2 miles from Pensacola #191 nationally
31.7 of 100
This program fits someone in the Pensacola area who wants only the airframe rating and doesn't mind training in a brand-new program while its permanent building goes up.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Career Certificate
- Length
- 1,350 clock hours across three terms
| Rank | School | Score | Outcomes (30) | Cost (25) | Program Depth (20) | Access (15) | Scale (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Stone Technical College | 52.7 | † | 20.5 | 8 | 5 | † |
| 2 | Coastal Alabama Community College | 48.7 | 6.8 | 16.7 | 14 | 5 | 6.2 |
| 3 | Tom P. Haney Technical College | 36.7 | † | † | 0 | 5 | † |
| 4 | Northwest Florida State College | 31.7 | † | † | 0 | 0 | † |
| 5 | Pensacola State College | 31.7 | † | † | 0 | 0 | † |
See the full best aviation maintenance schools in Florida ranking.
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Pensacola
Aircraft mechanics in the Pensacola metro area earn a median of $63,580 a year ($30.57 an hour), $13,360 below the Florida median of $76,940.
Pensacola Pay vs. Florida and U.S. Medians
The Pensacola median is $16,290 below the U.S. median of $79,870.
Avionics Technician Pay in Pensacola
BLS counts 70 avionics technicians in the Pensacola metro area, with a median of $77,160 a year.
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 Pensacola
BLS counts 660 aircraft mechanic jobs in the Pensacola metro area as of May 2025, a location quotient of 3.91.
A location quotient above 1.00 means these jobs make up a larger share of local employment than they do nationally.
Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul
ST Engineering (VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering)
Airframe MRO hangar complex at Pensacola International Airport
ST Engineering operates a growing widebody airframe maintenance, repair, and overhaul hangar complex at Pensacola International Airport, employing airframe and powerplant technicians, avionics technicians, and inspectors.
The full four-hangar complex is projected to generate over 1,700 jobs; the second hangar alone was expected to generate over 400 new job opportunities.
Source: ST Engineering Opens New Aircraft Maintenance Hangar in Pensacola (stengg.com)
Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul
VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering
Two-hangar MRO complex within Pensacola International Airport
VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering operates a Pensacola location with two aircraft hangars for commercial aircraft maintenance, repair, overhaul, passenger-to-freighter conversions, and avionics upgrades.
Source: VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering - Wikipedia (Wikipedia)
Airports
Commercial and Cargo Airports in the Area
Pensacola International (PNS) recorded 1,528,204 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pensacola International | PNS | Small hub | 1,528,204 | 133,448,000 |
| Eglin AFB/Destin-Ft Walton Beach | VPS | Small hub | 1,164,880 |
Local Context
ST Engineering's Widebody MRO Complex
ST Engineering, operating as VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering, runs a widebody airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul hangar complex at Pensacola International Airport. The company employs airframe and powerplant technicians, avionics technicians and inspectors across a hangar buildout that keeps expanding.
That single MRO complex now anchors Pensacola's maintenance job market. Pensacola State College built its new training program with ST Engineering's support, including interim classroom space on a mezzanine overlooking the company's own assembly floor.
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Pensacola: Common Questions
What Schools Near Pensacola Train Aircraft Mechanics?
What Do Aircraft Mechanics Earn in Pensacola?
What Is the Largest Aviation Maintenance Employer in Pensacola?
How Far Is Aviation Maintenance Training From the Pensacola Job Market?
Do Hours at ST Engineering Count Toward FAA Certification in Pensacola?
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)
- Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025: Avionics Technicians (49-2091)
- Commercial Service Airports, CY2024 Enplanements
- Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- ST Engineering (VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering): ST Engineering Opens New Aircraft Maintenance Hangar in Pensacola
- VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering: VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering - Wikipedia
All sources retrieved .
Read how we source and check school, wage, and airport data for every page on this site.