New Orleans at a Glance
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near New Orleans
2
Within 100 mi, FAA 2026
Top Score Nearby
50.7
Pearl River Community College
Aircraft Mechanic Jobs, New Orleans Metro
240
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Metro Median Pay
$82,160
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location Quotient
0.61
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Area covered: New Orleans-Metairie, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 35380).
Search-and-rescue crews keep New Orleans in the aviation maintenance picture year round. Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, based at the joint reserve facility in Belle Chasse just south of downtown, maintains Jayhawk helicopters that fly around the clock. Aircraft mechanics here earn a median $82,160, above the U.S. median of $79,870, and avionics technicians see a location quotient of 1.66, well above the national baseline.
Two schools put the FAA mechanic certificate with Airframe and Powerplant ratings, known as the A&P, within a day trip. Pearl River Community College, in Kiln, Mississippi, is 36.4 miles out and offers both airframe and powerplant ratings through its Hancock Aviation and Aerospace Workforce Academy. Baton Rouge Community College, 74.7 miles away, stacks two Certificates of Technical Study before students finish the full associate degree.
Top Picks
Top Picks Near New Orleans
Among the aviation maintenance schools near New Orleans, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties produce none.
Top Pick Near New Orleans
Highest overall score of the 3 ranked schools, 50.7 out of 100.
Most Affordable Near New Orleans
Coastal Alabama Community College
Lowest comparable program cost of the 2 ranked schools with one: $7,740, from IPEDS in-state tuition and the published length.
New Orleans Ranking
Top-Ranked Aviation Maintenance Schools Near New Orleans
The ranked aviation maintenance schools within 100 miles of New Orleans, ordered by score, plus the nearest ranked schools out to 119 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 New Orleans.
Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
-
- Top Pick Near New Orleans
#1
Pearl River Community College
Kiln, Mississippi 36 miles from New Orleans #66 nationally
50.7 of 100
This program fits someone along the Mississippi Gulf Coast who wants a combined airframe and powerplant associate degree and can wait for the single fall start each year.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate in Applied Science
- Length
- four semesters (fall, spring, and summer)
- Starts
- Fall Semester
-
- Most Affordable Near New Orleans
#2
Coastal Alabama Community College
Mobile, Alabama 119 miles from New Orleans #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
Baton Rouge Community College
Central, Louisiana 75 miles from New Orleans #116 nationally
43.1 of 100
This associate degree program fits someone in the Baton Rouge area who wants to earn stackable airframe and powerplant certificates on the way to a full degree.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS); Technical Diploma; plus 2 more
- Length
- 70 total semester credit hours across six semesters
- GI Bill
- Approved
| Rank | School | Score | Outcomes (30) | Cost (25) | Program Depth (20) | Access (15) | Scale (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pearl River Community College | 50.7 | † | † | 14 | 5 | † |
| 2 | Coastal Alabama Community College | 48.7 | 6.8 | 16.7 | 14 | 5 | 6.2 |
| 3 | BRCC | 43.1 | 6.8 | 13.7 | 14 | 5 | 3.6 |
See the full best aviation maintenance schools in Louisiana ranking.
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in New Orleans
Aircraft mechanics in the New Orleans metro area earn a median of $82,160 a year ($39.50 an hour), $2,380 above the Louisiana median of $79,780.
New Orleans Pay vs. Louisiana and U.S. Medians
The New Orleans median is $2,290 above the U.S. median of $79,870.
Avionics Technician Pay in New Orleans
BLS counts 90 avionics technicians in the New Orleans metro area, with a median of $58,950 a year.
Compare metro areas across the state on the Louisiana aircraft mechanic salary page, or see the national aircraft mechanic salary breakdown.
Local Employers
Where Aircraft Mechanics Work in New Orleans
BLS counts 240 aircraft mechanic jobs in the New Orleans metro area as of May 2025, a location quotient of 0.61.
A location quotient above 1.00 means these jobs make up a larger share of local employment than they do nationally.
Military Depot
Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans
Helicopter air station at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Belle Chasse, LA
Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, located at the Belle Chasse joint reserve base just south of downtown New Orleans, maintains and operates MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters for round-the-clock search and rescue missions.
Source: Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans - Wikipedia (Wikipedia)
Airports
Commercial and Cargo Airports in the Area
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY) recorded 6,537,092 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Armstrong New Orleans International | MSY | Medium hub | 6,537,092 | 432,552,460 |
Local Context
A Coast Guard Helicopter Base in Belle Chasse
Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans sits at the joint reserve base in Belle Chasse, a short drive south of downtown. The station maintains Jayhawk helicopters that fly search-and-rescue missions across the Gulf around the clock, work that calls for airframe and powerplant skills applied to rotorcraft rather than airline jets.
That gives the metro a maintenance employer whose demand does not follow airline schedules. Rescue helicopters need to be ready every day of the year, and the technicians who keep them flying build hands-on experience with rotary-wing systems that differs from fixed-wing shop work at a commercial hangar.
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near New Orleans: Common Questions
What Schools Near New Orleans Train Aircraft Mechanics?
What Do Aircraft Mechanics Earn in New Orleans?
What Is the Largest Aviation Maintenance Employer Near New Orleans?
How Far Is Aviation Maintenance Training From the New Orleans Job Market?
Do Hours at a New Orleans Aviation 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)
- 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)
- Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans: Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans - Wikipedia
All sources retrieved .
Read how we source and check school, wage, and airport data for every page on this site.