Key Figures for Aviation Maintenance Training
Aviation Maintenance Schools in Texas
21
FAA AV-Info, Sep 2026
Cities With a School
18
FAA AV-Info, Sep 2026
Median Aircraft Mechanic Pay
$84,440
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Aircraft Mechanics Employed
16,850
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected Job Change, 2024-2034
+8.2%
Projections Central
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.
School Directory
Aviation Maintenance Schools in Texas by City
All 21 FAA-approved schools, sorted by city. Distances are measured from Dallas-Fort Worth. IPEDS tuition and graduation rates cover the whole institution, not only the aviation program. Listings follow our sourcing methodology.
- Certificate, Associate
- Certificate
- 10 months
- Certificate, Associate
- 21 months
- $2,160 a year in-state tuition
- 32% graduation rate
- Certificate
- 18-month in-person or flexible online hybrid
Del Mar College
Community college in Corpus Christi
- Certificate, Associate
- $2,250 a year in-state tuition
- 11% graduation rate
- Certificate, Associate
- Certificate
- 13 months
- $24,864 total program (all three certificates)
- Certificate
- 8-month full-time program or 16-month semi-full-time program
- GI Bill accepted
- $36,000 total program
- Certificate, Associate
- Day track: 2 years; Night track: 3 years
- $4,440 total tuition and fees, AAS Airframe or AAS Powerplant (60 credits each), in-state in-county, 2026-2027
- $3,537 a year in-state tuition
- 34% graduation rate
- Certificate, Associate
- Certificate
- Diploma
- 18 months
- Certificate
- Bachelor's
- Certificate
- 18 months
- $3,930 a year in-state tuition
- 23% graduation rate
Howard College
Community college in San Angelo
- Associate
- 16 months
- 66% graduation rate
- Certificate, Associate
- $5,400 a year in-state tuition
- 28% graduation rate
- Certificate, Associate
- $7,212 a year in-state tuition
- 46% graduation rate
Or browse the national list of FAA-approved aircraft mechanic schools.
Compare Programs
Texas Aviation Maintenance Programs Side by Side
Side-by-side program facts from each school's own pages, with IPEDS graduation rates where the school reports them.
| School | City | Type | Program Length | FAA Ratings | Credential | Published Cost | IPEDS Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas State Technical College Abilene | Abilene | Community College | Airframe only | Certificate, Associate | |||
| Thrust Institute of Maintenance | Addison | Private Aviation School | 10 months | Both | Certificate | ||
| Amarillo College | Amarillo | Community College | 21 months | Both | Certificate, Associate | 32% | |
| Chennault Aviation Maintenance Academy | Conroe | Private Aviation School | 18 months | Both | Certificate | ||
| Del Mar College | Corpus Christi | Community College | Certificate, Associate | 11% | |||
| Crowley Academy of Aviation, Transportation and Logistics | Crowley | Career-Tech Center | Certificate, Associate | ||||
| Dallas College | Dallas | Community College | 13 months | Both | Certificate | $24,864, total program (all three certificates) | |
| Skyline Career Development Center | Dallas | Career-Tech Center | |||||
| Southwest Texas Junior College | Del Rio | Community College | Airframe only | Certificate | |||
| US Aviation Academy Denton | Denton | Private Aviation School | Both | $36,000, total program | |||
| Tarrant County College | Fort Worth | Community College | Day track: 2 years; Night track: 3 years | Both | Certificate, Associate | $4,440, total tuition and fees, AAS Airframe or AAS Powerplant (60 credits each), in-state in-county, 2026-2027 | 34% |
| Texas State Technical College Harlingen | Harlingen | Community College | Both | Certificate, Associate | |||
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance Houston | Houston | Private Aviation School | Both | Certificate | |||
| Universal Technical Institute Houston | Houston | Private Aviation School | 18 months | Both | Diploma | ||
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance Dallas | Irving | Private Aviation School | Certificate | ||||
| LeTourneau University | Longview | University | Both | Bachelor's | |||
| Midland College | Midland | Community College | 18 months | Both | Certificate | 23% | |
| Howard College | San Angelo | Community College | |||||
| Hallmark University | San Antonio | Private Aviation School | 16 months | Both | Associate | 66% | |
| St. Philip's College | San Antonio | Community College | Both | Certificate, Associate | 28% | ||
| Texas State Technical College Waco | Waco | Community College | Certificate, Associate | 46% |
By Metro Area
Metro Area Guides: Schools, Airports, and Pay
Each metro guide lists every school within commuting range, the local airports, and BLS pay for aircraft mechanics in that metro.
| Aviation maintenance schools near Dallas-Fort Worth | 8 | $94,920 |
|---|---|---|
| Aviation maintenance schools near Houston | 3 | $85,400 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near San Antonio | 2 | $78,240 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Austin | 3 | $84,440 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near McAllen | 1 | $47,840 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near El Paso | 0 | $65,320 |
| Aviation maintenance schools near Corpus Christi | 1 | $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.
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.