Home / Welding Schools
Welding schools and certificate programs
945 colleges and career schools report welding programs to IPEDS, with 57,764 completions in 2023-24.
Programs listed
945
all states
Middle program cost
$5,875
$4,620 to $14,692, IPEDS
Middle length
10 months
267 certificates, IPEDS
Median pay
$53,750
welders, cutters, solderers and brazers, BLS May 2025
On state WIOA lists
2,327
programs, U.S. DOL file
Welding Schools by state
| State | Programs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 5 | $80,840 |
| Alabama | 21 | $48,490 |
| Arkansas | 26 | $47,970 |
| Arizona | 15 | $55,600 |
| California | 73 | $58,060 |
| Colorado | 16 | $58,590 |
| Connecticut | 3 | $64,880 |
| Florida | 52 | $50,640 |
| Georgia | 25 | $48,430 |
| Hawaii | 2 | $79,000 |
| Iowa | 16 | $55,090 |
| Idaho | 6 | $50,530 |
| Illinois | 44 | $51,320 |
| Indiana | 3 | $49,730 |
| Kansas | 26 | $49,410 |
| Kentucky | 18 | $51,470 |
| Louisiana | 12 | $62,250 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | $62,570 |
| Maryland | 3 | $60,310 |
| Maine | 5 | $62,220 |
| Michigan | 30 | $49,990 |
| Minnesota | 22 | $60,280 |
| Missouri | 18 | $51,950 |
| Mississippi | 15 | $51,100 |
| Montana | 11 | $55,610 |
| North Carolina | 60 | $50,590 |
| North Dakota | 8 | $62,000 |
| Nebraska | 6 | $52,220 |
| New Hampshire | 3 | $62,360 |
| New Jersey | 9 | $59,440 |
| New Mexico | 16 | $59,840 |
| Nevada | 4 | $61,520 |
| New York | 13 | $59,140 |
| Ohio | 55 | $50,340 |
| Oklahoma | 30 | $49,720 |
| Oregon | 15 | $59,450 |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | $52,900 |
| South Carolina | 16 | $49,980 |
| South Dakota | 4 | $49,440 |
| Tennessee | 27 | $48,040 |
| Texas | 73 | $53,340 |
| Utah | 11 | $58,380 |
| Virginia | 22 | $59,180 |
| Vermont | 1 | $60,890 |
| Washington | 22 | $63,020 |
| Wisconsin | 17 | $58,410 |
| West Virginia | 13 | $48,810 |
| Wyoming | 8 | $63,820 |
Programs counts IPEDS schools. Median pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual.
Welding Schools in the largest metro areas
- Chicago area19 programs · median pay $52,650
- Los Angeles area19 programs · median pay $56,160
- Houston area13 programs · median pay $57,940
- Pittsburgh area10 programs · median pay $53,610
- Riverside area10 programs · median pay $52,050
- Cincinnati area9 programs · median pay $51,990
- Dallas area8 programs · median pay $51,630
- New York area8 programs · median pay $61,680
- Cleveland area7 programs · median pay $49,040
- Tampa area7 programs · median pay $49,930
- Miami area6 programs · median pay $54,590
- Orlando area6 programs · median pay $50,200
- Philadelphia area6 programs · median pay $58,380
- Fresno area5 programs · median pay $50,550
- Sacramento area5 programs · median pay $57,290
- San Francisco area5 programs · median pay $64,320
Paying for welding training
Welding questions, answered from the data
How long is welding training?
Among 267 certificate programs that report a length to IPEDS, the middle one takes 10 months; half take between 8 months and 11 months. Clock-hour programs run 700 to 1,080 hours (middle 1,000).
How much does a welding program cost?
The middle whole-program tuition among 265 certificate programs reporting one to IPEDS for 2024-25 is $5,875; half cost between $4,620 and $14,692.
What do welders, cutters, solderers and brazers earn?
The national median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers was $53,750 in May 2025 ($26 an hour), from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; the lowest-paid tenth earned under $39,240.