Retraining ReportJob training public funding can pay for

Find training
A worker in safety glasses and white gloves drives a screw into a circuit board on a factory assembly line

Manufacturing technician training by state

668 manufacturing programs in 42 states, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

Which schools offer WIOA-approved manufacturing training?

319 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Pick a state on the map or compare them belowCompare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

What does a manufacturing technician do, and how do you become one?

Assemblers and fabricators build finished products and the parts that go into them. A high school diploma is enough for most jobs, and new workers usually get several months of training on the job; advanced assembly work takes more experience and training, and certifications can help a worker move up.1

Approved programsup to 34 to 78 to 20more than 20

How much does manufacturing training cost?

Most manufacturing programs approved for WIOA funding cost $1,683 to $6,164 if you pay yourself. Certificates and short courses mostly cost $1,500 to $5,272 and two-year degrees $9,823 to $12,630. Prices also differ by state: most cost $181 to $1,991 in North Carolina and $3,685 to $12,660 in Michigan.

That is the price of the whole program as the school reports it. If you qualify, WIOA funding can pay part or all of it, depending on local limits (who qualifies). The figures cover only programs approved for WIOA funding; other schools and programs may cost more or less.

Compare manufacturing training by state: cost, pay and results

Manufacturing technician training by state
StateProgramsMost costEarned a year, estimatedWorking 6 months laterFinished
Alabama7$1,252 to $11,306Not enough dataLeft out82%
Alaska3Too few figures to show
Arizona7$1,889 to $3,026Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Arkansas8$2,198 to $5,396Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
California20$912 to $3,998about $37,40083%82%
Colorado11$2,660 to $5,076Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Connecticut10$1,686 to $6,208Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Florida8$1,526 to $2,542Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Georgia6$2,500 to $3,500Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Illinois40Left outNot enough dataNot enough dataNot reported
Indiana119$2,287 to $5,272Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Iowa2Too few figures to show
Kansas3Too few figures to show
Kentucky8Too few figures to show
Louisiana32$1,200 to $7,774about $37,800Left outLeft out
Maine1Too few figures to show
Maryland2Too few figures to show
Massachusetts12$5,875 to $8,000Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
Michigan26$3,685 to $12,660about $67,20086%Not enough data
Minnesota39$2,582 to $8,108about $52,90088%41%
Mississippi9$250 to $1,540Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
Missouri56$1,752 to $8,449Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Nebraska3Too few figures to show
Nevada4Too few figures to show
New Hampshire3Too few figures to show
New Jersey1Too few figures to show
New Mexico3Not enough dataNot reportedNot reportedLeft out
New York2No figures reported
North Carolina11$181 to $1,991Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
North Dakota1Too few figures to show
Ohio53$2,491 to $7,470Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Oklahoma5$3,051 to $16,840Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
Pennsylvania3Too few figures to show
South Dakota2Too few figures to show
Tennessee18$925 to $4,008about $24,30062%80%
Texas38$1,250 to $6,125about $38,20065%Not enough data
Utah3Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Vermont3Too few figures to show
Virginia25$1,260 to $2,818Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Washington27$1,512 to $6,090Not reportedNot reportedNot enough data
Wisconsin33$1,509 to $9,282about $49,70067%66%
Wyoming1Too few figures to show

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer manufacturing training too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

Certified Production Technician (CPT) course or manufacturing degree? What the 668 programs are

By kind, the 668 programs approved for WIOA funding are manufacturing technician certificate or diploma (190 programs), certified Production Technician (CPT) course (129 programs), manufacturing (associate degree, 106 programs), short course or intro to manufacturing (102 programs), and 141 more of 5 other kinds.

Across the US, 297 of the 668 programs take students without a high school diploma, 306 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 65 ask for earlier courses first.

Is there free manufacturing training in the US?

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Where the manufacturing program numbers by state come from

Which manufacturing programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).6 Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).

Sources for the facts about manufacturing training

Show the 6 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Assemblers and Fabricators
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List