Virginia Beach-Norfolk at a Glance
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Virginia Beach-Norfolk
2
Within 100 mi, FAA 2026
Top Score Nearby
41.7
AIM Norfolk
Aircraft Mechanic Jobs, Virginia Beach-Norfolk Metro
650
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Metro Median Pay
$80,450
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location Quotient
0.96
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Area covered: Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area (CBSA 47260).
Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic, headquartered at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, performs scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repair, and structural and electronic modifications on Navy carrier-based aircraft, helicopters, and their engines. Local aircraft mechanics earn a median $80,450 a year, just above the $79,870 U.S. median.
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Norfolk is 14 miles away, next to Norfolk International Airport, with two hangars on campus and a program where about half the instructors are military veterans. College of the Albemarle, 29.3 miles away in Barco, North Carolina, offers an FAA-approved Aviation Systems Technology program with dual enrollment options for high schoolers.
Top Picks
Top Picks Near Virginia Beach-Norfolk
Among the aviation maintenance schools near Virginia Beach-Norfolk, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties produce none.
Top Pick Near Virginia Beach-Norfolk
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Norfolk
Highest overall score of the 3 ranked schools, 41.7 out of 100.
Virginia Beach-Norfolk Ranking
Top-Ranked Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Virginia Beach-Norfolk
The ranked aviation maintenance schools within 100 miles of Virginia Beach-Norfolk, ordered by score, plus the nearest ranked schools out to 112 miles so the list has at least 3. 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 Virginia Beach-Norfolk.
Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)
-
- Top Pick Near Virginia Beach-Norfolk
#1
Aviation Institute of Maintenance Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia 14 miles from Virginia Beach-Norfolk #129 nationally
41.7 of 100
Students who want instructors with military backgrounds and two hangars for real aircraft training, next to Norfolk International Airport, fit well at the Norfolk campus.
- Type
- Private Aviation School
- Credentials
- Certificate
- Length
- 21 months
- GI Bill
- Approved
- Schedule
- day and evening classes
-
#2
College of the Albemarle
Barco, North Carolina 29 miles from Virginia Beach-Norfolk #135 nationally
41.0 of 100
College of the Albemarle fits high school students who want dual enrollment credit toward an Airframe and Powerplant diploma or associate degree at the Currituck campus.
- Type
- Community College
- Credentials
- Associate in Applied Science; Diploma (Airframe Maintenance); plus 1 more
-
#3
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Salisbury, Maryland 112 miles from Virginia Beach-Norfolk #195 nationally
31.7 of 100
This fits students who want an FAA-certificated program built through an airline industry partnership, training on-airport rather than at UMES's main campus.
- Type
- University
| Rank | School | Score | Outcomes (30) | Cost (25) | Program Depth (20) | Access (15) | Scale (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AIM Norfolk | 41.7 | † | † | 0 | 10 | † |
| 2 | College of the Albemarle | 41.0 | 11.4 | † | 14 | 0 | 3.1 |
| 3 | UMES | 31.7 | † | † | 0 | 0 | † |
See the full best aviation maintenance schools in Virginia ranking.
BLS Wage Data
Aircraft Mechanic Salary in Virginia Beach-Norfolk
Aircraft mechanics in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk metro area earn a median of $80,450 a year ($38.68 an hour), $1,750 below the Virginia median of $82,200.
Virginia Beach-Norfolk Pay vs. Virginia and U.S. Medians
The Virginia Beach-Norfolk median is $580 above the U.S. median of $79,870.
Avionics Technician Pay in Virginia Beach-Norfolk
BLS counts 90 avionics technicians in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk metro area, with a median of $83,900 a year.
Compare metro areas across the state on the Virginia aircraft mechanic salary page, or see the national aircraft mechanic salary breakdown.
Local Employers
Where Aircraft Mechanics Work in Virginia Beach-Norfolk
BLS counts 650 aircraft mechanic jobs in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk metro area as of May 2025, a location quotient of 0.96.
A location quotient above 1.00 means these jobs make up a larger share of local employment than they do nationally.
Military Depot
Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic (FRCMA)
Naval aviation depot headquartered at NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, VA
Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic performs scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repair, and structural and electronic modifications on Navy carrier-based aircraft, helicopters, and their engines.
Approximately 2,500 sailors, marines, and civilian personnel
Source: Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
Business Aviation
Signature Flight Support
FBO at Norfolk International Airport (ORF)
Signature Flight Support operates a full-service FBO at Norfolk International Airport that maintains and houses private and corporate aircraft, including repair services.
Source: Norfolk International Airport (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
Airports
Commercial and Cargo Airports in the Area
Norfolk International (ORF) recorded 2,444,897 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk International | ORF | Small hub | 2,444,897 | 161,630,650 |
| Newport News/Williamsburg International | PHF | Nonhub | 68,787 |
Local Context
A Naval Aviation Depot at NAS Oceana
Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic is headquartered at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, where it handles scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repair, and structural and electronic modifications on Navy carrier-based aircraft, helicopters, and their engines. That gives mechanics in the metro a large naval aviation employer close to home, alongside the FBO maintenance work at Norfolk International Airport.
Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Virginia Beach-Norfolk: Common Questions
What Schools Near Virginia Beach-Norfolk Train Aircraft Mechanics?
What Do Aircraft Mechanics Earn in Virginia Beach-Norfolk?
What Is the Largest Aviation Maintenance Employer Near Virginia Beach-Norfolk?
How Far Is Training From Where Mechanics Work in This Metro?
Does Experience at a Naval Depot 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)
- Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic (FRCMA): Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic (Wikipedia)
- Signature Flight Support: Norfolk International Airport (Wikipedia)
All sources retrieved .
Read how we source and check school, wage, and airport data for every page on this site.