Best Welding Schools in the United States: How to Start a Long-Term Career
If you want to become a welder or are interested in welding as a long-term career and wonder where to start, then a school for welders should be the right place. You can learn many skills from the proper guideline in the best welding schools in the United States.
What Do Welding Schools Teach?
Welding schools train you to become a professional welder by getting to know & practicing various welding techniques on different materials.
Problem-solving skills are also necessary for working on complex plans and projects.
Welding Schools: What Could I Learn?
For the individuals who aim to become top-class welders, you need to get the expected preparation to play out specific undertakings.
Above all else, a good welding school will allow you to choose the type of specialization you prefer and then proceed to the learning phase.
You can specialize in pipe welding, underwater welder, or be prepared to work on difficult-to-weld materials and metals.
Basically, welding schools are an excellent place to get basic hands-on experience if you are ready to choose to weld as your profession. Welding schools would not cost you very much, and many fun courses can be followed on weekends or even split over the week.
Investing in a welding course can allow you to get a well-paid and qualified job.
The welding courses are mostly shorter than ten months, but you will become more experienced than an entry-level welder.
Below you can find a list of some of the best welding schools in the US based on:
- Location
- Convenience
- Training.
Wherever you live in the United States, read the list below to find a school near your city.
Top 10 Best Welding Schools in the United States
The following welding schools and institutes are not listed in order of prestige or importance. Numbering is only for ease of reading. However, they are all first-rate schools.
1. Hobart Institute Of Welding Technology
Phone: +1 800-332-9448Address: 400 Trade Square E, Troy, OH 45373, United States
Website: http://www.welding.org/
Suppose you want to learn from an institute known as one of the best schools in the welding industry. In that case, the Hobart institute of welding technology is among the most qualified.
Basically, this institute offers two comprehensive programs that complete within one year, including combination structural and pipe welding and types of welding. And all of these have a variety of individual courses.
They claim that over 100,000 people have successfully completed the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology courses. They have trained students from all over the world, ranging from individual students directly out of high school to employees of Fortune companies.
2. Tulsa Welding School
Phone: +1 918-856-6416Address: 2545 E 11th St, Tulsa, OK 74104, United States
Website: https://www.weldingschool.com/
You probably don’t have to be told that Tulsa welding school is one of the biggest and most reputable schools within the welding industry.
Since 1949 the largest welding school in the United States has trained over 20,000 students to be professional welders. Graduates from Tulsa Welding School get to make a living from the craftsmanship of their own hands.
After effectively finishing the Professional Welder preparation program, you can take your welding career to another level.
With an Associate of Occupational Studies in Welding Technology degree, you could have career openings anyplace the nation and the globe. Partner of Occupational Studies in Welding Technology preparation is accessible at the Tulsa Campus.
3. Welding Skill Test & Training Center
Phone: +1 909-476-4149 Address: 9216 Center Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730, United States
Website: https://www.weldingclass.org/
The Welding Skill Test & Training Center is considered one of the best welding schools in California. Their rundown of fulfilled customers speaks to everything from large companies to districts.
WSTTC welding classes are intended to meet the individual needs of their understudies. Their teachers have long stretches of real on-location work understanding, not simply in the study hall. They have been and still are proficient welders.
At the point when that degree of experience is joined with best-in-class gear, you become an extraordinary welder. You can return that expertise to the place of work.
Upkeep, development, demo, whatever you need, they can show you how to exceed expectations in your field.
Want any certification information?
WSTTC specializes in training for manufacturers and industry maintenance departments.
They provide welder training for public municipalities, such as the City of Newport Beach and City of Pasadena, governmental branches, such as NASA, NOAA, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and Federal Bureau of Investigation; as well as numerous private manufacturers such as Northrup Grumman and Union Pacific Railroads.
4. University of Alaska Anchorage
Phone: +1 907-786-1800Address: 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, United States
Website: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/admissions/academic-programs/welding-oec.cshtml
UAA is the biggest post-auxiliary level school in the state, which implies that they’re good to go up to managing all your individual needs while as yet keeping up a high requirement. They pair this with an emphasis on driving a functioning way of life in a beautiful environment.
The Anchorage campus offers a full supplement of programs and courses, incorporating into extreme interest fields, for example, building, wellbeing, business, and training, just as in the human sciences and sciences.
UAA profession and specialized instruction programs are firmly lined up with Alaska’s center enterprises, for example, aeronautics, oil, and gas.
Numerous courses are planned with the adaptability to suit understudies who work or have a family, and the grounds house a scope of understudy achievement and bolster focuses.
UAA’s campus has access to 250 miles of paths where scholars can enjoy wooded seclusion, mountain sights, and sea views. According to them, students will feel like they are at home in UAA.
5. Southern Technical College
Phone: : +1 407-917-0543Address: 2400 Sand Lake Rd Suite 600, Orlando, FL 32809, United States
It is one of the best welding schools in Florida. According to them, Welding students are exposed to the necessary business and technology programs used in today’s current job market.
Southern Technical College students acquire the essential knowledge to perform, check, and assist in the various welding stages. After the degree course, thanks to the techniques learned, students will have an advantage in today’s competitive world, where modern welding processes continue to evolve and require new equipment such as computer-assisted production or automated welding machines.
Southern Technical College graduates who earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Welding Technology are equipped with the know-how to work anywhere a welder is needed.
Some welding career fields include automotive, aerospace, aviation, bridgework, construction, manufacturing, shipyards, and skyscrapers.
Professionals who complete their Associate of Applied Science Degree in Welding Technology may become certified welders.
Course Titles
- Fillet Welding
- Structural Welding
- SMAW Groove Welding
- Basic Pipe Welding
- Pipe Welding I
- Pipe Welding II
- Non-Ferrous Welding I
- Non-Ferrous Welding II
6. South Coast Welding Academy
Phone: +1 281-506-7335Address: 2410 Broad St, Houston, TX 77087, United States
Website: https://www.scweldingacademy.com/
South Coast Welding Academy is a modern trade school offering different welding innovation programs intended to give far-reaching hands-on preparation to prepare students for quick work in the business.
Over the most recent few years, organizations throughout the United States have been feeling the impact of a lack of qualified welders. Currently, there is a demand for skilled welders in many industries, such as construction, shipbuilding, petrochemical, fabrication shops, pipeline, and many more.
SCWA wants to help the workforce by training new individuals to become proficient welders.
They provide you with a practical and faster way to learn the welding trade. They taught entry-level students and those who have prior welding experience and wish to learn a new process for the experience.
South Coast Welding Academy is wholly committed to assisting its graduates in finding employment in the welding industry.
So if you are searching for a “welding school near me” and happen to be around Texas or the surrounding areas, make sure to check out South Coast Welding Academy.
7. Modern Welding School
Phone: +1 518-631-2866Address: 1842 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12304, United States
Website: https://www.modernwelding.com/
Modern Welding School also includes one of the best welding schools if you want to weld as a career option.
MWS is licensed by the New York State Education Department, approved by the Acces-VR and the New York State Division of Veteran’s Affairs for the training of Veterans and other eligible persons.
The institute is also a member of the American Welding Society. Courses and strategies for educating are painstakingly arranged and administered at the Modern Welding School in light of the idea ever of what industry requests of a welder and shaper entering the field.
All students get individual preparation and help in preparation for work.
The school additionally helps with finding productive work for alumni. The most recent reading material and writing on welding and slicing are accessible to all students.
All the educators are authorized and invested enough energy to show welding in a severe and viable manner. The school has different unique programs for ladies and veterans to give all the information.
8. Ashland Community and Technical College
Phone: +1 606-326-2000Address: 1400 College Drive, Ashland, KY 41101, United States
Website: https://ashland.kctcs.edu/education-training/program-finder/welding-technology.aspx
If you intend to make a career in the welding business, at that point, you can take admission to this welding school.
The school invests heavily in giving the best employments to the individuals who qualify for their welding course. You can apply for an occupation in heater making, pipe-fitting, marine welding, and other comparable programs.
On the off chance that you need to get admission to this welding school, at that point, you need to pay a tuition charge of $169.
ACTC’s welding program was named Top 3 in the nation in positioning for America’s Best College for Vocational Certificates by Washington MonthlyWM chose the 12 most common undergrad endorsement programs (welding, restorative office partner, and so on.) and positioned the universities that offer them by the middle income of their students three years after graduation.
All the instructors are licensed and spend enough time in the field to teach welding effectively.
9. Central Louisiana Technical Community College
Phone: +1 318-487-5443 Address: 4311 South MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, LA 71302, United States
Website: https://www.cltcc.edu/academics/career-and-technical-education-programs/welding
The Central Louisiana Technical Community college is a standout amongst other welding schools in the U.S. An understudy needs to complete the program in two years.
The college graduation pace is about 70%, which is very significant. You can find out about the capability to apply for the college on its official site.
CLTCC tries to deliver proficient, skilled, and sure natives to add to the manageability of the neighborhood, state, and national economy through compelling academic and technical education abilities.
CLTCC is a far-reaching open two-year junior college that gives academic, work-related, and concentrated training prompting industry-based confirmations, professional endorsements, technical certificates, and partner degrees.
Utilizing innovative educational systems, the college makes a skilled workforce and plans people for cutting-edge educational chances. Their workforce advancement training incorporates tweaked training, education, proficient improvement, and industry accreditations.
10. The Lincoln Electric Welding School
Phone: +1 216-481-8100Address: 22800 St. Clair Avenue, Euclid, OH 44117-1199, United States
Website: https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-za/education-center/welding-school/Pages/welding-school.aspx
They claimed that “The Lincoln Electric Welding School is the longest operating and most comprehensive welding training facility globally. Since 1917, the school has trained more than 150,000 men and women in the technology, techniques, and safety practices associated with arc welding”.
Whether you are in fabrication, manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding, or another industry where training is needed to execute a challenging or specific welding process, you ought to consistently consider a school with more involvement in training the understudies.
That is why Lincoln Electric Welding School is outstanding amongst other welding schools in the U.S. It has prepared many individuals who are filling in as welders.
All the welding work and ventures are educated on grounds, and it additionally has a well-known 15-week welding program.
FAQs
Can I do welding work in my garage for personal projects?
Yes, welding for personal projects is allowed without certificates or permits.
However, some safety aspects should not be overlooked before you start welding in your garage or backyard, such as appropriate clothing, accessories (welding masks are essential), smoke control (some are very toxic), and if you do long-term projects, accidents and fire insurance.
If, on the other hand, you want to do welding for business, then you need to know the local regulations for the compliance of the work areas. You may need a certificate, insurance without forgetting the local taxes.
Do I need a welding certification to get started?
It is not necessary to have a university degree to work as a welder. In some cases, people learn as they work and then get certified.
Other employers hire inexperienced staff to train them in the workplace.
Or, if you already know how to weld, you can be hired in a factory or a small shop. Unless your welds need to be tested, it is not necessary to have certification because the company takes responsibility for your work.
What certification do I need to be a professional welder?
There is no single answer because there are different degrees of specialization. The minimum duration of a course to have a basic certification is approximately six months.
Is the welding profession in high demand?
According to the United States Statistical Office of Labor, demand is expected to grow by 25% in 2020. The growing demand for welders makes this profession one of the most popular in America.
How much does a welder earn on average?
In 2019, data said that an average welder’s earnings are around $40,000 per year, $15-20 per hour.
What does MIG welding mean?
The abbreviation MIG stands for inert metal gas, where the (shielding gas) can prevent the oxidation of the metal during welding.
What does TIG welding mean?
TIG stands for inert tungsten gas. In this case, the welding uses tungsten as the material that melts by performing the joint.
How much does a MIG welding machine cost?
Depending on the brand and power, a MIG welder can cost anywhere from $450 to $2,000.
What are welding masks for?
It is a type of headgear that must be used to protect the eyes and the face and neck from flashes of light and sparks and small incandescent parts to prevent burns and, above all, to avoid damage to the retina that otherwise could lead to loss of vision.
Is welding bad for health?
No, but only if you follow the safety rules. Otherwise, the associated risks include burns, vision problems, electric shock, or injury to the hands or feet.
Above all, it is necessary to protect yourself from welding fumes, which depending on the materials you are working on (such as aluminum), can cause serious consequences, even lethal, if inhaled. It is, therefore, vital to use respirators and work in well-ventilated areas.
Conclusion
When searching for the best welding schools in the U.S. (whatever the location), you should consider Tulsa welding school.
You can get directions to learn different welding techniques, which will assist you with obtaining a permit. The U.S. is stuffed brimming with high and respectable welding schools that are all together ensured to transform you into a skilled expert welder.
Any place you live in the U.S., filter the rundown to locate a first-rate welding school close to you!
