Key Figures for Aviation Maintenance Schools in Kentucky
Aviation Maintenance Schools in Kentucky
4
FAA AV-Info, Sep 2026
Ranked in This State
4
Methodology 2.1
Top Score in the State
59.8
Somerset Community College
Median Aircraft Mechanic Pay
$67,920
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Aircraft Mechanics Employed
1,680
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Kentucky ranks 42nd out of 50 states for aircraft mechanic pay, even as the field is projected to grow 5.4% through 2034, above the national rate of 4%.
Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville and Madisonville Community College both lead to an Associate of Applied Science or diploma over roughly two years. Maysville Community and Technical College stretches its AAS across five semesters, and Somerset Community College offers the widest range of credentials, from a single-rating certificate up to a full Associate of Applied Science.
Aircraft mechanics in Kentucky earn a median of $67,920 a year, well below the $79,870 national median, and the state ranks 42nd among 50 states for that pay. Growth is still projected at 5.4% through 2034, adding 180 positions, with about 280 openings expected each year.
Top Picks
Top Picks in Kentucky
Among the aviation maintenance schools in Kentucky, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties and one-school lists produce none.
Top Pick in Kentucky
Best Outcomes in Kentucky
Highest overall score of the 4 ranked schools, 59.8 out of 100.
Highest IPEDS graduation rate of the 2 ranked schools that report one: 43%.
Kentucky Ranking
Top-Ranked Aircraft Mechanic Schools in Kentucky
The 4 ranked aviation maintenance schools in Kentucky, 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 Kentucky
- Best Outcomes in Kentucky
#1
Somerset Community College
Somerset, Kentucky #29 nationally
59.8 of 100
Somerset Community College fits Kentucky residents who want a public associate degree in aviation maintenance with tuition potentially covered by the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship, at a campus next to Somerset/Pulaski County Airport.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree (66 credits); Airframe and Power Plant Maintenance Technician Diploma (57 credits); plus 2 more
- Length
- two years at full-time status for the AAS degree
- GI Bill
- Approved
-
#2
Jefferson Community and Technical College
Louisville, Kentucky #30 nationally
59.0 of 100
This program fits students near Louisville who want a public four-semester Aviation Maintenance Technology program with an optional avionics certificate and a selective admissions process.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS); Airframe and Powerplant Maintenance Technician Diploma; plus 1 more
- Length
- four semesters, or two years
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Avionics
- Introduction to Aviation Electronics certificate
-
#3
Madisonville Community College
Madisonville, Kentucky #38 nationally
56.7 of 100
This program suits students in western Kentucky who want a single degree track covering airframe, powerplant and an introductory avionics credential, starting when the program launches in Spring 2026.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate in Applied Science (AAS); Airframe and Power Plant Maintenance Technician Diploma; plus 4 more
- Length
- two years if you maintain full-time status
- Starts
- Spring 2026 (new program launch)
- Avionics
- Introduction to Aviation Electronics certificate
-
#4
Maysville Community and Technical College
Maysville, Kentucky #97 nationally
45.7 of 100
This program fits students near Maysville who want a state-scholarship-eligible path to a five-semester Aviation Maintenance Technology associate degree, taught at Fleming-Mason Airport.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree; Airframe and Power Plant Maintenance Technician Diploma; plus 3 more
- Length
- five semesters (two and a half years) full-time for the AAS degree
| Rank | School | Score | Outcomes (30) | Cost (25) | Program Depth (20) | Access (15) | Scale (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somerset Community College | 59.8 | 20.2 | 15.6 | 14 | 5 | 5 |
| 2 | JCTC | 59.0 | 11.4 | 15.6 | 20 | 5 | 7 |
| 3 | Madisonville Community College | 56.7 | † | † | 20 | 5 | † |
| 4 | Maysville Community and Technical College | 45.7 | † | † | 14 | 0 | † |
Across the State Line
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near the Kentucky Border
1 FAA-approved school in neighboring states within 100 miles of Louisville, nearest first.
By Metro Area
Aviation Maintenance School Rankings by Kentucky 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 Louisville | 2 | Somerset Community College | $76,800 |
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Kentucky
BLS reports a median annual wage of $67,920 ($32.65 an hour) for aircraft mechanics and service technicians in Kentucky, where 1,680 people held the job in May 2025. That median ranks 42nd of the 50 states with published data; the national median is $79,870.
Projections Central expects statewide employment in the occupation to move from 3,420 in 2024 to 3,610 in 2034 (+5.4%), with about 280 openings a year.
Avionics Technician Pay in Kentucky
See the full Kentucky aircraft mechanic salary breakdown by metro area
Local Context
Louisville's Pay Edge Within Kentucky
Louisville's aircraft mechanics earn a median of $76,800 a year, well above the $67,920 statewide figure, in a metro of 1,394,234 people. Jefferson Community and Technical College trains right inside that higher-paying market.
Madisonville, Maysville, and Somerset Community and Technical Colleges serve the rest of the state instead, spread across central and eastern Kentucky away from Louisville's pay premium.
Certificate Options Without a Full Associate Degree
Somerset Community College breaks its program into separate Airframe and Powerplant certificates alongside a diploma and full Associate of Applied Science, letting students stop after a single rating instead of committing to the whole sequence. Most of Kentucky's other schools bundle the two ratings together.
Methodology
How We Rank Aviation Maintenance Schools in Kentucky
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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky
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 Kentucky?
Which Kentucky School Offers Separate Airframe and Powerplant Certificates?
How Does Aircraft Mechanic Pay in Kentucky Compare to the National Median?
What Is the Job Growth Outlook for Aircraft Mechanics in Kentucky?
How Long Is Aviation Maintenance School in Kentucky?
What Aircraft Mechanic Credentials Do Kentucky's 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.