Best Trade Schools in Centralia, Washington

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


How to Get Started in Centralia

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Centralia, Washington

How We Rank Schools

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.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%

Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 38.2 miles away BOC Score 73.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 69.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $63,671 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Pierce College District

Lakewood, WA 36.3 miles away BOC Score 69.7
Tuition $5,418 - $18,085
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 31.0%
  • Programs offered: 28
  • Annual completions: 340
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $53,333 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Clover Park Technical College

Lakewood, WA 38.5 miles away BOC Score 63.9
Tuition $6,634 - $18,882
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 41.8%
  • Programs offered: 61
  • Annual completions: 1796
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,699 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

South Puget Sound Community College

Olympia, WA 20.7 miles away BOC Score 59.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 43.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 32
  • Annual completions: 436
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,185 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Centralia College

Centralia, WA 0.6 miles away BOC Score 56.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 43.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 44
  • Annual completions: 572
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,981 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA 23.2 miles away BOC Score 44.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 54.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 11
  • Annual completions: 217
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $71,704 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

The Evergreen State College

Olympia, WA 24.5 miles away BOC Score 39.2
Tuition $9,264 - $31,905
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 96.4%
  • Graduation rate: 42.5%
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 24
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,424 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

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 Washington.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
169.7$5,418 - $18,085$53,33331%Yes*36 mi
263.9$6,634 - $18,882$51,69942%Yes*38 mi
359.0Contact school for pricing$50,18544%21 mi
456.5Contact school for pricing$52,98144%1 mi
542.1Contact school for pricingNot reported48%1 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Washington are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Washington 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 - Centralia, WA's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Centralia, WA, BLS OEWS May 2025Culinary workers $76010; Truck drivers $64760; Medical assistants $59290; Dental assistants $58090; Construction trades workers $57720.Culinary workers$76,010Truck drivers$64,760Medical assistants$59,290Dental assistants$58,090Construction trades workers$57,720
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 Centralia, WA
TradeMedian annual wage
Culinary workers$76,010
Truck drivers$64,760
Medical assistants$59,290
Dental assistants$58,090
Construction trades workers$57,720
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Centralia, Washington
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Centralia, Washington (College Scorecard)Pierce College District $53333; Centralia College $52981; Clover Park Technical College $51699; South Puget Sound Community College $50185.Pierce College District$53,333Centralia College$52,981Clover Park Technical College$51,699South Puget Sound Community ...$50,185
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 Centralia, Washington
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Pierce College District$53,333
Centralia College$52,981
Clover Park Technical College$51,699
South Puget Sound Community College$50,185

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Centralia

Among the Centralia, WA area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $57,720 to $76,010 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 Centralia ranges from $5,418 to $18,882 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 Schools in Nearby Cities

Washington Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

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

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%
Dog Trainer5.1%
Veterinary Assistant8.7%

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)
Digital Court Reporter-0.3%
Paralegal0.2%
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.


Next Steps


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)