Best Trade Schools in Key West, Florida

Start here to compare accredited trade schools near Key West. 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 Key West

  • 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 Key West, 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 118 miles, nearest first in 25-mile distance bands, then by BOC Score inside each band with the highest at the top. 6 of them carry a score. 2 do not have enough federal outcome data to score, and appear 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

The College of the Florida Keys

Key West, FL 2.3 miles away BOC Score 61.9
Tuition $3,276 in-state / $13,162 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 34.1%
  • Programs offered: 12
  • Annual completions: 68
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,493 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Lorenzo Walker Technical College

Naples, FL 109.0 miles away BOC Score 74.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 98.9%
  • Programs offered: 26
  • Annual completions: 411
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $41,899 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

CBT Technology Institute-Cutler Bay

Cutler Bay, FL 114.1 miles away BOC Score 54.0
Tuition $14,030
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 88.2%
  • Programs offered: 3
  • Annual completions: 234
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,262 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

South Dade Technical College-South Dade Skills Center Campus

HOMESTEAD, FL 102.8 miles away BOC Score 51.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 86.0%
  • Programs offered: 10
  • Annual completions: 167
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $35,454 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Fortis College-Cutler Bay

Cutler Bay, FL 113.1 miles away BOC Score 35.0
Tuition $13,806
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 48.4%
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 28
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,591 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Robert Morgan Educational Center and Technical College

Miami, FL 112.5 miles away BOC Score 32.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 12.6%
  • Programs offered: 19
  • Annual completions: 257
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $37,299 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

PiBerry Institute

Homestead, FL 103.7 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • 30356 Old Dixie Hwy Homestead, FL 33033-3215

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. Tuition is the published annual figure for the latest reported year and excludes room, board, books and fees. 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)Tuition (published, per year)Median grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
161.9$3,276 in-state / $13,162 out-of-state$54,49334%Yes*2 mi
274.4Contact school for pricing$41,89999%—109 mi
354.0$14,030$42,26288%—114 mi
451.1Contact school for pricing$35,45486%—103 mi
535.0$13,806$51,59148%—113 mi
632.3Contact school for pricing$37,29913%—112 mi
7PiBerry InstituteNot ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported—104 mi
8Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported—118 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 - Key West-Key Largo, FL's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Key West-Key Largo, FL, BLS OEWS May 2025Culinary workers $58240; Electricians $57250; HVAC technicians $56670; Plumbers $52910; Medical assistants $43680.Culinary workers$58,240Electricians$57,250HVAC technicians$56,670Plumbers$52,910Medical assistants$43,680
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 Key West-Key Largo, FL
TradeMedian annual wage
Culinary workers$58,240
Electricians$57,250
HVAC technicians$56,670
Plumbers$52,910
Medical assistants$43,680
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Key West, Florida
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Key West, Florida (College Scorecard)The College of the Florida Keys $54493; Fortis College-Cutler Bay $51591; CBT Technology Institute-Cutler Bay $42262; Lorenzo Walker Technical College $41899; Robert Morgan Educational Center and Technical College $37299; South Dade Technical College-South Dade Skills Center Campus $35454.The College of the Florida K...$54,493Fortis College-Cutler Bay$51,591CBT Technology Institute-Cut...$42,262Lorenzo Walker Technical Col...$41,899Robert Morgan Educational Ce...$37,299South Dade Technical College...$35,454
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 Key West, Florida
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
The College of the Florida Keys$54,493
Fortis College-Cutler Bay$51,591
CBT Technology Institute-Cutler Bay$42,262
Lorenzo Walker Technical College$41,899
Robert Morgan Educational Center and Technical College$37,299
South Dade Technical College-South Dade Skills Center Campus$35,454

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Key West

Among the Key West-Key Largo, FL area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $43,680 to $58,240 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); the chart above compares the five with the largest local workforces. Published tuition across the trade-relevant schools serving Key West ranges from $13,806 to $30,421 per year (IPEDS and College Scorecard); schools that do not publish a rate are marked “Contact school for pricing” in the table below. Typical culinary worker training runs 1-2 years (culinary school or apprenticeship) (TradeCareerPath program data).

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)