Job training programs in California

519 programs in 6 trades, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

259 schools offer these programs, and every one is approved for workforce funding. Compare the trades below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

Compare job training in California: cost, pay and results

Job training in California, by trade
Training	Programs	Most cost	Earned a year, estimated	Working 6 months later	Finished
Medical assistant training	132	$2,210 to $7,512	about $36,500	73%	89%
CNA classes	107	$774 to $1,891	about $34,300	82%	92%
CDL training	101	$4,132 to $6,950	about $44,800	79%	86%
Welding classes	90	$1,239 to $6,812	about $45,300	72%	89%
Phlebotomy training	59	$1,500 to $2,995	about $35,400	66%	88%
HVAC training	30	$1,890 to $17,680	about $53,300	68%	80%

Each figure is the middle program of that trade. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). How these figures are made

Is there free job training in California?

Workforce funding can pay for job training in California

Every program on this page is approved for public workforce funding, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.¹People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.²

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).³

Or pay for training yourself

Without funding, prices differ by trade: most CNA programs in California cost $774 to $1,891, and most CDL training programs $4,132 to $6,950. Each trade's page lists every program with its price.

Job training in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco and other California areas

Programs with classes in each area, all trades together. An area gets a page once one trade there has 10 programs or more.

Where the California job training numbers come from

Which California programs are counted?

Programs California approved for public workforce funding (the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act). They come from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what California offers.

What the figures for each trade mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where too few programs report a figure, the table says "Not reported".

Sources for the funding facts about job training in California

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