Best Trade Schools in Bradenton, Florida

Start here to compare accredited trade schools near Bradenton. This guide links to programs, state licensing steps, and related career paths so you can get job-ready quickly in Florida.


How to Get Started in Bradenton

  • Compare schools and program lengths above
  • Check your state licensing steps: Florida
  • Explore careers: Skilled trades hub
  • Ask each school about tuition, schedules, and embedded certifications (EPA 608, NCCER, ASE)

Compare Trade Schools Near Bradenton, Florida

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 8 schools within 15 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 7 of them carry a score. 1 does not have enough federal outcome data to score, and appears last rather than being hidden.

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

Manatee Technical College

Bradenton, FL 0.6 miles away BOC Score 62.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 71.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 76
  • Annual completions: 1271
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,049 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota

Bradenton, FL 3.7 miles away BOC Score 48.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 36.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 45
  • Annual completions: 380
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,922 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Suncoast Technical College

Sarasota, FL 14.9 miles away BOC Score 47.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 50.5%
  • Programs offered: 43
  • Annual completions: 1238
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,433 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Sarasota School of Massage Therapy

Sarasota, FL 8.8 miles away BOC Score 47.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 76.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Annual completions: 63
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $29,795 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Meridian College

Sarasota, FL 11.9 miles away BOC Score 41.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 50.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 8
  • Annual completions: 87
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $41,872 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

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.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
162.2Contact school for pricing$45,04972%1 mi
248.4Contact school for pricing$55,92237%Yes*4 mi
347.7Contact school for pricing$40,43351%Yes*15 mi
447.7Contact school for pricing$29,79576%9 mi
541.3Contact school for pricing$41,87251%12 mi
640.8Contact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported13 mi
7Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported11 mi

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 - North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL, BLS OEWS May 2025Culinary workers $60180; HVAC technicians $59070; Plumbers $58150; Dental assistants $48190; Medical assistants $45620.Culinary workers$60,180HVAC technicians$59,070Plumbers$58,150Dental assistants$48,190Medical assistants$45,620
Trades 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 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
TradeMedian annual wage
Culinary workers$60,180
HVAC technicians$59,070
Plumbers$58,150
Dental assistants$48,190
Medical assistants$45,620
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Bradenton, Florida
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Bradenton, Florida (College Scorecard)State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota $55922; Manatee Technical College $45049; Meridian College $41872; Suncoast Technical College $40433; Sarasota School of Massage Therapy $29795.State College of Florida-Man...$55,922Manatee Technical College$45,049Meridian College$41,872Suncoast Technical College$40,433Sarasota School of Massage T...$29,795
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 Bradenton, Florida
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota$55,922
Manatee Technical College$45,049
Meridian College$41,872
Suncoast Technical College$40,433
Sarasota School of Massage Therapy$29,795

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Bradenton

Among the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $45,620 to $60,180 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); the chart above compares the five with the largest local workforces. Typical culinary worker training runs 1-2 years (culinary school or apprenticeship) (TradeCareerPath program data).

Trade Schools in Nearby Cities

Florida Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Flooring Installer9.5%
Plumber4.5%
Welder2.2%
Carpenter4.5%
Construction Worker7.3%

Construction Management & Inspection

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Construction Manager8.7%
Home Inspector-0.8%

Electrical & Energy Systems

Mechanical, Automotive & Transportation

Healthcare: Administration & Office Support

Therapy, Rehab & Fitness

Animal Care & Training

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Veterinary Technician9.1%
Veterinary Assistant8.7%
Dog Trainer5.1%

Beauty & Personal Care

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Esthetician6.7%
Beauty Professional5.6%
Cosmetologist5.6%

Culinary & Hospitality Careers

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Culinary Chef7.1%
Pastry Chef7.1%

Business & Legal Support

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Paralegal0.2%
Bookkeeper-5.8%
Digital Court Reporter-0.3%

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.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections (2024-2034). Projected U.S. change shown for each trade.


Next Steps


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/.

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)