Welding
Structural, pipe, and specialty welding — a certified skill that travels anywhere the work is. Most programs run 6 to 12 months at vetted, accredited schools and colleges.
Your certifications are your resume.
Welding pay tracks what you're certified to weld, in what position, on what material. Pipe and specialty work pays well above structural for exactly that reason. You test, you get certified, you get the rate — and the test is the same whether you're 22 or 42.
A typical day
- Set up machine parameters for the material and joint
- Run MIG, TIG, or stick beads in position
- Read blueprints and weld symbols before striking an arc
- Prep, fit, and tack assemblies
- Inspect welds visually and correct defects
What you walk out able to do
- Weld with MIG, TIG, stick, and flux-core processes
- Sit for AWS certification tests in multiple positions
- Read blueprints and interpret weld symbols
- Fit and fabricate from prints
- Work safely with hot work, fumes, and cutting equipment
Where people work
How you get started
01
Request info on Welding
A short form: your zip code, your schedule, and when you want to start. About a minute.
02
See the schools that actually run it
Vetted, accredited schools and colleges near you offering this exact program — with start dates and real costs.
03
Talk to an advisor at the school you pick
You choose who reaches out. They answer cost, aid, and schedule questions in one conversation.
Is this the right fit?
This is for you if…
- You want a skill that's tested objectively, not interviewed for
- You like precise, focused, hands-on work
- You're open to travel work for higher rates
- You want to be certified and earning within a year
This isn't for you if…
- You want a clean, climate-controlled environment
- You dislike repetitive precision work
- You aren't willing to practice until the bead is right
Questions people ask first
Close cousins worth a look
Find the welding program that actually fits you.
Every semester you wait is a paycheck you don't get back. Three minutes now can save you years.
* Pay figures. "Typical pay" ranges are estimates, not offers or guarantees. Ranges are drawn from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and Occupational Outlook Handbook for the closest matching occupation, and generally span the 25th to 75th percentile of national annual wages for that occupation (entry-level earnings are commonly at or below the bottom of the range). Actual earnings vary by state, metro area, employer, shift, certification, and experience, and no school or program can promise a specific wage. Source: bls.gov. Figures are reviewed periodically; the BLS site always holds the most current data.