Here are the best schools in South Miami. Use this guide to compare accredited programs, understand Florida licensing, and see which trades are in demand in Miami-Dade. If you are a high school grad or a career changer, these schools offer fast, job-focused training with strong local employer ties12.
Compare Trade Schools Near South Miami, Florida
Below are accredited options within South Miami or a short drive in Miami-Dade County. Program lengths are typical ranges. Check each catalog for exact hours and start dates.
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 6 schools, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
5 of them carry a score.
1 does not have enough federal
outcome data to score, and appears last rather than being hidden.
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 - Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Trade
Median annual wage
Culinary workers
$57,940
Phlebotomy technicians
$45,210
Medical assistants
$44,930
Nursing assistants
$38,010
Patient care technicians
$38,010
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in South Miami, 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 South Miami, Florida (2026 Guide)
School
Median graduate earnings
Miami Dade College
$49,323
Lindsey Hopkins Technical College
$40,251
Robert Morgan Educational Center and Technical College
$37,299
Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in South Miami
Among the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $38,010 to $57,940 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).
New housing, commercial retrofits, and solar projects in South Florida support steady demand for electricians1. Entry starts with a pre-apprenticeship or a certificate in electricity. Many tech colleges listed above align with local apprenticeships.
HVAC/R
Miami’s year-round cooling needs keep HVAC technicians busy. Employers value EPA 608 certification, clean driving records, and customer service skills. Experienced techs can move into Class A contractor licensing and business ownership1.
Welding
Welding supports construction, ship repair at PortMiami, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects. Training programs emphasize safety, blueprint reading, and processes like SMAW, GMAW, and GTAW. AWS certifications help you specialize and boost pay1.
Plumbing
Plumbers are needed for residential service, high-rise construction, and medical gas systems. Miami-Dade also uses journeyman cards for county-level work. Contractor licensing is at the state level when you are ready to run projects or a business1.
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.
Employers often require AWS certifications (such as D1.1 structural steel). Some jobs may require testing at a Miami-Dade-approved facility. Ports or industrial sites may require additional safety cards or TWIC credentials as applicable.
NCCER Core and craft modules for construction trades where offered.
FAA A&P for aviation maintenance at George T. Baker.
Online & Flexible Options
Hybrid schedules: Many Miami-Dade technical colleges and ACCSC-accredited schools run day and evening cohorts. Theory is often available online, with labs held on campus.
General education online: Miami Dade College offers online Gen Ed courses that can shorten time on campus for associate programs.
Certification prep: EPA 608, OSHA 10/30, and some NCCER Core theory can be studied online. Hands-on practice and proctored exams are still required.
Working adults: Ask about part-time pacing, weekend labs, make-up hours, and employer partnerships that allow paid training.
South Miami has practical options for quick, skills-based careers. Tour campuses, ask about placement and certifications, and choose a schedule you can finish.
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/.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians; HVAC Mechanics and Installers; Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters; Welders. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎
