Dallas-Fort Worth at a Glance
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Dallas-Fort Worth
8
Within 100 mi, FAA 2026
Top Score Nearby
66.4
Tarrant County College
Aircraft Mechanic Jobs, Dallas-Fort Worth Metro
8,000
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Metro Median Pay
$94,920
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location Quotient
2.23
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Area covered: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 19100).
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport moved 42,351,316 passengers and landed 3,754,028,903 pounds of cargo in 2024. American Airlines runs one of its aircraft maintenance bases at DFW, its largest hub, and aircraft mechanic employment across the metro sits at 2.23 times the national concentration, with a local median wage of $94,920.
Training runs close to downtown Dallas. Dallas College trains students at its Aerospace and Aviation Hangar 9.6 miles out, Aviation Institute of Maintenance Dallas is 10.7 miles away in Irving, and Thrust Institute of Maintenance sits 12.8 miles out in Addison. Tarrant County College, 34.1 miles away in Fort Worth, adds a waitlisted associate degree program.
Top Picks
Top Picks Near Dallas-Fort Worth
Among the aviation maintenance schools near Dallas-Fort Worth, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties produce none.
Top Pick Near Dallas-Fort Worth
Most Affordable Near Dallas-Fort Worth
Highest overall score of the 6 ranked schools, 66.4 out of 100.
Lowest comparable program cost of the 3 ranked schools with one: $7,074, from IPEDS in-state tuition and the published length.
Best Outcomes Near Dallas-Fort Worth
Texas State Technical College Waco
Highest IPEDS graduation rate of the 2 ranked schools that report one: 46%.
Dallas-Fort Worth Ranking
Top-Ranked Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Dallas-Fort Worth
The ranked aviation maintenance schools within 100 miles of Dallas-Fort Worth, ordered by score. High school programs within 100 miles follow the ranking. 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 Dallas-Fort Worth.
Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
-
- Top Pick Near Dallas-Fort Worth
- Most Affordable Near Dallas-Fort Worth
#1
Tarrant County College
Fort Worth, Texas 34 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth #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 Near Dallas-Fort Worth
#2
Texas State Technical College Waco
Waco, Texas 83 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth #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
-
#3
US Aviation Academy Denton
Denton, Texas 37 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth #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
-
#4
Thrust Institute of Maintenance
Addison, Texas 13 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth #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
-
#5
Dallas College
Dallas, Texas 10 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth #120 nationally
42.3 of 100
Dallas College fits students who want a fast 13-month path to stackable General, Airframe, and Powerplant certificates required to become a certified aircraft mechanic.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- General, Airframe, and Powerplant certificates (stackable, required for FAA A&P certification)
- Length
- 13 months
- Cost
- $24,864, total program (all three certificates)
- Schedule
- Classes are held in person Monday through Thursday, with some online instruction on Fridays
- Starts
- Application window May 22 - Dec. 18, 2026
-
#6
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Dallas
Irving, Texas 11 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth #125 nationally
41.7 of 100
This program suits students in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who want weekend class options alongside day and evening sections, with job-placement ties to aerospace employers like StandardAero and Envoy Air.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Certificate
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- Day, evening, and weekend classes
| 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 | TSTC Waco | 53.6 | 21.7 | † | 6 | 5 | 8.4 |
| 3 | USAA Denton | 45.1 | † | 1.9 | 14 | 10 | † |
| 4 | Thrust Institute of Maintenance | 44.7 | † | † | 8 | 5 | † |
| 5 | Dallas College | 42.3 | † | 5.1 | 8 | 10 | † |
| 6 | AIM Dallas | 41.7 | † | † | 0 | 10 | † |
High School Pathways
High School Aviation Maintenance Programs Near Dallas-Fort Worth
These 2 FAA-approved programs are run by a high school or career center, so they are listed apart from the college ranking, nearest first.
See the full best aviation maintenance schools in Texas ranking.
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Dallas-Fort Worth
Aircraft mechanics in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area earn a median of $94,920 a year ($45.63 an hour), $10,480 above the Texas median of $84,440.
Dallas-Fort Worth Pay vs. Texas and U.S. Medians
The Dallas-Fort Worth median is $15,050 above the U.S. median of $79,870.
Avionics Technician Pay in Dallas-Fort Worth
BLS counts 870 avionics technicians in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, with a median of $87,090 a year.
Compare metro areas across the state on the Texas aircraft mechanic salary page, or see the national aircraft mechanic salary breakdown.
Local Employers
Where Aircraft Mechanics Work in Dallas-Fort Worth
BLS counts 8,000 aircraft mechanic jobs in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area as of May 2025, a location quotient of 2.23.
A location quotient above 1.00 means these jobs make up a larger share of local employment than they do nationally.
Airline Maintenance
American Airlines
Maintenance base at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
American Airlines runs one of its four aircraft maintenance bases at DFW, its largest hub.
Source: American Airlines - Wikipedia (Wikipedia)
Manufacturer
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Air Force Plant 4, Fort Worth, TX
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is headquartered at Air Force Plant 4 in Fort Worth, where it builds the F-35 Lightning II, its top production program.
Source: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics - Wikipedia (Wikipedia)
Manufacturer
Bell Textron
Manufacturing facilities across the Fort Worth, TX area, including the Manufacturing Technology Center
Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at multiple facilities in the Fort Worth area, including development work on newer tiltrotor and helicopter programs.
Six manufacturing facilities throughout the DFW area
Source: Bell Textron - Wikipedia (Wikipedia)
Airports
Commercial and Cargo Airports in the Area
Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) recorded 42,351,316 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth International | DFW | Large hub | 42,351,316 | 3,754,028,903 |
| Dallas Love Field | DAL | Medium hub | 8,654,991 | |
| Perot Field/Fort Worth Alliance | AFW | 1,779,102,166 |
Local Context
American Airlines Keeps a Maintenance Base at Its Largest Hub
American Airlines operates one of its aircraft maintenance bases at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, its largest hub. The airport itself moved 42,351,316 passengers in 2024 and landed 3,754,028,903 pounds of cargo the same year, giving mechanics work tied to both passenger and freight operations.
A Fighter Jet Manufacturer in Fort Worth
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics builds fighter jets at Air Force Plant 4 in Fort Worth, its aeronautics headquarters. Bell Textron adds rotorcraft manufacturing across six facilities in the same metro, rounding out a job market built on more than airline maintenance.
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Dallas-Fort Worth: Common Questions
What Schools Near Dallas-Fort Worth Train Aircraft Mechanics?
What Do Aircraft Mechanics Earn in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Who Are the Largest Aviation Maintenance Employers in Dallas-Fort Worth?
How Far Is Aviation Maintenance Training From Downtown Dallas?
Do Hours Worked 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)
- American Airlines: American Airlines - Wikipedia
- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics - Wikipedia
- Bell Textron: Bell Textron - Wikipedia
All sources retrieved .
Read how we source and check school, wage, and airport data for every page on this site.