Welder careers
Welders join and repair metal components using welding processes in manufacturing, construction, and repair work.
What does a welder do?
Welders join and repair metal parts by preparing materials, selecting a process, and checking the finished joint.
The work can take place in fabrication shops, manufacturing facilities, or on construction and repair sites. Processes and protective procedures differ by assignment.
Welder career snapshot
- U.S. median annual pay
- $53,750 (May 2025)
- Projected U.S. employment change
- +2% (2025–35)
- Typical training path
- Technical training + moderate-term OJT
These national figures are context, not a guarantee of local pay or job availability. BLS reports welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers as a combined occupation in the linked profile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook.
How to get started
Compare opportunities to practice actual welds, read drawings, prepare joints, and have work evaluated. Ask which processes and materials a course covers before enrolling.
Compare any program or apprenticeship with the BLS occupational profile and with current local employer requirements. Training routes can differ by location and employer.
Questions to ask before choosing training
- Which welding processes can students practice in person?
- How is weld quality evaluated, and what can graduates show an employer?
Find a real next step
Search nearby schools and apprenticeship sponsors, or browse current Welder jobs. The map identifies institutions and registered sponsors; it does not confirm that a school teaches welder or that a sponsor has an open position. Review each listing directly.