Home › North Carolina › Aviation Maintenance schools
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.
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)
| 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). Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
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