Knoxville at a Glance
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Knoxville
4
Within 100 mi, FAA 2026
Top Score Nearby
59.8
Somerset Community College
Aircraft Mechanic Jobs, Knoxville Metro
300
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Metro Median Pay
$67,300
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location Quotient
0.80
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Area covered: Knoxville, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 28940).
Knoxville's aviation maintenance work centers on McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, where the Tennessee Air National Guard's air refueling wing keeps 10 KC-135R aircraft flying and a new hangar is coming for incoming refueling tankers. Local aircraft mechanics and service technicians earn a median $67,300 a year, below the $79,870 U.S. median, while avionics equipment mechanics carry a location quotient of 1.8, well above the national average.
Four schools sit within reach. Pellissippi State Community College's Blount County campus, 15.3 miles away, pairs an AAS in aviation technology with FAA exam prep. Tennessee College of Applied Technology Morristown is 35.4 miles out with an airframe and powerplant diploma. Somerset Community College, in Somerset, Kentucky, is 84.1 miles away, and Northeast State Community College is 93.3 miles out in Blountville.
Top Picks
Top Picks Near Knoxville
Among the aviation maintenance schools near Knoxville, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties produce none.
Top Pick Near Knoxville
Best Outcomes Near Knoxville
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%.
Most Affordable Near Knoxville
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Morristown
Lowest comparable program cost of the 2 ranked schools with one: $7,705, published by the school.
Knoxville Ranking
Top-Ranked Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Knoxville
The ranked aviation maintenance schools within 100 miles of Knoxville, 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 Knoxville.
Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
-
- Top Pick Near Knoxville
- Best Outcomes Near Knoxville
#1
Somerset Community College
Somerset, Kentucky 84 miles from Knoxville #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
Pellissippi State Community College
Maryville, Tennessee 15 miles from Knoxville #100 nationally
45.7 of 100
This program fits someone near Knoxville who wants a combined airframe and powerplant associate degree from a program built through a recent local partnership rather than a decades-old shop.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- AAS
-
- Most Affordable Near Knoxville
#3
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Morristown
Morristown, Tennessee 35 miles from Knoxville #113 nationally
44.3 of 100
For students near Knoxville, this 20-month diploma program covers both the airframe and powerplant ratings on a full-time day schedule.
- Type
- Technical College
- Credentials
- Diploma
- Length
- 20 months (full-time)
- Cost
- $7,705, total program (tuition/fees)
-
#4
Northeast State Community College
Blountville, Tennessee 93 miles from Knoxville #186 nationally
31.8 of 100
This program suits Northeast Tennessee students who want a public associate degree or certificate in Aviation Technology, training in avionics, aircraft structures, and mechanical systems at Northeast State's Aviation Center in Blountville.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- AAS (also offers a certificate option per catalog)
| 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 | Pellissippi State Community College | 45.7 | † | † | 14 | 0 | † |
| 3 | TCAT Morristown | 44.3 | † | 17.1 | 8 | 0 | † |
| 4 | Northeast State Community College | 31.8 | 9.1 | † | 6 | 0 | 4.2 |
See the full best aviation maintenance schools in Tennessee ranking.
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Knoxville
Aircraft mechanics in the Knoxville metro area earn a median of $67,300 a year ($32.36 an hour), $13,740 below the Tennessee median of $81,040.
Knoxville Pay vs. Tennessee and U.S. Medians
The Knoxville median is $12,570 below the U.S. median of $79,870.
Avionics Technician Pay in Knoxville
BLS counts 90 avionics technicians in the Knoxville metro area, with a median of $52,190 a year.
Compare metro areas across the state on the Tennessee aircraft mechanic salary page, or see the national aircraft mechanic salary breakdown.
Local Employers
Where Aircraft Mechanics Work in Knoxville
BLS counts 300 aircraft mechanic jobs in the Knoxville metro area as of May 2025, a location quotient of 0.80.
A location quotient above 1.00 means these jobs make up a larger share of local employment than they do nationally.
Military Depot
134th Air Refueling Wing (Tennessee Air National Guard)
McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Knoxville, TN
The 134th Air Refueling Wing at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Knoxville maintains KC-135 refueling tankers through its 134th Maintenance Group, and the base is slated to gain a new maintenance hangar for incoming KC-46A tankers.
Responsibilities include more than 1,170 personnel and 10 KC-135R aircraft
Source: Commander, 134th Air Refueling Wing - Tennessee.gov (tn.gov)
Xpress Aircraft Maintenance
General aviation maintenance shop at Knoxville Downtown Island Airport
Xpress Aircraft Maintenance is the certified maintenance provider for general aviation aircraft at Knoxville Downtown Island Airport, servicing Cessna, Pilatus, Beechcraft, and Cirrus aircraft.
Source: Getting to Know: Xpress Aircraft Maintenance - Downtown Island Airport (dkxairport.com)
Airports
Commercial and Cargo Airports in the Area
McGhee Tyson (TYS) recorded 1,639,080 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McGhee Tyson | TYS | Small hub | 1,639,080 | 262,476,610 |
Local Context
A Refueling Wing Keeps Its Tankers Flying
McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base is home to the Tennessee Air National Guard's air refueling wing, whose maintenance group keeps 10 KC-135R aircraft mission-ready for refueling missions. The base is slated to gain a new maintenance hangar built for incoming refueling tankers, a sign the maintenance workload here keeps growing rather than shrinking.
General Aviation Work at Downtown Island Airport
Not all the maintenance work in Knoxville happens on a Guard base. Xpress Aircraft Maintenance, the certified provider at Knoxville Downtown Island Airport, services Cessna, Pilatus, Beechcraft, and Cirrus aircraft. That kind of shop gives mechanics experience with turboprops and piston aircraft, a different skill set than refueling tankers.
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Knoxville: Common Questions
What Schools Near Knoxville Train Aircraft Mechanics?
What Do Aircraft Mechanics Earn in Knoxville?
Who Are the Largest Aviation Maintenance Employers in Knoxville?
How Far Is Training From Where Mechanics Work in Knoxville?
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)
- 134th Air Refueling Wing (Tennessee Air National Guard): Commander, 134th Air Refueling Wing - Tennessee.gov
- Xpress Aircraft Maintenance: Getting to Know: Xpress Aircraft Maintenance - Downtown Island Airport
All sources retrieved .
Read how we source and check school, wage, and airport data for every page on this site.