Kansas City at a Glance
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Kansas City
1
Within 100 mi, FAA 2026
Top Score Nearby
51.5
State Technical College of Missouri
Aircraft Mechanic Jobs, Kansas City Metro
530
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Metro Median Pay
$71,080
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location Quotient
0.54
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Area covered: Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 28140).
Aviation Technical Services operates an airframe maintenance hangar at Kansas City International Airport, working structural repairs on airliners for carriers around the country. Garmin manufactures and assembles aviation avionics products at its Olathe, Kansas facility, one of four in the state. Local aircraft mechanics earn a median $71,080 a year, below the $79,870 U.S. median.
Training is a short trip from downtown. Aviation Institute of Maintenance Kansas City, 6 miles away, runs day, evening, and weekend classes toward an Aviation Maintenance Technician certificate, with ties cited to regional airlines and MRO facilities.
Top Picks
Top Picks Near Kansas City
Among the aviation maintenance schools near Kansas City, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties produce none.
Top Pick Near Kansas City
State Technical College of Missouri
Highest overall score of the 3 ranked schools, 51.5 out of 100.
Kansas City Ranking
Top-Ranked Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Kansas City
The ranked aviation maintenance schools within 100 miles of Kansas City, ordered by score, plus the nearest ranked schools out to 154 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 Kansas City.
Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
-
- Top Pick Near Kansas City
#1
State Technical College of Missouri
Linn, Missouri 154 miles from Kansas City #58 nationally
51.5 of 100
This program fits Missouri students who want a four-semester airframe-and-powerplant credential with an 84% IPEDS graduation rate and no other certificated program within about 94.3 miles.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- AAS; Certificate (Airframe); plus 1 more
- Length
- four semesters
- Cost
- $32,301, total program (average tuition expense, 2024-2025)
-
#2
Ozarks Technical Community College
Springfield, Missouri 145 miles from Kansas City #99 nationally
45.7 of 100
This program suits someone in southwest Missouri who wants both airframe and powerplant ratings in one associate degree, especially since the next Part 147 school is well over a hundred miles off.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- A.A.S.
- Length
- 4 semesters
- Cost
- $20,134, total program, low estimate
-
#3
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri 6 miles from Kansas City #127 nationally
41.7 of 100
This program fits students in the Kansas City area who have no other Part 147 school nearby and want GI Bill eligibility with day, evening, or weekend classes.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Certificate
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- day, evening, and weekend
| Rank | School | Score | Outcomes (30) | Cost (25) | Program Depth (20) | Access (15) | Scale (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Technical College of Missouri | 51.5 | 30 | 2.7 | 14 | 0 | 4.8 |
| 2 | Ozarks Tech | 45.7 | † | † | 14 | 0 | † |
| 3 | AIM Kansas City | 41.7 | † | † | 0 | 10 | † |
See the full best aviation maintenance schools in Missouri ranking.
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Kansas City
Aircraft mechanics in the Kansas City metro area earn a median of $71,080 a year ($34.18 an hour), $390 below the Missouri median of $71,470.
Kansas City Pay vs. Missouri and U.S. Medians
The Kansas City median is $8,790 below the U.S. median of $79,870.
Avionics Technician Pay in Kansas City
BLS counts 40 avionics technicians in the Kansas City metro area, with a median of $64,820 a year.
Compare metro areas across the state on the Missouri aircraft mechanic salary page, or see the national aircraft mechanic salary breakdown.
Local Employers
Where Aircraft Mechanics Work in Kansas City
BLS counts 530 aircraft mechanic jobs in the Kansas City metro area as of May 2025, a location quotient of 0.54.
A location quotient above 1.00 means these jobs make up a larger share of local employment than they do nationally.
Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul
Aviation Technical Services (ATS)
Airframe MRO hangar at Kansas City International Airport (MCI), 11268 North Convair Drive, Kansas City, MO
ATS operates an airframe maintenance hangar at Kansas City International Airport that services airliner structures.
418,000 sq. ft. hangar
Source: ATS Kansas City, Missouri (atsmro.com)
Manufacturer
Garmin
Aviation avionics manufacturing and distribution facility, Olathe, KS (Kansas City metro)
Garmin manufactures, assembles, and distributes aviation avionics products and circuit boards at its Olathe, Kansas facility.
490,000-square-foot facility; more than 5,000 associates across four Kansas facilities
Source: Garmin chosen for 'Made in Kansas' program (Garmin blog) (garmin.com)
Airports
Commercial and Cargo Airports in the Area
Kansas City International (MCI) recorded 5,915,078 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City International | MCI | Medium hub | 5,915,078 | 781,873,720 |
Local Context
An Independent MRO Works on Airliner Structures
Aviation Technical Services runs an airframe MRO hangar at Kansas City International Airport, repairing structural components for airliners rather than building new aircraft. That kind of heavy repair work sits alongside Kansas City International's cargo traffic, which landed 781,873,720 pounds of freight in 2024.
An Avionics Maker Down the Highway
Garmin manufactures, assembles, and distributes aviation avionics products and circuit boards at its facility in Olathe, one of four Garmin sites across Kansas. That manufacturing base adds a different kind of aviation maintenance and electronics work to the metro's job mix.
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Kansas City: Common Questions
What Schools Near Kansas City Train Aircraft Mechanics?
What Do Aircraft Mechanics Earn in Kansas City?
Who Are the Largest Aviation Maintenance Employers in Kansas City?
How Far Is Aviation Maintenance Training From Kansas City?
Do Hours at a Local 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)
- Aviation Technical Services (ATS): ATS Kansas City, Missouri location page
- Garmin: Garmin chosen for 'Made in Kansas' program (Garmin blog)
All sources retrieved .
Read how we source and check school, wage, and airport data for every page on this site.