Welder
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join, repair, or cut metal parts and products.
What the job is
- The work
- Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join, repair, or cut metal parts and products.
BLS
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- How people get in
- Welders typically need a high school diploma plus technical and on-the-job training. Licensing is not universal: some states and localities license welders, and employers often ask for a certification such as the AWS Certified Welder test.
- Good fit for
- Students who want industrial, structural or pipeline welding work.
- Career cluster
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
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StateChoose a state
- AlabamaState guide
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- CaliforniaState guide
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- District of ColumbiaState guide
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- LouisianaState guide
- MaineState guide
- MarylandState guide
- MassachusettsState guide
- MichiganState guide
- MinnesotaState guide
- MississippiState guide
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- MontanaState guide
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- NevadaState guide
- New HampshireState guide
- New JerseyState guide
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- New YorkState guide
- North CarolinaState guide
- North DakotaState guide
- OhioState guide
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- OregonState guide
- PennsylvaniaState guide
- Rhode IslandState guide
- South CarolinaState guide
- South DakotaState guide
- TennesseeState guide
- TexasState guide
- UtahState guide
- VermontState guide
- VirginiaState guide
- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025.
- Median pay
- $53,750 a year ($25.84 an hour)
BLS
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 437,700
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Training after hire
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +2%, which BLS calls "slower than average"
BLS
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +10,300 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
Tools overview
BLS does not publish what a starter tool set costs. Ask the school or apprenticeship sponsor which tools you must buy before you enrol.
- Welders use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join or cut metal, and wear protective clothing and welding helmets.
BLS
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — Work EnvironmentU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes, step by step, the national certifications and the state licensing rules are on one page.
Welder: training, AWS certification, on the job
See the roadmap
Route 1: Technical training, certification test, on the job · Route 2: Employer-based apprenticeship
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 20 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses. All trades