Welder

Explore This Path

Perfect for those who love working with their hands and creating strong metal bonds.
Welders play a crucial role in building and maintaining essential infrastructure.
Experience the thrill of crafting metal structures in diverse and challenging positions.

💰 Earn $47K-$66K

📚 High School Diploma or GED

⏱️ 6–12 MONTH TRAINING

📈 2% JOB GROWTH

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What You’ll Do

Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.

Scoop

Minimum Education

High School Diploma or GED

Career Prospects

Good (Increasing by 1-5%)

Training Time

6 months to 1 year

Job Openings

45,800 Annually

Median Earnings

$56,100 in California

$48,940 Nationally

$25K

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Real Talk Reel

Want to see what it's like to be a Welder? We've curated a playlist for you to get a glimpse into a day in the life.

@rhino_weldz

@gizmotheworst

@chat_cte

Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Thinking and problem solving
Using data or completing tasks
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Active Listening
Monitoring
Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring
Time Management

You value 🙏

Having support
Job security
Personal relationships

Deep Dive

Welder

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Vocational School

A vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Associate's Degree

An associate's degree typically provides graduates with foundational knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs in the graduate's industry, or serves as a stepping stone towards further education.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-3 years

Bachelor's Degree

A bachelor's degree typically results in increased knowledge about a variety of academic subjects, specialized knowledge in a focused field of study, and is considered the foundational qualification for many careers.

🎓 College

⏱️ FINISH IN 4-5+ years

Workforce Development Program

A workforce development program typically enhances participants' opportunities to succeed in the workforce through employment skill-building, career counseling, connections to employers, and pathways to high-demand and high-wage jobs.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years