An aviation maintenance degree is optional. The FAA does not prescribe any general education requirement for the Aviation Mechanic certificate, and BLS lists the typical entry-level education for the occupation as a postsecondary nondegree award rather than a degree. What the FAA requires is age, English proficiency, either documented experience or graduation from an approved school, and passing scores on the written, oral, and practical tests. A degree program can deliver that training while adding academic credit, which is the real question worth weighing.
What the FAA Requires, and What It Does Not
The certificate is the credential employers hire against. Everything else is structure around it.
| Requirement | FAA standard |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Language | Read, write, speak, and understand English |
| General education | None prescribed |
| Experience route | 18 months for one rating, 30 months for both |
| School route | Graduation from an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School |
| Testing | Written, oral, and practical, all within 24 months |
Graduating from an FAA-approved school substitutes for the experience requirement and authorizes a candidate to test. That substitution is the mechanism a degree program uses, and it applies whether the program awards a degree, a diploma, or a certificate. Full eligibility detail is covered in this breakdown of aircraft mechanic requirements.
Degree Types in Aviation Maintenance
Two associate degrees appear across the field, and they are structured differently.
The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and the Associate of Occupational Science (AOS) both cover aviation maintenance technology, and they differ in how much general education coursework sits alongside the technical content. That distinction affects credit transfer, which matters to anyone considering a bachelor’s degree later. The comparison is covered in detail in this look at AAS vs AOS aviation degrees.
Availability is where the practical decision usually lands. At the Aviation Institute of Maintenance:
| Program | Where it runs |
|---|---|
| AOS – Aviation Maintenance Technology | Atlanta Metro, GA |
| AAS – Aviation Maintenance Technology | Indianapolis, IN |
| Aviation Maintenance Technician | All 15 campuses |
| Professional Aviation Maintenance Certification | 10 campuses |
The degree options run at one campus each. The non-degree Aviation Maintenance Technician program runs everywhere, and it covers the same general, airframe, and powerplant subject areas the FAA tests. Someone who wants the credential without relocating has a path; someone who specifically wants the academic degree has two locations to consider.
What a Degree Adds
The certificate and the degree do different jobs, and conflating them is the most common mistake in this decision.
Credit that transfers. An associate degree creates a documented academic record. A mechanic who later wants a bachelor’s in aviation management or a related field starts with credit rather than from zero.
Access to degree-gated roles. Some employers, particularly in government and in large manufacturing organizations, set degree requirements for supervisory and quality assurance positions independent of FAA rules. The certificate governs who may sign off on maintenance. The degree sometimes governs who gets considered for the office.
Federal aid eligibility. Degree programs at accredited institutions can qualify for forms of financial aid that shorter programs may not. AIM’s tuition and aid page covers what applies to which program.
What a degree does not do is change what the FAA asks of a candidate, or by itself qualify anyone to work on an aircraft. That authority comes from the certificate.
What the Pay Data Shows
BLS reported a median annual wage of $78,680 for aircraft mechanics and service technicians as of May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $47,790 and the highest 10 percent over $120,080. Avionics technicians reported a median of $81,390 over the same period.
BLS does not publish wage data broken out by whether a mechanic holds a degree, so no honest figure exists for what a degree adds to a paycheck. What the data does show is variation by industry: medians ran $95,320 in air transportation against $66,960 in support activities for air transportation, a $28,360 gap for the same certificate.
On demand, BLS projects 5 percent employment growth for the occupation group from 2024 to 2034, faster than the 3 percent average across all occupations, with about 13,100 openings projected annually over the decade.
Evaluating a Program
Two things get confused when people compare aviation maintenance programs, and the difference matters.
FAA approval applies to the program. It means the curriculum meets Part 147 standards and that graduation authorizes a candidate to test.
Institutional accreditation applies to the school. It is what governs financial aid eligibility and credit transfer. Aviation Institute of Maintenance is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), with FAA-approved aviation maintenance programs where applicable.
A program can hold one without the other. Anyone comparing schools should confirm both rather than treating either as covering the other.
Beyond credentials, the questions worth asking are practical: how much time students spend on aircraft and components rather than in lecture, what equipment the program maintains, and what the instructors did before they taught.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a degree to be an aircraft mechanic?
No. The FAA prescribes no general education requirement for the Aviation Mechanic certificate, and BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education. Certification comes from meeting the experience or school requirement and passing the FAA tests.
What is the difference between an AAS and an AOS in aviation maintenance?
Both are associate degrees in aviation maintenance technology. They differ in the balance of general education coursework against technical content, which affects how credits transfer toward a bachelor’s degree later.
Does a degree increase an aircraft mechanic’s pay?
BLS does not publish wage data separated by degree status, so there is no sourced figure. BLS does show industry as a major factor, with a $28,360 spread between the highest and lowest paying industries as of May 2024.
Can you earn an aviation maintenance degree at any AIM campus?
No. The AOS runs at Atlanta Metro, GA and the AAS runs at Indianapolis, IN. The Aviation Maintenance Technician program, which covers the same FAA-tested subject areas without awarding a degree, runs at all 15 campuses.
Is an aviation maintenance degree worth it?
It depends on the goal. For FAA certification alone, a degree is not required. For transferable academic credit, eligibility for certain degree-gated roles, or a planned path to a bachelor’s degree, the degree adds something the certificate does not.
Comparing your options? Review the aviation maintenance program curriculum, check which programs run at your nearest campus location, then request program information to speak with an admissions representative.
