Is Welding a Good Career?

Is Welding a Good Career? A Closer Look at the Job Outlook and Potential Earnings

If you are looking for a career that is in high demand, fills a critical need in the workforce, provides a way for you to use your creative and technical skills, and enables you to train quickly and earn a good, reliable income, then you may want to explore a career as a welder.

At Texarkana College, you can train to be a welder in a year or less and be on your way to a new, rewarding career using skills that will benefit you for a lifetime. You may be wondering, “Is welding a good career?”

According to the American Welding Society, the answer is, not only is welding a good career choice, but choosing to train to be welder can be a big return on your investment and the pay-off will be the assurance of knowing your skill will land you a good job for years to come.

Welding is both a form of art and science and this innovative trade is used to keep our world safe and strong and moving forward–in fact, every industry out there depends on welding in one way or another. Look around you–there is evidence of welding just about everywhere. Cars, bridges, airplanes, boats, homes, buildings, pipelines, medical equipment, and all types of industrial machines and robots have metal components welded together by skilled workers.

Is Welding the Career for You?

If you like to work with your hands and are seeking a career that is resistant to recession, then welding may be for you. From basic fabrication to advanced robotics, modern welders blend trade skills with technology to work smarter, not just harder.

Welding is a good career pathway for students just graduating from high school, people who are already working in a trade field but want to expand their skills, and people who are ready for a career change.

Some things to consider to help you answer your question, “is welding a good career,” are that once you are trained and have the necessary skills, you could earn more money quickly, you could take on bigger roles at your current job and have more responsibilities, and you will be able to use your creativity in more ways by applying the skills you learn as a welder to new projects at work and in your free time. If you are unsure about your future and are looking to enhance your interest in a new trade, you will want to explore for yourself the question, “is welding a good career choice?”

What is a welder?

A welder is a person who is trained and skilled to fuse metal parts together by using intense heat and gas to form a permanent bond between the parts for specific purposes. As a career, welders work in settings such as industrial and construction sites, automotive manufacturing, aeronautics, and energy extraction fields.

Depending on the industry and the type of metal used, there are several different types of welding methods that welders use to complete a weld. The most common welding type is arc welding, which uses electrical currents to generate heat and bond metals.

Welder Jobs and Typical Duties:

If you’re wondering, “Is welding a good career?” then you might want to know what some of the duties of a welder might be and what types of positions you would be qualified for as a welder. The answer is that a welder’s job entails a variety of job duties.

The American Welding Society (AWS) has identified six occupations (defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) where welding is a primary job function: Boilermakers; Sheet Metal Workers; Structural Iron and Steel Workers; Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters; Welders, Cutters, Solders, and Brazers; Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders; Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.

Here are some typical job duties and responsibilities of a welder:

• Igniting welding torches and striking arcs
• Joining metal parts in flat, vertical, or overhead positions
• Studying engineering drawings, blueprints, sketches, and material safety data
• Calculating dimensions of metal parts to be welded
• Laying out, positioning, aligning, and securing metal parts
• Inspecting workpieces for defects and checking for specifications
• Selecting welding methods and required equipment
• Mixing and applying protective coatings
• Maintaining equipment and machinery
• Where Do Welders Work?

If you are wondering, “Is welding a good career?” then, it is important to know that welders can work anywhere in the world. They work both indoors and outdoors depending on the type of industry and project. They can work for a company or can own their own business. The field of welding is very flexible and in high demand around the world and is found in most every industry in one way or another.

How Many Hours Do Welders Work?

Most welders work full-time. Overtime is common, especially on time-sensitive projects like certain construction jobs. In that case, welders may have a weekly workload that exceeds a typical 40-hour week. Since many manufacturing plants operate around the clock, they frequently have two or three 8- to 12-hour shifts per day. This means that some welders also work evening and weekends.

What does it take to become a welder?

First and foremost, you must take safety precautions when welding. There is special protective welding gear including helmets and gloves that must be worn to avoid burns and contamination from gases. Accuracy is also extremely important. A welder must have good hand-eye coordination, a steady hand, and a strong ability to have control over precision. Welders need both physical and technical skills to succeed in their career.

Job Outlook for Welders and Salaries:

The job outlook for welders in the next decade is very strong. According to the AWS, due to factors including current job openings, industry growth, and anticipated attrition occurring from professionals retiring, advancing, changing industries, etc., there will be a need for 90,000 welders to fill positions in the United States between 2023 and 2027. More than 155,000 welders working today are approaching retirement age which will leave a huge gap in the workforce. There is also a tremendous shortage of women who enter the field of welding. In fact, only 5% of welders in the workforce today are women. Is welding a good field for women to enter? Today, female welding is becoming more popular, but there is still a disparity between male and female welders meaning there is a lot of potential for lucrative career paths for women welders.

Is Welding a Good Career for High Wages?

Wages for welding professionals can vary by location, occupation, certifications, experience level, and other factors. Average hourly earnings for welding jobs: $24.80 per hour and the national median salary for welders is $49,500.

Texarkana College Welding Program Will Get You Prepared:

There are several advantages of training to become a welder at Texarkana College (TC). The most obvious one is that TC training is fast and prepares you to enter the workforce with the skills you need. You can train to earn a certificate or commit to earning an associate degree that will take you 2 years or less.

There are many benefits of studying welding at Texarkana College. When choosing a training program, we know you have options out there. Texarkana College is proud to have a welding training program that provides choices to students. You can choose from the following options:
2 year associate degree (60 sch)
1 year certificate (42 sch)
1 semester certificate (15 sch)

Students can also Igniting welding torches and striking arcs
choose from two welding training sites through Texarkana College. Both locations utilize state-of-the-art training equipment and offer courses taught by experienced faculty who have worked in the field as welders. The two locations include the main TC campus, located at 2500 N. Robison Road in Texarkana, Texas, and a second workforce training site located in New Boston, Texas, at the TexAmericas Center near the front entrance of Red River Army Depot.

The following welding skills training programs are offered through TC:

2 year associate degree (60 sch)
1 year certificate (42 sch)
1 semester certificate (15 sch)

Why is Texarkana College a great choice for a trade student?

TC’s faculty and staff help students step by step through the welding training program to find a job. Welding faculty members at TC stay in close contact with local and regional employers through the program’s advisory committee that consists of industry representatives. The committee meets quarterly to discuss workforce needs and latest developments in technologies within the welding community.
TC welding students benefit from the close connection the welding program has with local employers who help guide the curriculum by serving on the advising committee. The faculty members are always paying attention to the most in demand careers both on the local and state level.

Welding is a good career choice for several reasons including high wages, job security, and enrichment of skills that benefit the student both professionally and personally. Come visit Texarkana College for a tour of the welding program’s facility and meet the faculty members who teach the welding classes. Whether you are just starting, or you are starting over, Texarkana College is a great place to learn and grow towards a brighter, more rewarding career and future.