Welding

 

Types of Degrees Welding Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many welding technology/welder graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	27,089
Undergraduate Certificate	15,644
Associate Degree	3,294
Bachelor’s Degree	2

What Welding Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to wielding and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Wielding Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in wielding should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Wielding Majors

wielding majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Wielding Majors

A major in wielding will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

What Can You Do With a Welding Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with wielding:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Solderers and Brazers	5.6%	$41,380
Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters	5.6%	$41,380

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Welding?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 88% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of wielding majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	36
Black or African American	142
Hispanic or Latino	660
White	2,152
International Students	14
Other Races/Ethnicities	290

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Wielding. About 0.4% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Welding Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Wielding majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $39,160 to $44,360 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Welding

Some careers associated with wielding require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for wielding careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	18.1%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	44.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	30.1%
Some College Courses	6.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	0.2%

Online Welding Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	719	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	23	0
Associate’s Degree	370	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Welding Worth It?

The median salary for a wielding grad is $39,160 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Trades Related to Welding

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to wielding.

Major	Number of Grads
Machine Tool Technology/Machinist	3,181
Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist	2,275
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant	1,588
Tool & Die Technology/Technician	541
Metal Fabricator	413
Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking	319
Ironworking/Ironworker	226
Other Precision Metal Working	218

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.