Best degree programs for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, ranked by enrollment
2 college programs and 928 schools train Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $53,750 median wage, 416,210 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
2 college programs at 928 schools train welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers, graduating 64,705 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Welding Technology/Welder. The job pays a median of $53,750 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
2 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 48.0508 | 64,198 | 99.2% | 911 | $36,566 | $9,429 |
| 2 | CIP 15.0614 | 507 | 0.8% | 27 | $57,188 | $22,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa Welding School - Houston Houston, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1,087 | Welding Technology/Welder | 70% | $34,116 | — |
| 2 | Tulsa Welding School - Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1,050 | Welding Technology/Welder | 72% | $33,589 | — |
| 3 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder programs | 779 | Welding Technology/Welder | 40% | — | — |
| 4 | Maysville Community and Technical College Maysville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 754 | Welding Technology/Welder | 56% | — | — |
| 5 | Arclabs Piedmont, SC Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 669 | Welding Technology/Welder | 76% | $26,425 | — |
| 6 | Tulsa Welding School - Tulsa Tulsa, OK Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 591 | Welding Technology/Welder | 68% | $34,362 | — |
| 7 | Texas State Technical College Waco, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 588 | Welding Technology/Welder | 46% | — | — |
| 8 | Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 546 | Welding Technology/Welder | 47% | — | — |
| 9 | Bluegrass Community and Technical College Lexington, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 535 | Welding Technology/Welder | 43% | — | — |
| 10 | San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 534 | Welding Technology/Welder | 30% | — | — |
| 11 | South Texas College McAllen, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 521 | Welding Technology/Welder | 27% | — | — |
| 12 | Northwood Technical College Rice Lake, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 496 | Welding Technology/Welder | 56% | — | — |
| 13 | Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 494 | Welding Technology/Welder | 39% | — | — |
| 14 | Tulsa Welding School - Dallas Campus Irving, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 470 | Welding Technology/Welder | — | — | — |
| 15 | Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College Bowling Green, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 415 | Welding Technology/Welder | 58% | — | — |
| 16 | Front Range Community College Westminster, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 408 | Welding Technology/Welder | 35% | — | — |
| 17 | Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Elizabethtown, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 380 | Welding Technology/Welder | 59% | — | — |
| 18 | Northshore Technical Community College Lacombe, LA Public · 1 feeder programs | 369 | Welding Technology/Welder | 40% | — | — |
| 19 | Pueblo Community College Pueblo, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 361 | Welding Technology/Welder | 31% | — | — |
| 20 | Refrigeration School Inc Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 359 | Welding Technology/Welder | 76% | $26,791 | — |
| 21 | Somerset Community College Somerset, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 340 | Welding Technology/Welder | 43% | — | — |
| 22 | Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 339 | Welding Technology/Welder | 21% | — | — |
| 23 | Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 333 | Welding Technology/Welder | 35% | — | — |
| 24 | Gateway Community and Technical College Florence, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 324 | Welding Technology/Welder | 59% | — | — |
| 25 | West Georgia Technical College Waco, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 319 | Welding Technology/Welder | 35% | — | — |
| 26 | West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 308 | Welding Technology/Welder | 50% | — | — |
| 27 | Southern Regional Technical College Thomasville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 307 | Welding Technology/Welder | 31% | — | — |
| 28 | Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 306 | Welding Technology/Welder | 16% | — | — |
| 29 | Austin Community College District Austin, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 304 | Welding Technology/Welder | 20% | — | — |
| 30 | Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 303 | Welding Technology/Welder | 11% | — | — |
| 31 | Owensboro Community and Technical College Owensboro, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 301 | Welding Technology/Welder | 54% | — | — |
| 32 | J F Ingram State Technical College Deatsville, AL Public · 1 feeder programs | 296 | Welding Technology/Welder | 21% | — | — |
| 33 | Southern Careers Institute - Harlingen Harlingen, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 294 | Welding Technology/Welder | 60% | $24,989 | — |
| 34 | Aims Community College Greeley, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 292 | Welding Technology/Welder | 40% | — | — |
| 35 | Hobart Institute of Welding Technology Troy, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 290 | Welding Technology/Welder | 90% | $20,935 | — |
| 36 | Midwest Technical Institute - Illinois Springfield, IL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 289 | Welding Technology/Welder | 69% | $28,377 | — |
| 37 | Cerritos College Norwalk, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 278 | Welding Technology/Welder | 31% | — | — |
| 38 | Advanced Career Institute Visalia, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 274 | Welding Technology/Welder | 81% | — | — |
| 39 | Portland Community College Portland, OR Public · 1 feeder programs | 265 | Welding Technology/Welder | 18% | — | — |
| 40 | Tidewater Tech - Trades Norfolk, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 257 | Welding Technology/Welder | 71% | $25,765 | — |
| 41 | Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College Cumberland, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 244 | Welding Technology/Welder | 47% | — | — |
| 42 | Summit College San Bernardino, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 244 | Welding Technology/Welder | 62% | $25,402 | — |
| 43 | Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc. Houston, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 244 | Welding Technology/Welder | 60% | $22,532 | — |
| 44 | Coastal Pines Technical College Waycross, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 243 | Welding Technology/Welder | 48% | — | — |
| 45 | Northland Pioneer College Holbrook, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 243 | Welding Technology/Welder | 22% | — | — |
| 46 | Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 240 | Welding Technology/Welder | 38% | — | — |
| 47 | Houston City College Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 239 | Welding Technology/Welder | 17% | — | — |
| 48 | Piedmont Technical College Greenwood, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 234 | Welding Technology/Welder | 33% | — | — |
| 49 | Central Community College Grand Island, NE Public · 1 feeder programs | 233 | Welding Technology/Welder | 48% | — | — |
| 50 | Mech - Tech College Caguas, PR Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 231 | Welding Technology/Welder | 72% | $13,886 | — |
What welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $53,340 | 52,000 | 1.38× | 73 | 10,498 |
| Kentucky | $51,470 | 6,630 | 1.24× | 18 | 4,780 |
| Georgia | $48,430 | 13,130 | 1.00× | 25 | 4,191 |
| California | $58,060 | 26,060 | 0.53× | 74 | 3,728 |
| North Carolina | $50,590 | 11,750 | 0.89× | 59 | 3,137 |
| Illinois | $51,320 | 16,260 | 1.00× | 44 | 3,024 |
| Florida | $50,640 | 16,420 | 0.62× | 51 | 2,522 |
| Arizona | $55,600 | 7,270 | 0.84× | 15 | 2,022 |
| Arkansas | $47,970 | 6,150 | 1.76× | 26 | 1,885 |
| Colorado | $58,590 | 4,970 | 0.65× | 16 | 1,815 |
| Alabama | $48,490 | 12,450 | 2.20× | 19 | 1,787 |
| South Carolina | $49,980 | 7,380 | 1.20× | 16 | 1,755 |
| Louisiana | $62,250 | 13,690 | 2.64× | 12 | 1,751 |
| Wisconsin | $58,410 | 15,320 | 1.95× | 17 | 1,657 |
| Oklahoma | $49,720 | 9,960 | 2.18× | 29 | 1,552 |
| Ohio | $50,340 | 20,330 | 1.37× | 56 | 1,506 |
| Kansas | $49,410 | 6,370 | 1.66× | 26 | 1,440 |
| Tennessee | $48,040 | 12,510 | 1.43× | 28 | 1,238 |
| Washington | $63,020 | 7,720 | 0.81× | 22 | 1,211 |
| Iowa | $55,090 | 9,270 | 2.22× | 16 | 1,196 |
| Virginia | $59,180 | 10,100 | 0.92× | 20 | 1,085 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,900 | 17,850 | 1.10× | 33 | 950 |
| Indianamoderate | $49,730 | 13,280 | 1.55× | 3 | 923 |
| Mississippi | $51,100 | 6,460 | 2.08× | 15 | 807 |
| Minnesota | $60,280 | 9,270 | 1.17× | 20 | 721 |
| Michigan | $49,990 | 13,330 | 1.13× | 30 | 720 |
| Nebraska | $52,220 | 4,200 | 1.53× | 6 | 695 |
| Oregon | $59,450 | 5,240 | 1.00× | 16 | 688 |
| Utah | $58,380 | 4,440 | 0.96× | 11 | 597 |
| Missouri | $51,950 | 10,600 | 1.35× | 14 | 527 |
| New York | $59,140 | 8,310 | 0.32× | 11 | 468 |
| New Mexico | $59,840 | 2,390 | 1.03× | 16 | 463 |
| Nevadamoderate | $61,520 | 1,600 | 0.39× | 4 | 434 |
| New Jersey | $59,440 | 3,730 | 0.33× | 8 | 367 |
| Connecticutmoderate | $64,880 | 1,790 | 0.39× | 4 | 282 |
| Wyoming | $63,820 | 1,850 | 2.46× | 8 | 279 |
| North Dakota | $62,000 | 2,590 | 2.26× | 9 | 228 |
| Montana | $55,610 | 1,530 | 1.12× | 10 | 227 |
| Idaho | $50,530 | 3,300 | 1.44× | 7 | 212 |
| Marylandmoderate | $60,310 | 2,850 | 0.39× | 3 | 161 |
| Alaska | $80,840 | 790 | 0.90× | 5 | 137 |
| South Dakotamoderate | $49,440 | 3,250 | 2.66× | 4 | 129 |
| West Virginia | $48,810 | 2,100 | 1.12× | 13 | 102 |
| New Hampshiremoderate | $62,360 | 1,110 | 0.61× | 3 | 101 |
| Vermontlimited | $60,890 | 340 | 0.42× | 1 | 98 |
| Maine | $62,220 | 1,690 | 0.99× | 5 | 79 |
| Hawaiilimited | $79,000 | 520 | 0.31× | 2 | 53 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $50,580 | 2,300 | 1.71× | 1 | 6 |
| Massachusettslimited | $62,570 | 2,830 | 0.29× | 1 | 5 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
- Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
- Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.
Skills
- Monitoring3.0
- Critical Thinking2.9
- Active Listening2.6
- Speaking2.6
- Reading Comprehension2.5
- Active Learning2.3
- Mathematics2.1
- Learning Strategies2.0
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing3.5
- Mechanical3.1
- Mathematics2.9
- English Language2.9
- Design2.8
- Engineering and Technology2.6
Abilities
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.6
- Near Vision3.4
- Finger Dexterity3.3
- Problem Sensitivity3.3
- Manual Dexterity3.1
- Control Precision3.1
Core activities
- Getting Information3.8
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.6
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.6
- Handling and Moving Objects3.5
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.4
- Performing General Physical Activities3.3
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Welder
Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 2 majors mapped to Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 15.0614Welding Engineering Technology/Technician
- 48.0508Welding Technology/Welder
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Welder?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Welding Technology/Welder, which awarded 64,198 degrees in 2024-25, 99.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Welder?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this occupation. The largest are Precision Metal Working, Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 64,705 people a year.
How much do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn?+
The median is $53,750 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $39,240 at the 10th percentile to $77,530 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers growing?+
BLS projects a +2.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 45,600 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
928 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Wirer, Brazer, Welder, Solderer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-4121.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card