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Aviation Maintenance Schools in North Carolina
46 schools in North Carolina offer aviation maintenance-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Federal program data groups aviation maintenance with diesel mechanics and automotive technology — schools below may offer any of these.
Occupation pay is what working aviation maintenance professionals in North Carolina earn (all experience levels) — school "earnings" figures above are medians for each school's recent federally-aided students across all its programs, which read lower.
Aviation Maintenance licensing in North Carolina: No license required
North Carolina has no state license for aircraft mechanics — the working credential is the federal FAA Mechanic Certificate with Airframe and Powerplant ratings (A&P) under 14 CFR Part 65, the standard at the state's airline hub in Charlotte and its MRO employers such as HAECO in Greensboro. Test eligibility comes from an FAA Part 147 school (typically 18-24 months; several NC community colleges run programs) or 30 months of documented supervised experience for both ratings (18 months for one), followed by 3 written exams plus oral and practical tests. Without the certificate, work is legal only under supervision of a certificated mechanic or a Part 145 repair station.
Official source: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Flight Standards Service — no North Carolina state board licenses aircraft mechanics · Exam: 3 FAA written knowledge tests (General, Airframe, Powerplant) plus oral and practical exams with an FAA Designated Mechanic Examiner; 70% passing, all tests within 24 months · Typical requirement: Age 18+, English proficiency; graduate an FAA Part 147 school (typically 18-24 months) OR document 18 months of practical experience per rating (30 months for both A&P)
Official license records related to aviation maintenance in North Carolina
From the U.S. Department of Labor's License Finder — these may include contractor, specialty, or related licenses beyond entry-level requirements:
- Aircraft Mechanic — Federal Aviation Administration~Airmen Certification Branch~Licenses & Certificates
- Aircraft Repairperson — Federal Aviation Administration~Airmen Certification Branch~Licenses & Certificates
- Aircraft Dispatcher — Federal Aviation Administration~Airmen Certification Branch~Licenses & Certificates
- Vintage & Experimental Aircraft Pilot-in-Command — Federal Aviation Administration~Vintage & Experimental Program Office
- NCDOT Aircraft Landing Area Permit — NC Department of Transportation~Aviation (Highways)~Statewide Programs
- Rangia Clams, Mechanical Harvest — NC Department of Environmental Quality~Marine Fisheries
Wage and license data provided by CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and Minnesota DEED.
Schools, ranked by earnings per tuition dollar
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Community College | Shelby | public | $995 | 30.6% | $33,755 |
| Durham Technical Community College | Durham | public | $1,664 | 24.1% | $36,142 |
| Johnston Community College | Smithfield | public | $1,776 | 40.5% | $37,310 |
| James Sprunt Community College | Kenansville | public | $1,863 | 41% | $29,307 |
| Wayne Community College | Goldsboro | public | $2,245 | 39.8% | $34,148 |
| College of the Albemarle | Elizabeth City | public | $2,253 | 34% | $33,234 |
| Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte | public | $3,345 | 24% | $37,865 |
| Wilson Community College | Wilson | public | $3,064 | 29.5% | $32,973 |
| Nash Community College | Rocky Mount | public | $3,338 | 27.8% | $34,912 |
| Vance-Granville Community College | Henderson | public | $3,286 | 31.9% | $34,304 |
| Craven Community College | New Bern | public | $3,289 | 36.7% | $34,231 |
| Martin Community College | Williamston | public | $2,676 | 36% | $26,016 |
| Fayetteville Technical Community College | Fayetteville | public | $3,589 | 28.2% | $31,861 |
| Lenoir Community College | Kinston | public | $4,127 | 36.3% | $33,866 |
| Sandhills Community College | Pinehurst | public | $4,157 | 35.9% | $31,656 |
| Surry Community College | Dobson | public | $4,961 | 47% | $36,012 |
| Southwestern Community College | Sylva | public | $5,207 | 41.4% | $34,145 |
| Stanly Community College | Albemarle | public | $5,721 | 37.7% | $36,686 |
| Blue Ridge Community College | Flat Rock | public | $5,756 | 48.8% | $36,324 |
| Central Carolina Community College | Sanford | public | $5,446 | 41.6% | $33,525 |
| Alamance Community College | Graham | public | $6,109 | 33.1% | $34,241 |
| South Piedmont Community College | Polkton | public | $6,675 | 26.9% | $37,308 |
| Gaston College | Dallas | public | $6,592 | 44.1% | $35,386 |
| Haywood Community College | Clyde | public | $6,723 | 39.7% | $34,770 |
| Pitt Community College | Winterville | public | $7,337 | 29.3% | $37,259 |
| Beaufort County Community College | Washington | public | $6,500 | 42.7% | $32,519 |
| Randolph Community College | Asheboro | public | $6,918 | 37.6% | $33,336 |
| Wake Technical Community College | Raleigh | public | $8,759 | 31.8% | $41,769 |
| Forsyth Technical Community College | Winston-Salem | public | $7,200 | 32.9% | $34,139 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus Community College | Salisbury | public | $7,981 | 32% | $34,936 |
| McDowell Technical Community College | Marion | public | $7,784 | 34.4% | $33,035 |
| Davidson-Davie Community College | Thomasville | public | $8,753 | 38.3% | $36,337 |
| Tri-County Community College | Murphy | public | $7,799 | 34% | $32,232 |
| Cape Fear Community College | Wilmington | public | $9,610 | 39.7% | $38,654 |
| Coastal Carolina Community College | Jacksonville | public | $9,461 | 32.7% | $36,444 |
| Catawba Valley Community College | Hickory | public | $10,528 | 34% | $36,977 |
| Halifax Community College | Weldon | public | $9,040 | 37.3% | $31,644 |
| Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute | Hudson | public | $10,810 | 32.8% | $34,515 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | Asheville | public | $11,602 | 33.6% | $36,048 |
| Carteret Community College | Morehead City | public | $10,764 | 37.5% | $33,357 |
| Montgomery Community College | Troy | public | $13,832 | 66.7% | $32,742 |
| Guilford Technical Community College | Jamestown | public | $15,002 | 27.4% | $33,934 |
| Universal Technical Institute-Mooresville | Mooresville | private for-profit | $28,915 | 62.4% | $52,873 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Charlotte | Charlotte | private for-profit | $25,733 | 56.5% | $42,759 |
| Edgecombe Community College | Tarboro | public | not reported | 38.7% | $33,267 |
| Wilkes Community College | Wilkesboro | public | $-264 | 46.4% | $34,728 |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Figures are institution-wide federal medians for each school as a whole — not aviation maintenance graduates specifically. Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
Common questions: Aviation Maintenance school in North Carolina
- How much do Aviation Maintenance schools cost in North Carolina?
- The median annual net price (what students actually pay after aid) across 46 aviation maintenance schools in North Carolina is $6,500. Individual schools range widely — the table above shows each school's real cost, not sticker price.
- Do you need a license to work as a aviation maintenance in North Carolina?
- North Carolina has no state license for aircraft mechanics — the working credential is the federal FAA Mechanic Certificate with Airframe and Powerplant ratings (A&P) under 14 CFR Part 65, the standard at the state's airline hub in Charlotte and its MRO employers such as HAECO in Greensboro. Test eligibility comes from an FAA Part 147 school (typically 18-24 months; several NC community colleges run programs) or 30 months of documented supervised experience for both ratings (18 months for one), followed by 3 written exams plus oral and practical tests. Without the certificate, work is legal only under supervision of a certificated mechanic or a Part 145 repair station.
- What does a aviation maintenance earn in North Carolina?
- Working aviation maintenance professionals in North Carolina earn a median of $76,980 per year, ranging from about $50,970 to $112,050 (U.S. Department of Labor). This is what people in the job earn, which differs from a school's reported graduate-earnings figure.
Aid deadlines for aviation maintenance programs in North Carolina
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