Job training programs in San Francisco

40 programs in 5 trades, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

21 schools offer these programs with classes in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area, 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.

All job training programs in California, including online programs

Compare job training in San Francisco: cost, pay and results

Job training in San Francisco, by trade
Training	Programs	Most cost	Earned a year, estimated	Working 6 months later	Finished
Medical assistant training	16	$2,496 to $7,512	about $37,100	72%	90%
Phlebotomy trainingToo few here for an area page; links to all of California	8	$2,444 to $2,996	Not reported	48%	93%
CNA classesToo few here for an area page; links to all of California	7	$1,600 to $3,000	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
CDL trainingToo few here for an area page; links to all of California	5	$2,313 to $8,213	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Welding classesToo few here for an area page; links to all of California	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Each figure is the middle program of that trade in this area. 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 San Francisco?

Workforce funding can pay for job training in San Francisco

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 San Francisco cost $1,600 to $3,000, and most medical assistant programs $2,496 to $7,512. Each trade's page lists every program with its price.

Where the San Francisco job training numbers come from

Which San Francisco programs are counted?

Programs with classes in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area that the state they're in approved for public workforce funding (the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act). Online programs are on the state pages. 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco

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