Key Figures for Aviation Maintenance Schools in New Jersey
Aviation Maintenance Schools in New Jersey
1
FAA AV-Info, Sep 2026
Ranked in This State
1
Methodology 2.1
Top Score in the State
46.7
AIM Hasbrouck Heights
Median Aircraft Mechanic Pay
$105,370
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Aircraft Mechanics Employed
1,900
BLS OEWS, May 2025
New Jersey pays aircraft mechanics more than any other state, with a $105,370 median wage, even though the field has no IPEDS-tracked degree program and just 1 in-state Part 147 school.
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Hasbrouck Heights is that one school, teaching a certificate program in just under two years for full-time students, with day and evening classes. It sits within 12.5 miles of two schools across the New York border, Aviation High School and Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology.
Aircraft mechanics in New Jersey earn a median of $105,370 a year, the highest state median in the country and well above the $79,870 national figure. Growth is projected at 4%, matching the national rate, adding 80 positions, with about 160 openings expected each year.
New Jersey Ranking
Top-Ranked Aircraft Mechanic Schools in New Jersey
The ranked school in New Jersey, with the facts behind its score. 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)
-
#1
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Hasbrouck Heights
Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey #90 nationally
46.7 of 100
This program fits New Jersey students who need the state's only FAA-approved Part 147 school, minutes from Teterboro Airport, on a 21-month certificate schedule.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Certificate
- Length
- 21 months for full-time students
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- day and evening classes available
- Starts
- September class start referenced (application fee waiver promotion for 9/27)
Across the State Line
Top-Ranked Schools Near New Jersey
6 FAA-approved schools in neighboring states within 100 miles of Hasbrouck Heights, ranked by score.
Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
-
- Top Pick Near New Jersey
- Best Outcomes Near New Jersey
#1
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
Flushing, New York 13 miles from Hasbrouck Heights #68 nationally
50.5 of 100
This fits students who want a fast certificate at a private aeronautics college with airline hiring connections in the New York City area.
- Type
- University
- Credentials
- Certificate
- Length
- can be completed in as little as 16 months
- GI Bill
- Approved
-
#2
Stratford School for Aviation Maintenance Technicians
Stratford, Connecticut 54 miles from Hasbrouck Heights #109 nationally
44.7 of 100
This program fits Connecticut students who want a two-year airframe-and-powerplant certificate through a public extension campus based at Sikorsky Memorial Airport.
- Type
- Technical College
- Credentials
- Certificate (Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic, upon passing FAA exams)
- Length
- 2 years
- Starts
- December 2026 enrollment class applications open
-
#3
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 74 miles from Hasbrouck Heights #131 nationally
41.7 of 100
This certificate program suits someone near Philadelphia who wants day or evening hands-on training across two large hangars with employer connections built in.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Certificate
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- day and evening
-
#4
Dutchess Community College
Wappingers Falls, New York 54 miles from Hasbrouck Heights #180 nationally
35.3 of 100
This program fits students in the Hudson Valley who want a four-semester associate degree covering both airframe and powerplant ratings at a public community college price.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
- Length
- 64 total credit hours across four semesters
| Rank | School | Score | Outcomes (30) | Cost (25) | Program Depth (20) | Access (15) | Scale (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vaughn College | 50.5 | 15 | † | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| 2 | Stratford School for Aviation Maintenance Technicians | 44.7 | † | † | 8 | 5 | † |
| 3 | AIM Philadelphia | 41.7 | † | † | 0 | 10 | † |
| 4 | SUNY Dutchess | 35.3 | 5.2 | 12.5 | 14 | 0 | 3.6 |
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in New Jersey
BLS reports a median annual wage of $105,370 ($50.66 an hour) for aircraft mechanics and service technicians in New Jersey, where 1,900 people held the job in May 2025. That median ranks 1st of the 50 states with published data; the national median is $79,870.
Projections Central expects statewide employment in the occupation to move from 1,940 in 2024 to 2,020 in 2034 (+4%), with about 160 openings a year.
Avionics Technician Pay in New Jersey
See the full New Jersey aircraft mechanic salary breakdown by metro area
Local Context
The Nation's Highest Pay, Reached Through New York
New Jersey's aircraft mechanics earn more than any other state's, a median of $105,370 a year, yet the state has just 1 in-state school and no IPEDS-tracked degree program to match that pay.
Aviation High School and Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, both across the New York border, sit within 12.5 miles of Aviation Institute of Maintenance Hasbrouck Heights, giving New Jersey students more nearby choices than their state's own count suggests.
A Cluster of Options Near the New York Border
Wilson Technological Center is 35.6 miles from Hasbrouck Heights, and Dutchess Community College and Stratford School for Aviation Maintenance Technicians are close behind at 53.5 and 53.7 miles. Aviation Institute of Maintenance Philadelphia is farther out, at 73.6 miles.
Methodology
How We Rank Aviation Maintenance Schools in New Jersey
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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey
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 New Jersey?
Which State Pays Aircraft Mechanics the Most?
Does New Jersey Have a Degree Program in Aviation Maintenance?
Is the Aircraft Mechanic Certificate a State or Federal License?
How Long Is Aviation Maintenance School in New Jersey?
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.