Best Gunsmith Schools in California (2026)

Quick answer: Gunsmiths in California earn a median of $80,060 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited gunsmith schools in California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Looking for gunsmith schools in California? The programs below combine classroom instruction with hands-on practice. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $80,060 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

California Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$80,060BLS OEWS, May 2025
California pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$49,560 to $116,730BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying California metro for this fieldSan Jose, CA, $102,720BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+2.0% growth, about 1,000 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment1,460 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
California location quotient1.32BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Gunsmith 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 2 schools within 452 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 2 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

Yavapai College

Prescott, AZ 404.5 miles away BOC Score 57.1
Tuition $2,948 - $14,988
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 32.8%
  • Programs offered: 80
  • Annual completions: 1709
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,288 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Sonoran Desert Institute

Tempe, AZ 452.4 miles away BOC Score 39.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3
  • Annual completions: 2617
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $63,782 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Gunsmith Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other
Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $40140, P25 $51070, P50 $68990, P75 $84390, P90 $102990.10th$40,14025th$51,07050th (median)$68,99075th$84,39090th$102,990
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$40,140
25th$51,070
50th (median)$68,990
75th$84,390
90th$102,990
Projected employment growth, United States, Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other, 2024-2034
Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 10800; 2034 projected employment 11000; percent change +2.0%.202410,800 jobs2034 (proj.)11,000 jobsChange: +2.0%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
202410,800
2034 projected11,000
Percent change+2.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does gunsmith training take in California?

Gunsmith certificate programs in California typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do gunsmiths earn in California?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), gunsmiths in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $80,060. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $49,560 to $116,730 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many gunsmith 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)