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
995
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 | Completions, 2023-24 | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 5 | 151 | $80,840 |
| Alabama | 21 | 1,329 | $48,490 |
| Arkansas | 26 | 1,646 | $47,970 |
| Arizona | 15 | 1,718 | $55,600 |
| California | 85 | 3,228 | $58,060 |
| Colorado | 16 | 1,724 | $58,590 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 209 | $64,880 |
| Florida | 56 | 2,387 | $50,640 |
| Georgia | 25 | 3,814 | $48,430 |
| Hawaii | 2 | 54 | $79,000 |
| Iowa | 16 | 1,002 | $55,090 |
| Idaho | 6 | 184 | $50,530 |
| Illinois | 49 | 2,570 | $51,320 |
| Indiana | 3 | 807 | $49,730 |
| Kansas | 26 | 1,233 | $49,410 |
| Kentucky | 18 | 4,053 | $51,470 |
| Louisiana | 12 | 1,832 | $62,250 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 7 | $62,570 |
| Maryland | 3 | 102 | $60,310 |
| Maine | 5 | 77 | $62,220 |
| Michigan | 30 | 685 | $49,990 |
| Minnesota | 22 | 647 | $60,280 |
| Missouri | 18 | 421 | $51,950 |
| Mississippi | 15 | 700 | $51,100 |
| Montana | 11 | 220 | $55,610 |
| North Carolina | 60 | 3,232 | $50,590 |
| North Dakota | 8 | 209 | $62,000 |
| Nebraska | 6 | 586 | $52,220 |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 102 | $62,360 |
| New Jersey | 9 | 338 | $59,440 |
| New Mexico | 16 | 454 | $59,840 |
| Nevada | 4 | 356 | $61,520 |
| New York | 14 | 446 | $59,140 |
| Ohio | 62 | 1,215 | $50,340 |
| Oklahoma | 30 | 1,439 | $49,720 |
| Oregon | 15 | 621 | $59,450 |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 830 | $52,900 |
| South Carolina | 16 | 1,604 | $49,980 |
| South Dakota | 4 | 125 | $49,440 |
| Tennessee | 27 | 1,095 | $48,040 |
| Texas | 94 | 9,442 | $53,340 |
| Utah | 11 | 545 | $58,380 |
| Virginia | 22 | 899 | $59,180 |
| Vermont | 1 | 91 | $60,890 |
| Washington | 22 | 948 | $63,020 |
| Wisconsin | 17 | 1,565 | $58,410 |
| West Virginia | 13 | 122 | $48,810 |
| Wyoming | 8 | 243 | $63,820 |
Programs counts IPEDS schools. Completions: IPEDS, the schools on the state page. Median pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual.
Welding programs on state WIOA lists: cost and results
| State | Programs | Middle listed cost | Completed | Employed, Q2 | Median quarterly earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 18 | $10,000 | 91.1% | 66% | $8,507 |
| Alabama (DOL data note) | 29 | $4,785 | 71.4% | 28.3% | $5,601 |
| Arkansas | 59 | $4,432 | 57.8% | 59.8% | $7,058 |
| Arizona | 33 | $5,950 | 24% | 55.3% | $4,680 |
| California | 90 | $5,993 | 88.8% | 72.2% | $11,336 |
| Colorado (DOL data note) | 47 | $4,585 | 47.3% | 50% | $8,469 |
| Connecticut | 5 | $4,600 | 91.7% | 82.6% | $10,456 |
| Delaware | 5 | $4,200 | 89.5% | 81.6% | Fewer than 3 report it |
| Florida | 57 | $3,993 | 72.1% | 68.8% | $8,569 |
| Georgia | 48 | $3,200 | 53.8% | 65.8% | $7,061 |
| Iowa | 51 | $3,349 | 55.1% | 80% | $8,582 |
| Idaho | 12 | $4,994 | 97.3% | 32% | Fewer than 3 report it |
| Illinois (DOL data note) | 128 | Not reported | Not reported | 72.3% | $9,140 |
| Indiana | 84 | $3,000 | 89.4% | 63% | $7,870 |
| Kansas | 13 | $5,855 | 100% | 84.1% | Fewer than 3 report it |
| Kentucky | 27 | $3,980 | 97.5% | 66.7% | $5,879 |
| Louisiana (DOL data note) | 56 | $6,257 | 100% | 100% | $8,922 |
| Maryland | 15 | $4,510 | 88.9% | 64.2% | $10,331 |
| Maine | 11 | $599 | 100% | 61.9% | $10,828 |
| Michigan | 59 | $7,063 | 86.7% | 76.5% | $8,912 |
| Minnesota | 80 | $4,853 | 67.5% | 74.7% | $8,371 |
| Missouri | 95 | $6,600 | 66.7% | 87.9% | Fewer than 3 report it |
| Mississippi | 89 | $3,560 | 100% | 78.9% | $7,457 |
| North Carolina | 87 | $2,000 | 44.2% | 67.6% | $8,814 |
| North Dakota | 21 | $7,800 | 79.3% | 80.8% | $10,192 |
| Nebraska | 27 | $3,564 | 64% | 71.1% | $10,298 |
| New Mexico | 23 | $4,344 | 100% | 54.1% | $8,645 |
| Nevada | 15 | $3,917 | 90.9% | 35.4% | $8,415 |
| New York (DOL data note) | 18 | $10,580 | 88.9% | 54.5% | $9,431 |
| Ohio | 139 | $5,703 | 81.2% | 82.4% | $8,516 |
| Oregon | 26 | $5,550 | Fewer than 3 report it | 100% | $8,946 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | $6,500 | 76.7% | 11.5% | $10,472 |
| South Carolina | 10 | $5,880 | 81.1% | 79.2% | $8,752 |
| South Dakota | 12 | $7,200 | 79.8% | 12% | $10,491 |
| Tennessee | 34 | $4,419 | 75.6% | 78.3% | $8,313 |
| Texas | 356 | $4,500 | 76.2% | 69.4% | $7,726 |
| Utah | 11 | $3,665 | 36.7% | 30.2% | $8,898 |
| Virginia | 89 | $2,947 | 100% | 68.5% | $8,905 |
| Washington | 112 | $4,158 | 71.2% | 74.1% | $8,953 |
| Wisconsin | 48 | $3,783 | 72.1% | 79.1% | $10,026 |
| Wyoming | 20 | $4,777 | 61.2% | 100% | $5,163 |
States with 3 or more welding programs on their eligible training provider list and at least one reported result. Completed: of all students who exited. Employed and earnings: the second quarter after exit, from state wage records. Each figure is the middle program of those that report it.
Welding length and pay in detail
- Program length
- Middle 10 months; half take 8 months to 11 months (267 certificate programs reporting a length to IPEDS). Clock-hour programs: 700 to 1,080 hours, middle 1,000.
- Pay for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers
- $53,750 a year ($26 an hour), national median, May 2025; the lowest-paid tenth earned under $39,240 (BLS OEWS).
- Programs, cost, length and completions: IPEDS complete data files, 2024-25 collection, read October 8, 2026.
- WIOA results: DOL TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (ETA-9171), read October 8, 2026.
- Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025, read October 8, 2026.
Welding Schools in the largest metro areas
- Los Angeles area26 programs · median pay $56,160
- Chicago area23 programs · median pay $52,650
- Houston area19 programs · median pay $57,940
- Dallas area12 programs · median pay $51,630
- Riverside area10 programs · median pay $52,050
- Cleveland area9 programs · median pay $49,040
- New York area8 programs · median pay $61,680
- Tampa area7 programs · median pay $49,930
- Brownsville area6 programs · median pay $45,020
- McAllen area6 programs · median pay $39,710
- Philadelphia area6 programs · median pay $58,380
- Corpus Christi area5 programs · median pay $59,450
- San Antonio area5 programs · median pay $48,220
Campus groups with welding programs
- Tennessee College of Applied Technology19 campuses · TN
- Lincoln College of Technology7 campuses · CO, GA, IL, IN, MD, TN, TX
- Southern Careers Institute6 campuses · TX
- Universal Technical Institute6 campuses · CA, FL, MI, NJ, TX
- CET5 campuses · CA, TX
- Triangle Tech Inc5 campuses · PA
- Tulsa Welding School4 campuses · FL, OK, TX
- Arkansas State University3 campuses · AR
- Fortis College3 campuses · GA, OH
- Lincoln Technical Institute3 campuses · CT, NJ
- Miller-Motte College3 campuses · AZ, NC
- New Mexico State University3 campuses · NM
- Miller-Motte College-STVT2 campuses · TX
- Orange Technical College2 campuses · FL
- University of New Mexico2 campuses · NM
- Aviation Institute of Maintenance1 campus · GA
- City Colleges of Chicago1 campus · IL
- Fortis Institute1 campus · AL
- Stautzenberger College1 campus · IL
- UEI College1 campus · CA
Campuses offering the program: IPEDS 2024.