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California training programs, and what happened to the people who took them

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Solar Thermal Technician

East Los Angeles Skills Center - LAUSD · Los Angeles, CA

Cost
$1,490
Length
13 weeks
Working 6 months later
71%

Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.

What happened to people who took this

People enrolled
166
Finished the program
50%Based on 205 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
Working 6 months later
71%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
Earnings in one quarter after
$15,387A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.

The jobs this trains for

This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.

Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.

Where California publishes a separate figure for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.

Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Job ads may call this: Quality Technician · Service Technician · Engineering Technician · Business Process Analyst

Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.

  • Compile and evaluate statistical data to determine and maintain quality and reliability of products.
  • Test selected products at specified stages in the production process for performance characteristics or adherence to specifications.
  • Study time, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations to establish standard production rate or improve efficiency.
  • Read worker logs, product processing sheets, or specification sheets to verify that records adhere to quality assurance specifications.
Show 3 more things this job involves
  • Verify that equipment is being operated and maintained according to quality assurance standards by observing worker performance.
  • Evaluate industrial operations for compliance with permits or regulations related to the generation, storage, treatment, transportation, or disposal of hazardous materials or waste.
  • Aid in planning work assignments in accordance with worker performance, machine capacity, production schedules, or anticipated delays.

What this pays in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)

Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.

AreaThe lowest-paid tenth earn underHalf earn underThe highest-paid tenth earn over
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)$52,238$80,455$108,281
Across California$52,006$81,283$108,361

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.

Typical pay in California
$81,283per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $82,416
Projected openings
5,290Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 680
Projected change
+7%
Usually needs
Associate's degree

Getting in

Experience needed first
None
Training after you are hired
None

No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.

These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.

What people in this job actually studied

Most common: Started college, no degree — 28% of the people doing this work.

California says this job usually needs: Associate's degree. 57% of the people doing it went less far than that.

No high school diploma
4%
High school diploma
25%
Started college, no degree
28%
Two-year degree
19%
Four-year degree
19%
Master's degree
4%
Doctorate or professional degree
0.9%

This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.

Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Pay, hiring, and what people studied

Job ads may call this: Plumber · Pipefitter · Pipe Welder · Steamfitter

  • Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
  • Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
  • Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
  • Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
  • Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.

What this pays in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)

Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.

AreaThe lowest-paid tenth earn underHalf earn underThe highest-paid tenth earn over
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)$47,170$71,751$128,437
Across California$48,633$74,803$134,652

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.

Typical pay in California
$74,803per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $66,874
Projected openings
48,620Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 9,110
Projected change
+8.6%
Usually needs
High school diploma or equivalent

Getting in

Experience needed first
None
Training after you are hired
An apprenticeship

People usually enter this job through an apprenticeship rather than from a classroom course alone. Ask the provider whether this program leads to one.

What people in this job actually studied

Most common: High school diploma — 47% of the people doing this work.

California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 14% of the people doing it went less far than that.

No high school diploma
14%
High school diploma
47%
Started college, no degree
24%
Two-year degree
9%
Four-year degree
5%
Master's degree
1%
Doctorate or professional degree
0.3%

Solar Photovoltaic Installers

Pay, hiring, and what people studied

Job ads may call this: Solar Designer · Solar Installer · Solar Electric Installer · Solar Technician (Solar Tech)

  • Install photovoltaic (PV) systems in accordance with codes and standards, using drawings, schematics, and instructions.
  • Check electrical installation for proper wiring, polarity, grounding, or integrity of terminations.
  • Identify electrical, environmental, and safety hazards associated with photovoltaic (PV) installations.
  • Identify installation locations with proper orientation, area, solar access, or structural integrity for photovoltaic (PV) arrays.
Show 4 more things this job involves
  • Assemble solar modules, panels, or support structures, as specified.
  • Apply weather sealing to array, building, or support mechanisms.
  • Install module array interconnect wiring, implementing measures to disable arrays during installation.
  • Install required labels on solar system components and hardware.

What this pays in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)

Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.

AreaThe lowest-paid tenth earn underHalf earn underThe highest-paid tenth earn over
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)$48,345$61,214$87,649
Across California$48,345$62,242$86,039

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.

Typical pay in California
$62,242per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $61,433
Projected openings
9,860Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,770
Projected change
+42%
Usually needs
High school diploma or equivalent

Getting in

Experience needed first
None
Training after you are hired
1 to 12 months

What people in this job actually studied

Most common: High school diploma — 35% of the people doing this work.

California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 16% of the people doing it went less far than that.

No high school diploma
16%
High school diploma
35%
Started college, no degree
26%
Two-year degree
11%
Four-year degree
11%
Master's degree
1%
Doctorate or professional degree
0%

Program details

This program provides in-person instruction only.

A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to assemble install operate maintain and repair solar energy systems. Includes instruction in installing maintaining and testing various types of equipment.

Someone else may be able to pay for this

This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.

The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California

  • Northeast Los Angeles WorkSource CenterComprehensive center

    Phone: 323-539-2000

    342 North San Fernando RoadGoodwill Southern California - LA CampusLos Angeles, CA 90031about 1.1 miles away

    Hours: Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm

  • Boyle Heights WorkSource CenterComprehensive center

    Phone: 323-267-5930

    1505 E. 1st StreetLos Angeles, CA 90033about 3 miles away

    Hours: Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday by appointment

    Has a veterans' representative

  • Verdugo Jobs CenterComprehensive center

    Phone: 818- 937-8000

    1255 South Central AvenueGlendale, CA 91204about 3.9 miles away

    Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am - :5:00 pm

    Has a veterans' representative

Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.

Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List

How this gets paid for, and what to ask

Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.

The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.

How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you