Here are the best schools in Atlantic Beach. This page shows accredited options nearby, program lengths, and what each school does best. You will also see Florida licensing steps and pay trends so you can plan your next move. Jacksonville’s shipyards, ports, healthcare, and construction create steady demand for skilled workers in the Beaches area1.
Compare Trade Schools Near Atlantic Beach, Florida
All schools below are accredited or state recognized. Drive times are from Atlantic Beach and the Jacksonville metro.
We could not confirm enough colleges teaching this subject within range of this
location, so the list below shows nearby institutions instead. Confirm with each
school that it offers the program before you apply.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 5 schools, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
5 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
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.
BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from
federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. Earnings
are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single
trade. Distance is measured from the main population center in Florida.
Schools closest to the main population center in Florida are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Florida is shown for reference.
The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation,
earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within
each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it.
*Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is
completed in person. Read the full methodology.
Median Annual Wage by Trade - Jacksonville, FL's most-employed tradesTrades ranked by local employment (BLS QCEW); wages are median annual pay (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; metro area where reported, otherwise statewide).
Median annual wage by trade in Jacksonville, FL
Trade
Median annual wage
Radiologic technologists
$77,110
Medical assistants
$42,600
Phlebotomy technicians
$38,380
Nursing assistants
$37,760
Patient care technicians
$37,760
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Atlantic Beach, Florida (2026 Guide)Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard - median earnings of all graduates at each school (not a single program).
Median graduate earnings by school for schools serving Best Trade Schools in Atlantic Beach, Florida (2026 Guide)
School
Median graduate earnings
Florida State College at Jacksonville
$53,224
First Coast Technical College
$43,471
Fortis College-Orange Park
$40,656
Concorde Career Institute-Jacksonville
$40,001
Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Atlantic Beach
Among the Jacksonville, FL area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $37,760 to $77,110 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); the chart above compares the five with the largest local workforces. Typical medical assistant training runs 9-12 months (certificate or diploma) (TradeCareerPath program data).
Electrician
New construction, retrofits, and shipyard work keep electricians busy across Jacksonville and the Beaches. The median pay for electricians nationwide was about 1,590 in 2023, with solid opportunities for overtime and advancement1. Apprenticeships help you earn while you learn.
HVAC/R Technician
Florida’s climate means year‑round work in cooling, ventilation, and refrigeration. Many employers require EPA Section 608 certification for refrigerant handling2. National median pay was about 7,300 in 20231. Technicians who can diagnose variable‑speed and heat pump systems are in high demand.
Welder
Welders support marine, construction, manufacturing, and repair shops linked to JAXPORT and Naval Station Mayport. Entry‑level roles often seek AWS or NCCER credentials. National median pay was about 8,940 in 20231.
Plumber
Growth in residential and commercial building drives steady need for plumbers and pipefitters. The 2023 national median for plumbers was about 1,5501. Licensed contractors can scale into higher‑margin jobs and service contracts.
Job growth uses state projections when available and national projections (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034) when state data is unavailable. Median pay for each trade is shown in the comparison table above.
Florida licenses contractors at the state level through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Some trades also have local journeyman rules. Always confirm current requirements with the state board.
Path: Complete an apprenticeship or equivalent experience. Typical benchmark is 4 years of verifiable experience.
Exams: Pass the Electrical trade exam plus Business & Finance.
License types: Certified Electrical Contractor (EC, statewide) or Registered (ER, local jurisdictions).
Other: Background screening, financial responsibility, insurance, and continuing education.
HVAC/Air Conditioning (Contractor)
Board: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board3.
Path: 4 years of experience or a combination of experience and education.
Exams: Trade exam plus Business & Finance. Class A (unlimited) or Class B (limited to 25 tons/500,000 BTU).
Federal: EPA Section 608 certification required to handle refrigerants2.
Other: Insurance, financial stability, and CE.
Plumbing (Contractor)
Board: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board3.
Path: 4 years of experience or equivalent with education credits.
Exams: Plumbing trade plus Business & Finance.
License types: Certified (statewide) or Registered (local).
Other: Insurance, background, and CE.
Welding
Florida does not issue a statewide welder license.
Employers and projects may require certifications such as AWS D1.1 Structural Steel, ASME Section IX, or NCCER Welding credentials45.
OSHA 10/30 cards are often preferred for job sites.
Local note: Some counties and municipalities manage journeyman cards and local registrations. Check with the City of Jacksonville Building Inspection Division before you start work on permitted jobs.
Online & Flexible Options
Hands‑on trades require in‑person labs, but many schools now blend theory online with shop training on campus.
FSCJ, Keiser, and Concorde offer hybrid formats for general education and theory classes6.
OSHA safety, basic electrical theory, HVAC controls, and blueprint reading often have online modules.
For HVAC, you can prepare for EPA Section 608 with online study, then test in person through an approved proctor2.
For electricians and plumbers moving toward contractor status, Business & Finance exam prep is commonly available online through approved providers.
How to Choose a School
Verify accreditation and state approval. Check ACCSC, ABHES, COE, or SACSCOC listings and DBPR where relevant73.
Look at outcomes. Review completion, licensure pass rates, and placement on College Navigator6.
Tour the labs. Inspect welding booths, HVAC trainers, electrical panels, and diagnostic tools.
Ask about externships and employer partners in Jacksonville and the Beaches.
Confirm exam prep and included certifications (EPA 608, OSHA 10/30, NCCER, AWS).
Map the commute from Atlantic Beach to class and lab sites. Traffic matters on Atlantic, Beach, and I‑295.
Set up campus tours at two or three schools. Bring your questions, see the labs, and pick the schedule that fits your life. That is the fastest way to get from Atlantic Beach to a good job in 2025.
Outcome figures such as graduation, completion, and job placement rates are reported by schools and by federal data sources, reflect prior student cohorts, and are not a prediction or promise of future results. Individual outcomes may vary.
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/.
Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR), Licensing for Electrical, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, https://www.myfloridalicense.com↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎
