Key Figures for Aviation Maintenance Schools in Texas
Aviation Maintenance Schools in Texas
21
FAA AV-Info, Sep 2026
Ranked in This State
19
Methodology 2.1
Top Score in the State
66.4
Tarrant County College
Median Aircraft Mechanic Pay
$84,440
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Aircraft Mechanics Employed
16,850
BLS OEWS, May 2025
No state has more FAA Part 147 schools than Texas, where 21 locations range from a high school career center to a private university offering a bachelor's degree in aviation maintenance.
Amarillo College, a public school, runs a 21-month Airframe and Powerplant certificate or associate degree track and is the only Part 147 school in the Texas Panhandle. Around Dallas-Fort Worth, Tarrant County College offers a two-year day or three-year night Associate of Applied Science, Dallas College runs a stackable certificate track at Dallas Executive Airport, and US Aviation Academy in Denton offers a track that accepts GI Bill benefits.
Statewide, aircraft mechanics earn a median of $84,440 a year, above the $79,870 national median, and Texas ties for 11th among all 50 states for that pay. The state projects 8.2% job growth for the occupation from 2024 to 2034, well above the national rate of 4%, adding 1,290 positions and 1,370 openings a year.
Top Picks
Top Picks in Texas
Among the aviation maintenance schools in Texas, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties and one-school lists produce none.
Top Pick in Texas
Highest overall score of the 19 ranked schools, 66.4 out of 100.
Most Affordable in Texas
Lowest comparable program cost of the 5 ranked schools with one: $3,780, from IPEDS in-state tuition and the published length.
Best Outcomes in Texas
Highest IPEDS graduation rate of the 7 ranked schools that report one: 66%.
Texas Ranking
Top-Ranked Aircraft Mechanic Schools in Texas
The 19 ranked aviation maintenance schools in Texas, best score first. Each card shows the school's verified facts and the points it earned on each factor; the top 10 get cards, and the table after them lists every ranked school's points. 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 Texas
#1
Tarrant County College
Fort Worth, Texas #11 nationally
66.4 of 100
This program fits Fort Worth-area students who want airframe or powerplant training plus an avionics line maintenance certificate, though the day track runs a full two years and typically carries a lengthy waitlist.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Airframe or Powerplant; Level 1 & 2 Certificates; plus 1 more
- Length
- Day track: 2 years; Night track: 3 years
- Cost
- $4,440, total tuition and fees, AAS Airframe or AAS Powerplant (60 credits each), in-state in-county, 2026-2027
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- Day: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.; Night: Monday-Thursday, 5:30-11 p.m.
- Avionics
- Avionics Line Maintenance enhanced skills certificate
-
- Best Outcomes in Texas
#2
Hallmark University
San Antonio, Texas #16 nationally
63.9 of 100
This program fits someone who wants an accelerated, in-person path to a combined Airframe and Powerplant AAS, built around shorter terms rather than traditional semesters.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- AAS
- Length
- 16 months
-
#3
Texas State Technical College Harlingen
Harlingen, Texas #41 nationally
55.7 of 100
Students get both airframe and powerplant ratings from one Texas State Technical College campus here, with flexible day, hybrid, and in-person scheduling.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate Degree; Certificate
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- Day class, hybrid and in-person formats
-
#4
Texas State Technical College Waco
Waco, Texas #50 nationally
53.6 of 100
Students choose among airframe, powerplant, or avionics maintenance credentials here, plus multiple airframe pathway options, at one of three Texas State Technical College campuses.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate Degree, Certificate
- GI Bill
- Approved
-
#5
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Houston
Houston, Texas #72 nationally
49.7 of 100
A single Houston campus offers combined airframe and powerplant ratings in day or evening classes, backed by a 14-campus chain with airline employer partnerships.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Certificate
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- Day and evening classes
-
- Most Affordable in Texas
#6
Amarillo College
Amarillo, Texas #92 nationally
46.5 of 100
This program fits students in the Texas Panhandle who want the region's only FAA Part 147 school, with a 21-month path to an Airframe and Powerplant certificate or associate degree.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Certificate (Airframe Mechanic; Powerplant Mechanic) or AAS (Airframe Option; plus 1 more
- Length
- 21-month Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate or Associate of Applied Science degree program
-
#7
US Aviation Academy Denton
Denton, Texas #104 nationally
45.1 of 100
This fits students who want a fast, tool-included aircraft mechanic track with GI Bill funding at a Texas campus offering optional avionics training.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certification
- Length
- 8-month full-time program or 16-month semi-full-time program
- Cost
- $36,000, total program
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- Full-time: Monday-Thursday daytime classes plus a shorter Friday schedule (approx. 36 hours weekly)
- Avionics
- Optional 4-week avionics add-on
-
#8
LeTourneau University
Longview, Texas #107 nationally
44.7 of 100
A four-year bachelor's degree here pairs airframe and powerplant training with a required aviation minor, at a private university in Longview, Texas.
- Type
- University
- Credentials
- BS
- GI Bill
- Approved
-
#9
Thrust Institute of Maintenance
Addison, Texas #111 nationally
44.7 of 100
This program fits students who want a fast, 10-month certificate covering both airframe and powerplant ratings, with day or night scheduling and a choice of four campus locations across Texas and Arizona.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Certificate
- Length
- 10 months
- Schedule
- day or night
-
#10
Universal Technical Institute Houston
Houston, Texas #112 nationally
44.7 of 100
An 18-month, diploma-length path leads to combined airframe and powerplant ratings, with labs covering sheet metal, hydraulics, and turbine engine work.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Diploma
- Length
- 18 months
- GI Bill
- Approved
| Rank | School | Score | Outcomes (30) | Cost (25) | Program Depth (20) | Access (15) | Scale (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarrant County College | 66.4 | 10.5 | 18.2 | 20 | 10 | 7.7 |
| 2 | Hallmark University | 63.9 | 28.2 | † | 14 | 0 | 9.2 |
| 3 | TSTC Harlingen | 55.7 | † | † | 14 | 10 | † |
| 4 | TSTC Waco | 53.6 | 21.7 | † | 6 | 5 | 8.4 |
| 5 | AIM Houston | 49.7 | † | † | 8 | 10 | † |
| 6 | Amarillo College | 46.5 | 8 | 21.4 | 14 | 0 | 3.1 |
| 7 | USAA Denton | 45.1 | † | 1.9 | 14 | 10 | † |
| 8 | LeTourneau University | 44.7 | † | † | 8 | 5 | † |
| 9 | Thrust Institute of Maintenance | 44.7 | † | † | 8 | 5 | † |
| 10 | UTI Houston | 44.7 | † | † | 8 | 5 | † |
| 11 | Dallas College | 42.3 | † | 5.1 | 8 | 10 | † |
| 12 | AIM Dallas | 41.7 | † | † | 0 | 10 | † |
| 13 | St. Philip's College | 41.5 | 3.2 | † | 14 | 5 | 6.8 |
| 14 | Chennault Aviation Maintenance Academy | 39.7 | † | † | 8 | 0 | † |
| 15 | TSTC Abilene | 37.7 | † | † | 6 | 0 | † |
| 16 | Howard College | 31.7 | † | † | 0 | 0 | † |
| 17 | Southwest Texas Junior College | 31.7 | † | † | 0 | 0 | † |
| 18 | Midland College | 31.6 | 1.5 | 19.3 | 8 | 0 | 2.8 |
| 19 | Del Mar College | 23.0 | 0 | † | 6 | 0 | 4.5 |
High School Pathways
High School Aviation Maintenance Programs in Texas
These 2 FAA-approved programs are run by a high school or career center, so they are listed apart from the college rankings.
By Metro Area
Aviation Maintenance School Rankings by Texas Metro Area
Each metro ranking scores every school within commuting range and adds the local airports, employers, and BLS pay for aircraft mechanics.
| Top-Ranked School | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Aviation maintenance schools near Dallas-Fort Worth | 8 | Tarrant County College | $94,920 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Houston | 3 | AIM Houston | $85,400 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near San Antonio | 2 | Hallmark University | $78,240 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Austin | 3 | Hallmark University | $84,440 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near McAllen | 1 | TSTC Harlingen | $47,840 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near El Paso | 0 | ENMU-Roswell | $65,320 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Corpus Christi | 1 | TSTC Harlingen | $80,270 |
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Texas
BLS reports a median annual wage of $84,440 ($40.60 an hour) for aircraft mechanics and service technicians in Texas, where 16,850 people held the job in May 2025. That median ranks 11th (tied) of the 50 states with published data; the national median is $79,870.
Projections Central expects statewide employment in the occupation to move from 15,750 in 2024 to 17,040 in 2034 (+8.2%), with about 1,370 openings a year.
Avionics Technician Pay in Texas
See the full Texas aircraft mechanic salary breakdown by metro area
Local Context
Where Aircraft Mechanic Jobs Concentrate in Texas
Dallas-Fort Worth concentrates aircraft mechanic jobs at 2.23 times the national rate for that occupation, and it is the state's largest metro for the trade. The metro's population, 8,344,032, dwarfs Corpus Christi's 450,187, yet Corpus Christi's aircraft mechanics still earn a median of $80,270 a year, not far behind Dallas-Fort Worth's $94,920.
Houston, with 7,796,182 people, and San Antonio, with 2,763,006, post aircraft mechanic medians of $85,400 and $78,240. Austin's population of 2,550,637 supports a median of $84,440, while smaller metros such as McAllen, 914,820 people, and El Paso, 879,392, report lower medians of $47,840 and $65,320.
A High School Path Into Aircraft Maintenance
Crowley Academy of Aviation, Transportation and Logistics, at the Bill R. Johnson CTE Center, is the only high school in Texas, and the fourth in the U.S., to receive FAA credentials as an Aviation Maintenance Technician School. Students can earn Level One or Level Two certification, or an associate degree through dual enrollment with Tarrant County College, before finishing high school.
Comparing Program Length and Schedule Across Texas
Program length varies widely. Thrust Institute of Maintenance in Addison, one of four campus locations in that chain, runs a 10-month certificate track offered day or night. Midland College and Universal Technical Institute in Houston both run 18-month programs, while Tarrant County College spreads training across a two-year day track or a three-year night track.
Dallas College lists $24,864 for its three stackable certificates, the lowest published whole-program price in Texas, while US Aviation Academy in Denton lists $36,000. Some campuses also list financing options such as Sallie Mae loans.
Methodology
How We Rank Aviation Maintenance Schools in Texas
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 Texas 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 Texas
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 Texas?
Which Texas School Accepts GI Bill Benefits for Aviation Maintenance Training?
How Much Do Airplane Mechanics Make in Texas?
Can Texas High School Students Start Aircraft Maintenance Training?
How Long Is Aviation Maintenance School in Texas?
How Much Does Aviation Maintenance School Cost in Texas?
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.