Houston at a Glance
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Houston
3
Within 100 mi, FAA 2026
Top Score Nearby
49.7
AIM Houston
Aircraft Mechanic Jobs, Houston Metro
2,710
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Metro Median Pay
$85,400
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location Quotient
0.93
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Area covered: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 26420).
Houston puts you within miles of a major airline's maintenance operation and a large-hub airport. United Airlines, formerly Continental Airlines, runs an aircraft maintenance center at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), which handled 23,349,157 enplanements in 2024. Local aircraft mechanics and service technicians earn a median $85,400 a year, ahead of the $79,870 U.S. median for the occupation.
Training is close by. Aviation Institute of Maintenance Houston sits 10.9 miles away with dedicated hangar and lab space for airframe and powerplant coursework. Universal Technical Institute Houston is 14.4 miles out with an airframe and powerplant diploma program. Chennault Aviation Maintenance Academy, 37.1 miles away in Conroe, offers an in-person or hybrid online path to an FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificate.
Top Picks
Top Picks Near Houston
Among the aviation maintenance schools near Houston, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties produce none.
Top Pick Near Houston
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Houston
Highest overall score of the 3 ranked schools, 49.7 out of 100.
Houston Ranking
Top-Ranked Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Houston
The ranked aviation maintenance schools within 100 miles of Houston, 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 Houston.
Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
-
- Top Pick Near Houston
#1
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Houston
Houston, Texas 11 miles from Houston #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
-
#2
Universal Technical Institute Houston
Houston, Texas 14 miles from Houston #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
-
#3
Chennault Aviation Maintenance Academy
Conroe, Texas 37 miles from Houston #145 nationally
39.7 of 100
This program fits students who want a flexible online-hybrid path to becoming an aircraft mechanic, with an 18-month timeline and a transfer pathway into a Purdue Global bachelor's degree.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Certificate
- Length
- 18-month in-person or flexible online hybrid
| Rank | School | Score | Outcomes (30) | Cost (25) | Program Depth (20) | Access (15) | Scale (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AIM Houston | 49.7 | † | † | 8 | 10 | † |
| 2 | UTI Houston | 44.7 | † | † | 8 | 5 | † |
| 3 | Chennault Aviation Maintenance Academy | 39.7 | † | † | 8 | 0 | † |
See the full best aviation maintenance schools in Texas ranking.
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Houston
Aircraft mechanics in the Houston metro area earn a median of $85,400 a year ($41.06 an hour), $960 above the Texas median of $84,440.
Houston Pay vs. Texas and U.S. Medians
The Houston median is $5,530 above the U.S. median of $79,870.
Avionics Technician Pay in Houston
BLS counts 200 avionics technicians in the Houston metro area, with a median of $93,110 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 Houston
BLS counts 2,710 aircraft mechanic jobs in the Houston metro area as of May 2025, a location quotient of 0.93.
A location quotient above 1.00 means these jobs make up a larger share of local employment than they do nationally.
Airline Maintenance
United Airlines (formerly Continental Airlines)
Maintenance center at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Continental Airlines, now part of United after their merger, built its aircraft maintenance center at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, United's Houston hub.
Source: George Bush Intercontinental Airport - Wikipedia (Wikipedia)
NASA
Aircraft maintenance operations at Ellington Field/Airport, Houston, TX
NASA bases and maintains its aircraft fleet, including T-38 jets, at Ellington Field near Johnson Space Center.
Source: Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base - Wikipedia (Wikipedia)
Airports
Commercial and Cargo Airports in the Area
George Bush Intcntl/Houston (IAH) recorded 23,349,157 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Bush Intcntl/Houston | IAH | Large hub | 23,349,157 | 1,904,116,465 |
| William P Hobby | HOU | Medium hub | 7,116,967 | 204,420 |
| Ellington | EFD | 14,300 |
Local Context
The United Airlines Maintenance Base at IAH
United Airlines runs an aircraft maintenance center at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the hub Continental Airlines built it at before merging into United. That base sits inside IAH, a large-hub airport that moved 23,349,157 passengers through in 2024 and landed 1,904,116,465 pounds of cargo the same year.
Two Airports Feeding One Job Market
Houston's job market isn't tied to one runway. William P. Hobby Airport, the metro's medium-hub airport, moved 7,116,967 passengers in 2024 alongside IAH's larger flow. Two active airports mean more ramp and hangar space for mechanics working near home.
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Houston: Common Questions
What Schools Near Houston Train Aircraft Mechanics?
What Do Aircraft Mechanics Earn in Houston?
Who Are the Largest Aviation Maintenance Employers in Houston?
How Far Is Training From Where Mechanics Work?
Do Hours Working 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
- United Airlines (formerly Continental Airlines): George Bush Intercontinental Airport - Wikipedia
- NASA: Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base - Wikipedia
All sources retrieved .
Read how we source and check school, wage, and airport data for every page on this site.