Top 10 Tech Careers You Can Train for with WRT Funding in Washington (2026)

Table of Contents

• Find the Tech Path That Fits You
• Web Developer
• IT Support Specialist
• Cybersecurity Analyst
• Cloud Support Technician
• Data Analyst
• UX Designer
• Network Administrator
• Software Developer
• Database Administrator
• DevOps Engineer
• Choose Your Trail and Use Worker Retraining Wisely
• Frequently Asked Questions

Web Developer

What this trail actually feels like

Web development is often the first tech path people try when they’re coming off a layoff or burnt out from shift work. It mixes creativity and logic: you see your work “live” on screen, but you’re also solving puzzles and tracking down stubborn bugs. On a typical day you might turn a design into a real page, fix something that’s broken on mobile, and tweak a feature based on feedback from a marketing or product teammate.

Most beginners start in roles titled Junior Web Developer, Front-End Developer, or Full-Stack Developer. The core tools are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript on the front end, with some combination of databases, APIs, and server-side code on the back end. If you like the satisfaction of hitting refresh and instantly seeing what changed, this is one of the more rewarding “first climbs” in tech.

Pay, demand, and trail conditions in Washington

In Washington, recent salary data shows web developers averaging about $106,291 per year, with some areas like Mercer Island climbing toward roughly $114,938 for more experienced devs. According to statewide breakdowns from ZipRecruiter’s Washington web developer salary reports, that puts web dev solidly in the “pays the bills” category, especially compared to many non-tech roles.

National projections point to around 19,000 annual openings for web developers through 2032, and a hefty share of those land in tech-heavy corridors like Seattle and Bellevue. Industry groups in the state keep warning that employers need more people with modern web and cloud skills, not fewer.

“Washington employers need more people with modern web and cloud skills and more ‘accessible onramps to the IT career pipeline.’” - Washington Technology Industry Association, Emerging Technology Trends Report

Training time and Worker Retraining-friendly options

In hiking terms, web dev has a moderate elevation gain. You can get to a junior level in under a year, but you’ll need steady practice, not just watching videos while exhausted at the end of the day. Common routes include short bootcamps, college certificates, and two-year applied degrees, many of which are approved for Washington’s Worker Retraining (WRT) funding. Community and technical colleges such as Bellevue College, Renton Technical College, and Bates Technical College list web, software, or IT certificates on their Worker Retraining-approved program lists. Within that system, Nucamp stands out as an officially approved Private Career School: eligible Washington residents can get up to 80% of tuition covered through the state, paying only $500 total out of pocket ($100 a month for 5 months) for tracks like Web Development Fundamentals + Full Stack & Mobile Development + Job Hunting, Back End with SQL and Python + Job Hunting, or Cybersecurity Fundamentals + Job Hunting. Nucamp’s programs are 100% online with live weekly workshops capped at 15 students, include structured career services, are designed for career changers without a tech background, and have been recognized by Fortune as a “Best Overall Cybersecurity Bootcamp” while holding about 4.5/5 stars on Trustpilot. Veterans should note that Nucamp is eligible for Washington Worker Retraining if you were discharged within the past 48 months, but it does not qualify for GI Bill or other VA benefits that require full-time or in-person training.

Comparing common training paths

How to take your first step

To keep this from turning into an endless scroll of tabs, treat your next moves like a short checklist: confirm funding, pick a realistic program, and then worry about frameworks and portfolios. Worker Retraining has specific eligibility rules, and you’ll want a human navigator at a college or WorkSource office to help you line things up before you enroll - especially if you’re juggling rent, kids, or caregiving.

1. Check Worker Retraining eligibility. Typical criteria (as outlined by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges) include Washington residents who:
   • Are currently receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits from ESD, or
   • Have exhausted UI benefits within the past 48 months, or
   • Have received a layoff notice, or
   • Are in stop-gap employment after a layoff, or
   • Are displaced homemakers, or
   • Were formerly self-employed but lost work due to economic conditions, or
   • Are active-duty military with a separation notice, or
   • Are veterans discharged within the last 48 months, or
   • Are classified as vulnerable workers under expanded eligibility.
2. Talk to a workforce or WRT navigator. Contact the Worker Retraining office at a local college (for example, Bellevue College, Renton Technical College, or Bates Technical College) or visit a WorkSource center. Ask which web or software programs on their campus are WRT-approved and how class schedules line up with your other responsibilities.
3. Apply to a WRT-approved program and, if you choose Nucamp, follow their scholarship steps. For Nucamp, that means:
   1. Visiting their Washington Worker Retraining scholarship page,
   2. Completing the eligibility verification form,
   3. Selecting your desired bootcamp program,
   4. Uploading supporting documents,
   5. Signing a self-attestation form,
   6. Waiting for the team to review your application (typically within 48 hours),
   7. Receiving a coupon code by email if approved, and
   8. Registering for your cohort and paying the $100 monthly contribution.

If you can commit a few focused hours most days, web development is one of the clearer, better-marked trails from “no tech experience” to a real junior role in months rather than years, especially when Worker Retraining is helping carry some of the financial weight.

IT Support Specialist

What the work feels like

IT support is often the least steep first trail into tech. If you’re already the person family calls when the printer jams or the Wi-Fi drops, this path turns that informal skill into a paycheck. Day to day, you’re answering tickets or calls, helping coworkers log in, reinstalling software, and walking people through fixes in plain English. Early roles are usually titled Help Desk Technician, IT Support Specialist, or Computer Support Specialist, and a big part of the job is staying calm while someone on the other end of the line is stressed and just wants their screen to work again.

Pay, demand, and stability in Washington

In Washington, IT support specialists earn a solid mid-range income for a role that doesn’t require a four-year degree. Recent state-level snapshots show average pay around $78,367 per year, with some state agency positions and more experienced roles reaching roughly $85,085. Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational outlook for computer support specialists notes a steady pipeline of openings as organizations keep adding and upgrading technology; here in Washington, one tech hiring analysis found more than 14,000 open IT support roles across major employers at a given time. Because every hospital, school district, city office, and private company relies on their systems working, these jobs tend to be spread across many sectors rather than tied to a single big tech firm.

“Graduates are regarded highly by employers for their relevant knowledge and technical skills.” - Faculty Perspective, Clover Park Technical College Workforce Development

Training paths and Worker Retraining options

Compared to some other tech careers, the elevation gain here is gentle: many people can complete focused training in about 3-9 months. Community and technical colleges across Washington offer short-term certificates in IT support, PC technician skills, and basic networking, and many of these are approved for Worker Retraining funding. Schools like Olympic College and Bates Technical College run workforce programs where eligible students can have a significant portion of tuition, fees, and sometimes books covered through WRT while they earn credentials that often include industry-recognized certifications like CompTIA A+ or Network+. The idea is to get you into an entry-level support role relatively quickly, then let you add more “switchbacks” later into networking, cybersecurity, or cloud.

First steps if you’re starting from zero

If you need to get back to earning as soon as possible, IT support is one of the few tech paths where a short, WRT-funded program can realistically lead to that first job within a year. From there, you can branch out: many people move into network administration, cybersecurity, or cloud support once they’ve got experience and a steadier paycheck. At that point, stacking an online bootcamp like Nucamp’s web development, backend Python/SQL, or cybersecurity programs - which are also approved as Worker Retraining options and significantly discount tuition for eligible Washington residents - can help you pivot toward software, data, or security without quitting your day job.

1. Schedule a meeting with a Worker Retraining or workforce education counselor at a nearby college (Olympic, Bates, Clover Park, or another community/technical college). Ask specifically which IT support or networking certificates are WRT-approved and how often they start.
2. Ask whether the certificate you’re considering stacks into a longer AAS-T degree so you can treat this as your first switchback, not your last.
3. Be honest about your schedule. Many IT support programs offer evening, hybrid, or online options; pick one you can actually finish while still handling rent, kids, or caregiving. Once you’re in a support role, you can map out your next climb into more specialized areas of tech.

Cybersecurity Analyst

What you’ll do day to day

Catching threats for a living is closer to being a digital park ranger than a movie-style hacker. As a cybersecurity analyst you’re usually in a Security Operations Center (SOC) or embedded with an IT team, watching dashboards, chasing down weird login activity, and documenting what really happened when something goes wrong. Entry titles include SOC Analyst, Information Security Analyst, or Cybersecurity Specialist. A typical shift might involve triaging alerts, checking whether that “urgent” email was actually a phishing attempt, applying security patches, and walking coworkers through safer habits without making them feel foolish.

Pay, demand, and risk in Washington

The payoff for this steeper trail is significant in Washington. Recent state-specific data shows average cybersecurity analyst salaries around $117,707 per year, with some sources putting entry-level roles near $128,023, placing Washington among the top states for early-career cyber pay. Employers across cloud computing, healthcare, and finance are under constant pressure from regulators and attackers, and organizations like the Washington Technology Industry Association keep flagging cybersecurity as a critical growth area with ongoing talent shortages, as highlighted in the WTIA Emerging Technology Trends report.

“Cybersecurity continues to be a critical growth area for Washington employers, with persistent talent shortages across sectors.” - Washington Technology Industry Association, Emerging Technology Trends

Training time and common routes

This is one of the steeper climbs on the map. From a standing start, you should expect roughly 12-24 months of focused learning to be competitive for analyst roles, even if the formal program is shorter. Many people begin with IT support or networking, then add security; others go straight into cybersecurity tracks. Worker Retraining-eligible options at community and technical colleges include 1-2 year AAS-T programs in cybersecurity or information security at places like Bellevue College and Clover Park Technical College, often built around hands-on labs and certifications such as CompTIA Security+.

Using Worker Retraining (and Nucamp) wisely

Because the elevation gain is real, funding and flexibility matter. Worker Retraining can help cover tuition and related costs at WRT-approved colleges, easing the financial hit while you’re not earning full-time. Nucamp is one of the clearly marked side trails here: as an approved Private Career School, it offers a Cybersecurity Fundamentals + Job Hunting bootcamp that eligible Washington residents can take with up to 80% of tuition covered by WRT, leaving a predictable $100 per month for 5 months ($500 total) out of pocket. The program is 100% online, with live weekly workshops capped at 15 students, and includes structured career services; it has been recognized by Fortune as a “Best Overall Cybersecurity Bootcamp” and holds around 4.5/5 stars on Trustpilot. Veterans discharged within the last 48 months can use Washington Worker Retraining for Nucamp, but not GI Bill benefits, since those usually require full-time or in-person study.

1. If you’re brand new to tech, talk with a Worker Retraining or workforce advisor about starting with IT support or networking, then adding cyber as your next switchback.
2. If you already understand basic IT concepts, compare a WRT-approved cyber AAS-T or certificate at a local college with an intensive bootcamp option; be realistic about how many hours per week you can actually study.
3. Whichever route you choose, plan for practice beyond the classroom - labs, home labs, and extra certification prep - so that when you start interviewing, you can talk through real incidents you’ve investigated, not just terms you’ve memorized.

Cloud Support Technician

What the role actually feels like

Cloud support is what happens when classic IT support meets the data centers you never see. Instead of swapping hard drives in a back room, you’re logging into consoles for AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud to help teams keep their apps running. On a given day you might answer tickets about a slow web app, help a developer figure out why their service won’t deploy, or walk through a permissions issue so someone can finally access the storage bucket they need.

Early titles vary - Cloud Support Associate, Cloud Operations Technician, Cloud Customer Support Engineer - but the pattern is similar: you’re troubleshooting, checking logs and dashboards, documenting what you did, and escalating gnarlier issues to senior engineers. If you enjoy problem-solving and like the idea of working closer to modern infrastructure without immediately becoming a full cloud architect, this is a solid middle trail.

Pay and demand in Washington’s cloud corridor

Because so many cloud-focused companies are based here, Washington tends to pay well for these skills. Cloud support and entry-level cloud architecture roles commonly land in the $100,000-$135,000 per year range, depending on employer and experience. An in-demand tech roles analysis from Alexander Technology Group notes that cloud-related positions remain among the most sought-after IT jobs as organizations keep migrating away from on-premise systems. In practical terms, that means there’s demand not just in Seattle’s big-name tech firms but also in healthcare, finance, and SaaS companies that have moved their workloads into the cloud.

Training paths and how Worker Retraining fits

The elevation gain here is moderate-to-steep: steeper than basic IT support, but not as technical as senior cloud engineering. Plan on roughly 6-12 months of focused training to be ready for junior roles, often on top of some existing IT knowledge. Many people start with an IT support or networking certificate, then layer on cloud-specific coursework and certifications. Community and technical colleges in Washington offer cloud tracks - Bellevue College, for example, has Cloud Architecture & Services programs that appear on its Worker Retraining-approved list - so eligible students can have much of their tuition covered while they build these skills.

Nucamp doesn’t offer a cloud-only program, but its Back End with SQL and Python + Job Hunting bootcamp can be a useful complement to college-based cloud training. As an approved Private Career School under Washington’s Worker Retraining program, Nucamp can provide up to 80% tuition assistance to eligible residents, leaving a predictable $100 per month for 5 months ($500 total) out of pocket for its bootcamps. That mix - IT fundamentals from a WRT-funded college program plus Python, APIs, and databases from Nucamp - lines up well with the scripting and automation tasks common in cloud support roles.

First steps if you’re cloud-curious

If this sounds like a good fit but your tech experience is light, think in switchbacks rather than a straight shot to “cloud engineer.” Many learners start with a short, WRT-funded IT support or networking program, then add cloud once they’re more comfortable and maybe already working in a junior role. Worker Retraining can help cover tuition at approved colleges, and for those who qualify, it can also significantly discount Nucamp’s online bootcamps so you can study from home around work and family schedules.

1. Meet with a Worker Retraining or workforce advisor at a nearby community or technical college and ask specifically which IT and cloud programs on their campus are WRT-approved.
2. If you’re brand new, aim first for an IT support or basic networking certificate; if you’re already comfortable with PCs and networks, you may be ready to jump directly into a cloud or backend-focused program.
3. Plan out a 12-18 month timeline that gets you from “no cloud experience” to applying for Cloud Support or Cloud Operations roles, with clear waypoints for each course, certification, or bootcamp you’ll use along the way.

Data Analyst

What the work actually feels like

Data analytics is less “beautiful mind equations” and more “very smart spreadsheets.” On a typical day you’re pulling numbers from a database, cleaning up messy columns, and building charts or dashboards that help someone decide what to do next. Job titles vary - Junior Data Analyst, Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst, Reporting Specialist - but the core rhythm is similar: questions come in (“Why are returns up this month?”), you dig through SQL queries and Excel or Python, then translate your findings into clear visuals and plain language.

If you already find yourself poking around pivot tables or wondering why certain products sell better at the end of the month, this path can fit well. It rewards curiosity, patience with detail, and the ability to explain patterns to people who don’t live in the data all day.

Pay and demand in Washington

In Washington, data roles tend to pay reliably well, especially once you’ve got a couple of solid projects or a few years’ experience. Recent salary snapshots put entry-level data analysts around $93,598 per year in the state. As you move into senior analyst or broader analytics positions, pay commonly climbs into the $110,000-$145,000+ range, particularly in healthcare, fintech, retail, and cloud-focused companies.

Demand is broad rather than concentrated. Hospitals, school systems, logistics firms, and big tech companies all collect more data than they can interpret. Several in-demand tech career guides call out data and analytics as a key growth area because leadership teams increasingly want decisions backed by real numbers, not just gut instinct.

Training time, routes, and where Worker Retraining fits

The elevation gain here is moderate. From a standing start, plan on roughly 9-18 months of focused learning to feel comfortable applying for junior data roles. Community and technical colleges offer certificates and AAS-T degrees that cover SQL, statistics, and tools like Power BI or Tableau. Bellevue College, for example, lists a Data Reporting Analyst AAS-T - combining databases, reporting, and visualization - among its Worker Retraining-approved IT programs on its Worker Retraining program list, which means eligible students can have a significant share of tuition covered by WRT.

On the more flexible side, Nucamp’s Back End with SQL and Python + Job Hunting bootcamp gives you two of the core tools used in many analytics roles: SQL for pulling and shaping data, and Python for scripting and basic analysis. Because Nucamp is an approved Private Career School under Washington’s Worker Retraining program, eligible residents can have the state pick up roughly four-fifths of tuition, leaving about $500 total spread over five monthly payments. The training is 100% online with live weekly workshops in small groups, and includes job-hunting support, which can be helpful if commuting to campus isn’t realistic.

First steps if you’re data-curious

Before you commit, it’s worth checking how this work feels in your hands, not just on paper. You don’t need advanced calculus, but you should be okay with percentages, averages, and the idea of “what does this trend actually mean?”. If math anxiety is high, many WRT-funded colleges offer entry-level math or basic statistics that can serve as a warm-up.

1. Test-drive the basics. Try a short, introductory SQL or Excel course at a community college or online to see if you enjoy cleaning and querying data.
2. Meet with a Worker Retraining navigator. Bring two or three program ideas - a data certificate, an AAS-T, or a backend/SQL bootcamp - and ask which are WRT-approved and how they line up with your timeline to get back to steady income.
3. Plan for a small portfolio. Whether you go the college or bootcamp route, aim to graduate with several concrete projects: dashboards, reports, or small analyses using real or public datasets. Those examples often matter as much as the credential when you’re applying for your first analyst job.

UX Designer

What the work feels like

UX design is what happens when you mix tech with empathy. Instead of staring at raw code all day, you’re thinking about how a tired parent orders groceries on their phone, or how a nurse finds the right chart on a crowded screen at 3 a.m. Day to day, UX designers interview users, sketch and prototype interfaces, test those ideas, and refine them based on what people actually do, not just what they say. Titles often blend responsibilities - you’ll see UX Designer, Product Designer, and sometimes UX/UI Designer when visual design is a bigger part of the role.

If you’ve ever gotten irrationally annoyed at a confusing app and immediately started imagining how you’d rearrange the buttons, this path may fit. The work rewards curiosity about people, patience with feedback, and comfort with both sketching on paper and clicking around in design tools.

Pay and demand in Washington

In Washington, UX and UI roles sit in the solid middle-to-upper pay band for tech careers that don’t require a computer science degree. Many UX designers earn around $85,000-$110,000 per year, with more technical UI/UX positions in Seattle often crossing the $106,000 mark, particularly in e-commerce, health tech, and enterprise SaaS. Industry hiring guides, like Insight Global’s analysis of in-demand tech careers, consistently list UX and product design among the roles employers keep hiring for as more services move online and onto mobile devices.

Demand isn’t quite as explosive as software engineering or cybersecurity, but it’s steady and spread across startups, agencies, and larger organizations. Anywhere there’s a digital product used by real people, there’s usually at least one UX professional quietly trying to make that experience less frustrating.

Training paths and Worker Retraining options

The elevation gain for UX is moderate: steep enough that you can’t just dabble for a few weekends, but manageable if you can commit roughly 9-15 months of focused effort. Community and technical colleges in Washington offer digital media, visual design, and UX/UI-focused certificates and degrees. At Bellevue College, for example, Visual Design and Digital Media Arts programs - which include UX/UI coursework - appear on their list of Worker Retraining-approved offerings, so eligible students can use WRT to offset tuition while they build a portfolio.

Because UX sits between design and development, some people pair a shorter web development bootcamp with a UX or digital design program. A route many career changers take is to learn enough front-end coding to understand what’s feasible, then concentrate on research, wireframing, and interaction design. Online bootcamps like Nucamp’s web development track can slot into that plan as a flexible way to pick up coding basics while a WRT-funded college program supplies deeper UX coursework and studio-style critique.

First steps if you’re UX-curious

Because hiring in UX leans heavily on portfolios, your first question isn’t “Which job title pays most?” but “Which program will help me ship 3-5 real case studies?”. Worker Retraining can reduce the financial pressure while you do that, whether you enroll in a UX-focused certificate at a community or technical college or combine a web development bootcamp with a shorter design program. When you talk with a WRT navigator, bring specific questions about how many projects you’ll complete, how much user research you’ll actually do, and how the schedule fits around childcare or other responsibilities.

1. Skim a few UX portfolios online and notice what appeals to you - story-driven case studies, polished visuals, or complex flows - to help you target the right kind of program.
2. Meet with a Worker Retraining advisor and ask which visual design, digital media, or UX/UI programs on their campus are WRT-approved and how often they run.
3. Consider pairing that UX training with a lightweight intro to HTML/CSS so you can communicate more smoothly with developers and better understand the constraints you’re designing within.

Network Administrator

What the work feels like

Network administration is the behind-the-scenes work that keeps everything talking to everything else. Instead of helping one person fix their laptop, you’re looking after the routers, switches, firewalls, and VPNs that connect an entire office, campus, or district. Early titles range from Network Support Specialist and Network Technician to Junior Network Administrator. A typical day might mean tracking down why a building suddenly lost Wi-Fi, updating firmware on edge devices, or coordinating with a cybersecurity team to tighten access rules without breaking everyone’s remote access.

If you like infrastructure more than user-facing apps, this path can feel satisfying. A lot of the job is quiet monitoring, documentation, and methodical troubleshooting. When something does go down, though, you’re one of the first calls people make - so you need to be okay with a bit of adrenaline and responsibility when the network is unhappy.

Pay and demand in Washington

In Washington, network and systems support roles typically sit in a solid mid-range pay band. Median earnings for network support specialists are around $73,000 per year, with more experienced network administrators often reaching roughly $80,000-$105,000 depending on sector and location. Public employers - state agencies, school districts, and cities - tend to hire a steady stream of network professionals, providing a bit more stability than some startup-heavy corners of tech. Telecommunications and managed service providers also create ongoing demand as more organizations move to hybrid networks and cloud-connected sites.

Training paths and Worker Retraining options

The elevation gain here is moderate-to-steep. From a standing start, expect about 9-24 months of structured training before you’re competitive for junior network roles. Many people stack credentials: first a 9-12 month networking fundamentals certificate (often including CompTIA Network+ or Cisco CCNA prep), then an AAS-T degree in network administration or information systems if they want to go deeper. Community and technical colleges like Clover Park Technical College offer networking and security programs through their Workforce Development and Worker Retraining offices; eligible students can have a significant share of tuition covered, as outlined on Clover Park’s Worker Retraining information page. Bellevue College and other schools also list network-focused AAS-T and certificate programs on their WRT-approved lists, though you’ll want to confirm specific options with each campus.

Nucamp doesn’t have a dedicated networking track, but its cybersecurity and Back End with SQL and Python bootcamps can complement a college networking program later, especially if you’re interested in moving toward network security or automation. Because Nucamp is an approved Private Career School under Washington’s Worker Retraining program, eligible residents can take those follow-on bootcamps with up to 80% of tuition covered, paying about $100 a month for 5 months ($500 total) out of pocket while you keep working.

How to choose your route

When you’re weighing network administration against other trails, it helps to think about where you want to work and how quickly you need to earn. Public sector roles may offer more predictable hours and strong benefits; private-sector and telecom jobs can move faster and sometimes pay more but may ask for on-call rotations. Either way, hands-on practice is non-negotiable. Before you enroll, ask every program how much lab time you’ll get actually configuring routers, switches, and VPNs, not just reading about them.

Concrete next steps: talk with a Worker Retraining or workforce advisor at a nearby college, ask which networking and systems programs are WRT-approved, and map out whether you start directly in networking or take IT support as your first switchback. From there, you can decide if you’re aiming for a stable role keeping a school district online, or eventually layering on security and automation skills to move into more specialized infrastructure positions.

Software Developer

What the work feels like

Software development is the long, steady climb on this map. Instead of fixing one broken laptop or tweaking a single page, you’re designing and building whole applications: tools a team uses every day, a mobile app thousands of customers rely on, or internal systems that quietly move money or medical records around. Titles like Software Developer, Software Engineer, or Application Developer usually involve writing and testing code (in Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, and others), fixing bugs, improving performance, and collaborating with product managers, designers, and other engineers. It’s deep-focus work: long stretches of problem-solving and debugging, punctuated by code reviews and planning meetings.

Pay and demand in Washington

Because of employers like Microsoft, Amazon, and a dense ecosystem of startups and enterprise tech, Washington is one of the highest-paying places in the country for software developers. State-level career data shows average software developer salaries around $152,000 per year, with top earners reaching roughly $178,800+ in senior or specialized roles. Washington’s own Career Bridge profile for software developers points to more than 10,000 openings annually when you combine new positions and turnover, reflecting how central this role is to the state’s economy. National IT job analyses frequently rank Washington among the best states for tech pay and opportunity, but it’s worth remembering that these numbers often assume several years of experience and strong portfolios.

Training paths and where Worker Retraining fits

The elevation gain here is steep and long. From a non-tech starting point, most people need roughly 18-24+ months of serious, consistent effort to be competitive for junior software roles, even if the first course they take is only 6 or 9 months. Community and technical colleges offer AAS-T degrees in software development, programming, or applied computer science - typically about two years - while intensive coding bootcamps can compress practical skills into 6-11 months. Washington’s Worker Retraining program can help cover tuition for approved software and IT programs at colleges like Bellevue College and Lake Washington Institute of Technology (always confirm specific eligibility with each school’s workforce office). Nucamp sits alongside those as an officially approved Private Career School: eligible Washington residents can use Worker Retraining to cover up to 80% of tuition for bootcamps such as Web Development Fundamentals + Full Stack & Mobile Development + Job Hunting or Back End with SQL and Python + Job Hunting, leaving a predictable $100 per month for 5 months ($500 total) out of pocket. Training is 100% online with live weekly workshops capped at 15 students and includes structured career services, which can make this path more manageable if commuting to campus daily isn’t realistic.

How to choose and sequence your steps

For many people juggling rent, kids, or caregiving, the key is not “Can I become a software engineer?” but “In what order can I realistically build these skills?” You might treat software development as a second or third summit: start with a shorter WRT-funded web dev or IT program to get into the industry, then layer on deeper programming. Or, if you have savings or strong support at home, you might commit straight to a two-year AAS-T or an intensive bootcamp. To keep it grounded, sketch out 18-24 months on paper: when each course or bootcamp would run, how you’ll cover living costs during heavy study weeks, and where Worker Retraining funding fits. Then talk that plan through with a workforce navigator and, if you’re considering a bootcamp like Nucamp, with their admissions or scholarship team so you’re not climbing this ridge alone.

1. Try a few free or low-cost coding exercises first to test whether you enjoy the problem-solving itself, not just the salary numbers.
2. Meet with a Worker Retraining advisor and compare at least two options - a college AAS-T and a bootcamp route - looking at start dates, schedules, and total time to your first junior role.
3. If you choose a Nucamp bootcamp, follow their Worker Retraining scholarship steps (eligibility form, document upload, and code approval) early, so funding is in place before your cohort begins.

Database Administrator

What the work feels like

Database administration is the quiet, detail-heavy work of keeping an organization’s information safe, organized, and available. Instead of building user-facing screens, you’re living inside tools like SQL Server, Oracle, or PostgreSQL, making sure databases are installed correctly, patched, backed up, and performing well. Early-career roles might show up as Database Analyst, Junior DBA, or sometimes Data Engineer (junior), depending on the employer.

On a typical day you might tune a slow query, adjust indexes, test backups and restores, and work with developers or analysts who need new tables or cleaner data. When something breaks, though, the stakes are high: if the main database is down, the business can grind to a halt, so you have to be comfortable with responsibility and the occasional on-call rotation.

Pay and demand in Washington

Because Washington’s economy leans so heavily on cloud computing, healthcare, and fintech, people who can manage and protect critical data are in solid demand. Database administrators here typically earn in the $95,000-$130,000 per year range, aligning with the upper bands for data and analytics roles in the state. They’re not as numerous as software developer positions, but they’re considered “must have” hires: companies can delay a new app feature; they can’t live with unreliable or corrupt data for long.

The state’s Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board tracks outcomes for IT and data programs, including database-related tracks, on its Workforce Training Results dashboard. While that data doesn’t guarantee any one person a job, it does show that graduates from well-aligned IT and data programs tend to have strong employment rates and earnings compared to many other training routes.

Training paths and how Worker Retraining fits

The elevation gain here is steep. From a non-technical starting point, expect roughly 12-24 months of focused learning to move from “I can write a SELECT query” to “I can administer and tune production databases.” Community and technical colleges often offer AAS-T degrees or certificates in database administration, data management, or closely related tracks. At Bellevue College, for example, a Database Analyst pathway that covers SQL, database design, and reporting is listed among its Worker Retraining-approved IT programs, which means eligible students can have a significant portion of tuition covered while they train.

Nucamp’s Back End with SQL and Python + Job Hunting bootcamp can serve as a practical on-ramp or companion to those college programs. As an officially approved Private Career School in the Washington Worker Retraining system, Nucamp allows eligible residents to take this bootcamp with up to 80% of tuition covered by WRT, leaving about $500 total out of pocket (paid as $100 per month for 5 months). The program is 100% online, includes live weekly workshops in small cohorts, and focuses heavily on SQL and backend concepts that DBAs use every day, making it a useful way to confirm you enjoy working with databases before you specialize further.

First steps if you’re database-curious

Because DBAs carry a lot of responsibility, it’s smart to ease into this path instead of jumping straight into the most advanced program you can find. Start by making sure you enjoy working with SQL and structured data, then talk with advisors about which local programs actually include hands-on administration (backups, restores, security, performance tuning), not just query writing.

1. Take an introductory SQL course - through a WRT-funded college class or an online bootcamp like Nucamp’s backend program - to see if you like thinking in tables, joins, and queries.
2. Meet with a Worker Retraining or workforce advisor and ask which database or data management programs on their campus are officially WRT-approved, and how they differ from general data analytics tracks.
3. Ask every program how much real admin work you’ll do: setting up databases, configuring security, and testing backup/recovery procedures. Those skills, plus solid SQL, are what make you valuable as a junior DBA in Washington’s data-heavy industries.

DevOps Engineer

What the work feels like

DevOps is what you get when you mix software development, systems administration, and a strong dislike for doing the same thing manually twice. Instead of building one feature at a time, you’re building the pipelines and automation that let other teams ship their features safely and reliably. Titles like DevOps Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer (SRE), or Platform Engineer usually mean you’re writing scripts, wiring up CI/CD pipelines, defining infrastructure as code, and watching dashboards to keep services healthy. When things are calm, you’re improving automation; when an outage hits, you’re in the thick of it, helping get systems back on their feet and figuring out how to prevent the same issue next time.

Pay, demand, and why this is an advanced trail

In Washington, DevOps roles sit near the top of the pay scale for hands-on technical work. Typical salaries run around $105,000-$135,000+ per year, with specialized automation or SRE positions often climbing higher, especially at large cloud and SaaS employers. Hiring guides like Prosum’s overview of top tech jobs highlight DevOps as both highly in demand and challenging to staff, because it requires people who understand code, infrastructure, and operations culture all at once. That’s why, for most career changers, DevOps isn’t the first job out of training; it’s a destination you reach after you’ve already walked some combination of IT support, software development, networking, or cloud support.

“DevOps engineers remain among the most in-demand and hardest-to-fill roles because they bridge development, operations, and automation.” - Prosum Technology Careers Guide

Typical routes into DevOps

From a standing start, the elevation gain into DevOps is very steep. Realistically you’re looking at 12-24+ months of layered learning, usually on top of experience in another area. Instead of a single “DevOps degree,” most people get there by building a strong base in one domain and then adding automation, containers, and cloud over time. Worker Retraining can fund those foundational steps at Washington community and technical colleges, and then you can stack targeted courses or bootcamps as you move closer to DevOps work.

Using Worker Retraining as your base camp

Because DevOps is rarely a first job, it helps to think of Worker Retraining as funding your base camp, not the final summit. WRT can pay for those initial, clearly marked programs in IT support, software development, networking, or cloud at Washington’s community and technical colleges, giving you a stable starting role in tech. From there, you can layer on more specialized DevOps skills through employer-led training and focused courses. Nucamp fits into this plan as a way to build the coding and automation muscles DevOps relies on: as an approved Private Career School in the Worker Retraining system, it lets eligible Washington residents take bootcamps like Web Development Fundamentals + Full Stack & Mobile Development + Job Hunting or Back End with SQL and Python + Job Hunting with up to 80% of tuition covered, leaving about $100 a month for 5 months (a total of $500) out of pocket. Those programs are 100% online, with live weekly workshops and small cohorts, so you can build automation and scripting skills while still working an IT, support, or cloud role.

1. Pick a foundation that gets you hired sooner (IT support, junior dev, or cloud support) using a WRT-approved program at a local college or an eligible Nucamp bootcamp.
2. Once you’re in that first role, target one DevOps-related skill at a time: scripting, then CI/CD tools, then containers and infrastructure as code.
3. Work with a Worker Retraining or workforce advisor to map a 2-year horizon: Year 1 into a stable tech job, Year 2 into more DevOps-flavored responsibilities, so you’re not trying to do the entire climb all at once while also worrying about rent and family obligations.

Choose Your Trail and Use Worker Retraining Wisely

Pulling the map and your reality together

By now you’ve seen that every role on this list has its own terrain and elevation gain. Some paths, like IT support or web development, can get you earning again relatively quickly. Others, like cybersecurity, software engineering, or DevOps, are longer climbs that may pay more but ask a lot from you in time and focus. The list is your trail map; your rent, kids, health, commute, and energy are the actual terrain under your feet.

The goal isn’t to pick the “best” job in some abstract ranking. It’s to find a trail you can realistically walk from where you’re standing. That might mean choosing a shorter program that fits around a part-time job, or starting with a gentler role and planning a switchback into something more advanced once you’ve rebuilt your savings and confidence.

Use Worker Retraining to lighten the load

Washington’s Worker Retraining program is there to reduce the financial weight in your pack, not to choose the trail for you. If you’ve had a recent layoff, exhausted unemployment benefits, or are a recently separated veteran or displaced homemaker, you may qualify for tuition help at community and technical colleges and approved career schools. A guide to free job training in Washington from Skillspire’s overview of state-backed career and tech paths highlights how programs in networking, cybersecurity, software development, and data often use Worker Retraining and similar funding to open doors for adults without a traditional four-year degree.

State outcome reports show that people who complete these WRT-supported programs tend to see meaningful gains in employment and wages compared to where they started. That doesn’t mean any one course guarantees a job, but it does mean you’re not stepping into an unmarked, experimental trail. And within that system, providers like Nucamp function as clearly signed spur routes: as an approved Private Career School in Washington’s Worker Retraining network, Nucamp lets eligible residents take online bootcamps in web development, backend with SQL and Python, or cybersecurity with most of the tuition covered by state funding, plus structured career support and live weekly workshops designed for career changers.

“I’m the first in my family to graduate high school and go to university. I’m glad that I took this program because I learned so much and it inspired me to further my career.” - Program participant in a Washington career initiative, quoted in U.S. Department of Labor success stories

Practical steps to choose your next trail

When everything feels urgent, it helps to shrink the decision down to a handful of concrete steps you can actually take this week. You don’t need a perfect 10-year plan; you need a workable 12-24 month path that balances learning with keeping the lights on.

1. Pick 1-2 roles that feel like you. From this list, circle the careers that match your personality and constraints. For a fast, lower-elevation start, that might be IT Support Specialist, Web Developer, or Cloud Support Technician. If you can invest more time and energy, you might lean toward Cybersecurity Analyst, Data Analyst, or Software Developer.
2. Reality-check your time and finances. Look honestly at how many hours a week you can study on top of work, caregiving, or health needs. A two-year degree may be right for some; a shorter certificate or bootcamp plus part-time work may be more realistic for others.
3. Talk to a Worker Retraining navigator. Call or email the workforce or Worker Retraining office at a nearby community or technical college, or visit a WorkSource center. Ask which programs on their campus are WRT-approved for the roles you’re considering and what support (tuition, fees, sometimes books) is typically available.
4. Compare formats, not just labels. For each role, look at 2-3 options: a college certificate, a two-year AAS-T, and (if relevant) an online bootcamp. If you’re considering Nucamp, read through their Washington Worker Retraining scholarship details so you understand how eligibility verification, documentation, and enrollment work and how their schedule fits around your life.
5. Sketch a simple 2-year timeline. On paper, map when you’d start and finish each program, when you expect to be job-searching, and how you’ll cover living costs in each phase. Bring that draft to your WRT advisor and adjust it together; it’s easier to edit a rough plan than to start from a blank page.

You don’t control the weather - tech trends, layoffs, hiring freezes - but you do control which trail you step onto next and how much support you bring with you. Using Worker Retraining and clearly marked providers like Nucamp wisely won’t make the path effortless, but it can turn an impossible climb into a series of reachable switchbacks, taken one careful step at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions