Best Construction Trades Schools in California (2026)

Quick answer: Construction trades workers in California earn a median of $60,270 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited construction trades worker schools in California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Choosing a construction trades worker program in California comes down to accreditation, schedule, and how each school prepares you for the field. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $60,270 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

California Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$60,270BLS OEWS, May 2025
California pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$40,950 to $93,620BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying California metro for this fieldSan Francisco, CA, $72,610BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+7.3% growth, about 129,400 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Federal prevailing wage in California (Davis-Bacon)$65.57 per hour totalDOL WHD Davis-Bacon, 2026
State employment88,240 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
California location quotient0.69BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Construction trades worker Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 100 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 96.6 miles away BOC Score 78.5
Tuition $7,350 - $20,095
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 95.3%
  • Graduation rate: 55.9%
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 337
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,992 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 99.6 miles away BOC Score 75.1
Tuition $7,458 - $20,485
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 93.5%
  • Graduation rate: 56.5%
  • Programs offered: 18
  • Annual completions: 1372
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,664 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

College of the Canyons

Santa Clarita, CA 89.1 miles away BOC Score 60.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 44.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 54
  • Annual completions: 1572
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $64,248 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

CET-Santa Maria

Santa Maria, CA 62.0 miles away BOC Score 58.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 68.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 122
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,676 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara, CA 71.9 miles away BOC Score 56.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 34.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 41
  • Annual completions: 832
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $63,514 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Cuesta College

San Luis Obispo, CA 82.9 miles away BOC Score 55.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 46.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 55
  • Annual completions: 1226
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,231 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Coalinga College

Coalinga, CA 68.1 miles away BOC Score 49.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 42.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 19
  • Annual completions: 325
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,286 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

College of the Sequoias

Visalia, CA 62.6 miles away BOC Score 47.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 35.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 53
  • Annual completions: 2591
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,147 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia

Visalia, CA 62.7 miles away BOC Score 45.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 35.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 25
  • Annual completions: 1915
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,211 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Fresno City College

Fresno, CA 93.5 miles away BOC Score 41.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 23.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 71
  • Annual completions: 2221
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,885 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

CET-Oxnard

Oxnard, CA 87.7 miles away BOC Score 39.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 53.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 91
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,676 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 31.0 miles away BOC Score 24.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 21.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 72
  • Annual completions: 1246
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,238 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Construction Worker Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Construction Laborers
Construction Laborers annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $35090, P25 $38620, P50 $47120, P75 $59740, P90 $78090.10th$35,09025th$38,62050th (median)$47,12075th$59,74090th$78,090
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Construction Laborers annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$35,090
25th$38,620
50th (median)$47,120
75th$59,740
90th$78,090
Projected employment growth, United States, Construction Laborers, 2024-2034
Construction Laborers employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 1.457e+06; 2034 projected employment 1.5634e+06; percent change +7.3%.20241,457,000 jobs2034 (proj.)1,563,400 jobsChange: +7.3%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Construction Laborers employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
20241,457,000
2034 projected1,563,400
Percent change+7.3%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does construction trades worker training take in California?

Construction trades worker certificate programs in California typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Many construction trades workers also enter the field through a registered apprenticeship, which combines paid on-the-job training with related classroom instruction and usually takes 3 to 5 years to complete. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do construction trades workers earn in California?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), construction trades workers in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $60,270. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $40,950 to $93,620 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many construction trades worker schools are in California?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)