How to Become a Welder: A Comprehensive Career Guide

Skilled trades like welding play a pivotal role in a broad range of global industries, from construction to aerospace to automotive. Welders drive industry expansion and ensure high-quality outcomes, and, because of the ongoing demand for well-trained welding professionals, this career path offers stability and growth opportunities.

Northampton Community College (NCC) remains committed to helping students like you receive the technical education needed to pursue gainful employment and earn competitive wages. This career guide provides a comprehensive overview of:

• A welder’s job responsibilities
• Different career paths within welding
• Steps you can take to become a welder
• Employment and salary expectations
• NCC’s welding program

What Does a Welder Do?

As skilled trades professionals, welders use high heat and specialized tools and equipment to join, repair, and cut metal structures. They fabricate metal structures or parts according to project or design specifications, which makes their work indispensable to all sorts of manufacturing and infrastructure that uphold our modern life.

While a welder’s day-to-day work varies by industry sector and job role, often, core responsibilities include:

• Reviewing and interpreting blueprints and technical drawings to prepare for a project.
• Cleaning, cutting, or shaping material surfaces to provide proper fit and fusion.
• Using flame-cutting, hand-soldering, and brazing equipment and techniques.
• Collaborating with engineers to provide insight for design modifications.
• Examining welds for quality and defects and completing repairs as necessary.
• Maintaining welding equipment to ensure proper function.
• Adhering to safety protocols to prevent injuries, including wearing protective gear and ensuring equipment uses the proper temperature, pressure, and alignment.

Additionally, welders must have strong communication skills to address complications or delays that arise, give clear instructions to colleagues, and contribute to an efficient work environment.

Types of Welding Careers

There are numerous types of welding careers you can pursue that align with your skills and interests, which include the following:

• Structural welders specialize in infrastructure, such as buildings, bridges, and industrial structures.
• Fabricators create custom metal parts and tools for manufacturing.
• Welding inspectors use their expertise to gauge the quality of welds and ensure compliance with standards.
• Welding instructors pass along their knowledge and teach up-and-coming welders the trade.
• Underwater welders combine welding with diving to repair ships and offshore structures.

5 Simple Steps to Become a Welder

Ready to take the next step toward beginning your welding education? Review the five steps you can take to jump-start your professional career.

1. Earn Your High School Diploma or GED®

Before enrolling in a welding program, you must have earned a high school diploma or passed the General Educational Development (GED®) test. Taking courses in math and science instills strong technical skills that support you in your future welding career.

2. Enroll in a Welding Technology Program

Your next step is to research and apply to a welding training program. When determining which program is right for you, consider the program’s duration, tuition and fees, the skills and certifications you’ll acquire, and the industry connections the institution can provide.

Often, community colleges have technical training programs that deliver quality education and real-world experience to prepare you for the workforce. NCC’s welding technology program ensures your career readiness by prioritizing practical training. About 90% of our welding programs’ curriculum incorporates hands-on learning so you can acquire essential technical skills along with in-demand industry expertise.

Here, you learn fundamental welding techniques, safety protocols, and how to work with industry-standard tools, preparing you for practical application.

3. Enrich Your Technical Skills by Becoming an Apprentice

While many welding programs incorporate hands-on learning into their curriculums, continuing to build your professional competencies by working as an apprentice is beneficial. Apprenticeships allow you to work in the industry full-time, so you can gain a deeper understanding of the welding trade and how to improve your skills—all while earning a stable income.  

You can find apprenticeships through trade unions and online job boards. Additionally, if your community college has strong ties to local companies, it can help you navigate landing an apprenticeship or a post-graduate job placement. NCC has helped students find employment at well-established companies, such as ABEC, Inc., Flexicon Corporation, and SmitHahn Company, Inc.

4. Boost Employability With Professional Certifications

While many states, including Pennsylvania, do not require a welding license, pursuing the following optional certifications and endorsements can open up new employment opportunities and increase your competitive advantage:

• Certified Welding Inspector certification
• Certified Welding Educator certification
  
• Certified Robotic Arc Welding
  
• D1.1 Structural Steel Endorsement

5. Build a Thriving Professional Network

Like many industries, having a robust network of professional connections can help you excel in the workforce. The relationships you build with classmates, instructors, and local industry leaders can create new career openings and education opportunities and make a significant difference in the trajectory of your professional future. These connections also deepen your ties to the trade, ensuring you continue learning and have a well-established place in the industry.

How Much Do Welders Make?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earned $48,940 in 2023, which follows the national median income trend. In Pennsylvania, the mean wage for welders is slightly higher, averaging about $52,000. A welder’s salary can range up to $73,000, depending on the state, industry, and experience level.

Welding Career Benefits

• Steady Career Outlook: The BLS reports that welders’ employment may increase by 2% through 2033. While this projection trends slightly below the national average of 4%, there are more than 450,000 welding jobs nationwide and an anticipated 45,800 openings. This stable demand for trained welders provides favorable employment opportunities and room for advancement.
• Shorter Education Period: Since many welding vocational programs require just two years of full-time study to complete, you can acquire the training you need to build your career in a short amount of time. This helps you enter the workforce quickly and start earning a stable income.
• Sharpen Your Problem-Solving Instincts: As a welder, you utilize a broad range of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. From figuring out the most cost-effective and efficient way to complete a project to translating blueprint specifications into the fabrication process, welders have the dexterity and technical expertise to navigate whatever challenges arise and get the job done.

Launch Your Welding Career at NCC

Your future in welding begins at Northampton Community College. Our welding technology program offers an immersive education focusing on real-world learning and helps you become a skilled trades professional. Whether you pursue an associate degree, specialized diploma, or certificate in welding, the hands-on training and personalized support from NCC’s instructors ensure you have the diverse skills needed to excel.

With part-time and full-time enrollment, affordable tuition, and a commitment to your long-term success, NCC’s welding program empowers you to chart a new career path.

Ready to join our growing student community? Review Northampton’s admission information and contact us to learn more.