Aeronautical Engineering offers better prospects than Aircraft Maintenance Engineers. Aeronautical Engineers can work for a range of companies like Airlines, Airport development and maintenance authorities like Airport Authority of India, Aircraft design and manufacturing companies like Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Research organizations like Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO), and academic institutions. Aeronautical Engineers are generally involved in design, development, manufacturing, and maintenance of aircrafts. There are opportunities for getting into fields like Space technologies, Rocket Engineering, etc.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineers are generally involved in servicing, maintenance, and repairing aircrafts. They generally find work with the Airport development and maintenance companies and with airlines which have 'Hanger' facilities of their own (Hangers are places where aircrafts are parked and serviced). This field also does not offer any other scope. This is a completely technical field and people can only enhance their skills through skill development programs. Scope of higher study is less.

Your idea that Aircraft Maintenance Engineers are highest paid of all branches of Engineering is not true. Aeronautical engineers working in Airlines are highly paid as well as other engineers like Marine engineers are highly paid.

No college in Maharashtra offers Aeronautical Engineering. You have to qualify in the IIT Joint Entrance Examination to be able to get a seat in one of the IITs, which offer B. Tech in Aerospace Engineering. In other States like Tamil Nadu, where there are institutions offering Aeronautical Engineering, you will have to sit for the respective Joint Entrance Examination. In most of these examinations, you are eligible to appear if you score at least 50% marks in 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.