Select a program of interest to explore trade schools that match your goals.
Start here to compare accredited trade schools near Asheville. This guide links to programs, state licensing steps, and related career paths so you can get job-ready quickly in North Carolina.
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
| # | School | BOC Score (0–100) | Tuition | Median grad earnings (all majors) | Graduation rate | Online | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina College of Hair Design Inc | 58.2 | Contact school for pricing | Not reported | 75% | — | 3 mi |
| 2 | Blue Ridge Community College | 57.3 | Contact school for pricing | $40,879 | Not reported | Yes* | 20 mi |
| 3 | Haywood Community College | 51.1 | $2,580 - $17,011 | $41,095 | 40% | Yes* | 21 mi |
| 4 | Center for Massage | 45.2 | Contact school for pricing | $21,553 | 91% | — | 2 mi |
| 5 | Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | 44.6 | Contact school for pricing | $45,910 | 36% | Yes* | 0 mi |
Schools closest to the main population center in North Carolina are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in North Carolina 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.
| Trade | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Culinary workers | $60,390 |
| Plumbers | $59,200 |
| HVAC technicians | $58,120 |
| Electricians | $54,590 |
| Medical assistants | $44,420 |
| School | Median graduate earnings |
|---|---|
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | $45,910 |
| Haywood Community College | $41,095 |
| Blue Ridge Community College | $40,879 |
| Center for Massage | $21,553 |
Among the Asheville, NC area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $44,420 to $60,390 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 Asheville ranges from $2,580 to $17,011 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).
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Plumber | 4.5% |
| Welder | 2.2% |
| Carpenter | 4.5% |
| Flooring Installer | 9.5% |
| Construction Worker | 7.3% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Construction Manager | 8.7% |
| Home Inspector | -0.8% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Lineworker | 6.6% |
| Wind Turbine Technician | 49.9% |
| HVAC Technician | 8.1% |
| Electrician | 9.5% |
| Tower Technician | 8.6% |
| Solar Installer | 42.1% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanic (A&P) | 4.0% |
| Gunsmith | 2.0% |
| Diesel Technician | 2.4% |
| CNC Machinist | 0.0% |
| Truck Driver (CDL) | 4.0% |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | 3.6% |
| Auto Mechanic | 4.2% |
| Automotive Technician | 4.2% |
| Maintenance Technician | 3.8% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) | 2.6% |
| Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) | 2.6% |
| Hemodialysis Technician | 5.2% |
| Medical Assistant | 12.5% |
| Mental Health Technician | 20.0% |
| Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) | 2.3% |
| Patient Care Technician | 2.3% |
| Home Health Aide | 17.0% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | 13.0% |
| Radiologic Technologist | 4.3% |
| Surgical Technologist | 4.5% |
| EKG Technician | 3.0% |
| Dental Assistant | 6.4% |
| Optician | 2.9% |
| Sterile Processing Technician | 10.0% |
| Pharmacy Technician | 6.4% |
| Phlebotomy Technician | 5.6% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Medical Billing & Coding Specialist | 7.1% |
| Medical Office Administrator | 4.2% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 19.2% |
| Massage Therapist | 15.4% |
| Personal Trainer | 11.9% |
| Physical Therapy Aide | 2.8% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Veterinary Technician | 9.1% |
| Dog Trainer | 5.1% |
| Veterinary Assistant | 8.7% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Esthetician | 6.7% |
| Beauty Professional | 5.6% |
| Cosmetologist | 5.6% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Culinary Chef | 7.1% |
| Pastry Chef | 7.1% |
| Trade | Job Growth (2024-2034, US) |
|---|---|
| Digital Court Reporter | -0.3% |
| Paralegal | 0.2% |
| Bookkeeper | -5.8% |
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.
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/.
Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.
| Data | Provider | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | May 2025 |
| Employment Projections | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2024-2034 |
| Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System | National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) | 2024 |
| College Scorecard (school-level outcomes) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release |
| College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release (updated 2026-06-12) |
| Occupational licensing requirements | CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2026-02-22) |
| Registered apprenticeship programs | CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2025-10-25) |
