In this article, we have curated a list of the best welding schools in Texas in 2023. Feel free to engage this article as it will help answer many of your unanswered questions about welding colleges in Texas.
With an average annual salary of over $40,000 and numerous specialization options, attending welding schools in Texas and pursuing a career in the welding industry can be rewarding.
With over 488,000 projected job openings in this field by 2028, high-paying prospects, and the ability to travel to different parts of the world, welding is a career with plenty of opportunities.
Welders are in high demand in various industries, including automotive and aerospace, building and construction, and even the military, which explains why so many people have shifted to this field. Welding training can lead to jobs as an assembler, manufacturing welding technician, or welding inspector in industries such as robotics and manufacturing, technical sales, or other specialized welding areas.
Of course, becoming a professional in any field necessitates training, certification, and experience; becoming a professional welder is no exception. If you want to work in this field, you will need training.
Fortunately, we have taken the time to compile a list of the best schools in Texas that offer welding certificate training. You will also learn more about welding schools in Texas and, most importantly, how to become a professional welder.
See Also: 15 Best Welding Schools In Arizona
Table of Contents
Is Welding a Good Career Path in Texas?
Welding is a great career to pursue if you want to work in a trade that offers both mobility and a good salary. As infrastructure ages and senior welders retire, the industry will only grow in the future, which means trade school graduates will have plenty of opportunities for career advancement.
Welder demand will rise from 2020 to 2030. According to BLS, there will be 418,200 welders in the United States in 2020, with employment expected to rise to 452,400 by 2030.
Welding demand will only grow as highways and bridges deteriorate and cities improve their infrastructure. Seasoned welders will continue to retire, creating a greater need for welders.
To replace senior welders, those new to the industry can obtain certifications and specialized skills at trade schools or organizations.
Also, check: 15 Best Welding Schools In Houston
Are there Welding Schools in Texas
- Arclab Welding School
- College Of The Mainland
- Amarillo College
- Southern Career Institute
- Hobart Institute Of Welding Technology
- Elite Pipe Welding Academy
- Lone Star College System
- Texas State Technical College
- South Texas College
- Paris Junior College
- South Texas Vocational Technical Institute
- Lincoln Welding School
- San Jacinto Community College
- Trinity Valley Community College
- Odessa College
- Lee College
- Austin Community College
Also, check: 15 Best Welding Schools In San Dieg
How to Become a Certified Welder in Texas?
The state requires the American Welding Society certification in Texas for all welders. You must apply, meet the minimum physical strength requirements, and take a hands-on welding test at an AWS-accredited site. During your exam, a supervisor will observe you. The supervisor will grade your work based on your welds’ quality and ability to follow the relevant safety procedures.
If you fail the AWS welder certification test, your supervisor will decide whether you can retake the test right away or if you need more training before returning to the testing site. Once you pass the exam, AWS will send you your certification card within four to six weeks.
How to Renew Your Welding Certification in Texas
Certified welders must renew their certification on a six-month cycle. The welder must provide documentation proving that they are still employed in the field and performing the same type of welding.
The certification will lapse if the welder does not work in the field or fails to submit documentation within six months. Welders who switch from one type of welding to another or let their certification lapse must start the testing process.
How Much Do Welders Make in Texas?
A typical welder in Texas earns around $29,000 per year, or about $14 per hour. However, statistics show that specific welders’ salaries range from $27,000 to $30,000.
Texas’s wide range of welder salaries reflects the state’s diverse opportunities. The opportunities vary, with chances for a pay increase based on various factors such as skills, years of experience, and location.
How Long is Welding School in Texas?
You can complete a welding certification program in as little as 6 months to 2 years if you attend a welding trade school full-time in Texas. Trained professionals who have worked in the industry and are familiar with the skills required to compete for these positions handle the classes.
These trade schools’ career services can also help you identify opportunities and prepare for job interviews for entry-level jobs.
Best Welding Schools in Texas
#1. College Of The Mainland
Through hands-on, real-world welding training, the Welding Technology Program prepares students for a career in welding. Welding instruction is available in all positions for carbon steel, stainless steel plate, and pipe using GTAW, SMAW, GMAW, and FCAW processes, as well as PAC (plasma arc cutting) and Oxy-fuel operations.
Students will gain a wide range of marketable skills while learning basic and advanced welding techniques. College of the Mainland offers a career pathway in Welding Technologies, which allows students to complete various welding programs and qualify for a national certification exam.
Graduates must have an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology to be eligible for a certificate, complete the required courses with a 2.0 or higher overall grade point average, must pass each class in the prescribed course of study with a grade of “C” or better.
#2. Southern Career Institute
Industry-employed instructors teach modern welding techniques such as:
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick welding)
- Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/ MIG)
- Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW/ TIG)
The welding program aligns with industry credentials and provides students with a broad knowledge base to help them perfect the hard and soft skills employers want.
SCI offers some of the best welding training in Texas, preparing students to take the different certification exams: Students who complete this program successfully will be ready for entry-level positions in various welding positions.
Read Also: 15 Best Welding Schools in Utah
#3. Arclab Welding School
Arclabs’ goal is to provide a comprehensive welding program focused on training, qualification, and placement, and they have since maintained this position with the help of their expert instructors. The latter has trained many people, from complete beginners to advanced professionals looking to advance their careers in this field.
Arclabs welcomes both experienced and inexperienced students. Arclabs also provides four distinct programs: a 900-hour advanced welding program, a 400-hour welding program, a 280-hour specific process program, and a 1,300-hour master welder program.
Whether you are a complete beginner or a seasoned welder looking to improve your skills, Arclab is one of the welding schools in Texas that offers ACCET nationally accredited programs.
Furthermore, Arclabs provides an easy admissions process as well as job placements. It has three convenient locations in South Carolina and one in Taxes.
#4. Hobart Institute Of Welding Technology
This course sequence is available for students interested in all position welding skills, safety, and technical information on a plate. After completing all other course requirements, the program includes the opportunity to test for four AWS®QC7 National Welder Certifications during the applicable course.
After completing this program, the student will have the necessary welding skills for entry-level employment as a structural welder.
Read Also: Welding Schools In North Carolina | A Detailed Guide
#5. Texas State Technical College
The welding program at TSTC is a hands-on learning experience with cutting-edge technology and is the state’s best technical college. The class sizes are intimate. One-on-one instruction is made available. You’ll have every opportunity to learn on the best equipment possible, with the best teachers guiding you every step.
You will learn about the same cutting-edge, high-quality equipment that professional welders use in the field. You can find welding courses near you no matter where you live in the great state of Texas. The Welding Technology program is available at all ten TSTC campuses.
#6. Lone Star College System
The Associate of Engineering in Welding Technology degree program is available to prepare students for careers as welding technicians in the fabrication, construction, and manufacturing industries. Hands-on application of SMAW, GTAW, and GMAW processes positions, using pipe, plate, and structural shapes, is a program component. The instructors also will teach the students basic metallurgy, layout and fabrication, and inspection procedures. If the scholar wishes to continue their education, the program’s academic requirements inspire.
The welding technology certificate program prepares students for entry-level jobs as structural welders during a particular process. Each certificate program teaches the fundamental skills of blueprint reading and safe welding procedures in structural plate and pipe. Courses completed during this certificate program may apply toward the Associate of Applied Science in Welding Technology degree.
Read Also: Welding Schools In Iowa | A Detailed Guide
#7. South Texas College
This four-semester program will prepare students for entry-level positions by teaching them four welding processes (Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, and Flux Core Arc Welding).
Students will weld fillets, laps, corner joints, and V grooves with backing and open tracks within the Flat, Horizontal, Vertical-up, and Overhead positions. Students will study layout and fabrication, also as blueprint reading for welders, welding safety, and metallurgy.
The curriculum also includes 15 credit hours of General Education coursework. Graduate candidates will be eligible to take a welding performance qualification test by the American Welding Society, as utilized in the industry.
#8. Lincoln Welding School
Lincoln Tech offers three welding programs, two of which include additional training in pipefitting or metal fabrication.
While the three programs differ slightly in terms of specialized material, all of them feature the three most commonly used welding processes in the industry: Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), MIG (Metal, Inert Gas), or GMAW (Gas, Metal Arc Welding), and TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas). Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW), a way for specific applications that graduates may encounter in the field, is additionally included in the programs.
Welding students begin with a radical study of metal properties before progressing to a hands-on training regimen.
They learn to hitch multiple pieces of metal to the correct specifications competently. Students must complete a required 10-hour OSHA-approved safety orientation near the top of the program.
Read Also: Best Mechanic Schools In Las Vegas | A Detailed Guide
#9. Trinity Valley Community College
The welding program at TVCC is out there to provide you with the hands-on experience and industry knowledge required for a new career. You’ll choose between one-year and two-year programs to get you out of the lab and into a new job. Graduates of welding programs are in high demand both locally and nationally. The program prepares you for AWS certification in MIG, TIG, stick arc, plasma, flux core, shielded metal arc, and other welding processes.
Students who complete the certificate program can enter or advance in the welding industry. Individual certifications in MIG, TIG, Arc, and Pipe Welding, also are available for students. All courses during this certificate will apply to the Associate of Applied Science in Welding Technology. To get the certificate, you want to have a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
#10. South Texas Vocational Technical Institute
STVT’s Combination Welding curriculum includes classroom and workshop instruction that teaches students how to read blueprints, combine pieces using various methods and materials, work with multiple tools, and other combination welding skills.
The Combination Welding program at STVT helps you prepare for a career in construction and maintenance. The Welding program teaches the talents needed to be a team player. The stress of our Combination Welding program is on hands-on learning and workplace safety. STVT is pleased to supply Welder Training in South Texas. The Welding program is available at San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Weslaco campuses.
Read Also: 15 Best Welding Schools In San Antonio
#11. Lee College
The Welding Technology Program provides specialized welding courses that train and prepare students for today’s industry. Hands-on training helps students reinforce their classroom theory. Five well-equipped laboratories supplement welding instruction.
When industry representatives bring their specific needs to the college, we design a course to satisfy those needs. There are refresher courses, new process training, and new procedure training options.
ExxonMobil, Rohm & Haas, American Builders & Contractors, DuPont, and Shell, are among the businesses that send employees to Lee College for training. A student can earn a certificate of completion after completing a specific number of welding courses. Welding is additionally available as an Associate of Applied Science degree at Lee College.
#12. Austin Community College
Austin Community College offers two classes, which transfer as technical electives to the Welding Technology credit department.
The Welding CE Certificate comprises two (2) required course sections that students must complete within the order listed below:
WLDG-1000 Welding Basics
Welding Intermediate Arc WLDG-1043
The first course (WLDG-1000) will teach you how to weld with oxyacetylene and arc welding. This class places a high priority on safety. The second course (WLDG-1043), on MIG, TIG, and flux-cored welding processes, continues the primary. To require this course, you want to have completed WLDG-1000 or have obtained instructor approval.
Read Also: 15 Best Welding Schools In Wyoming
#13. Elite Pipe Welding Academy
Students within the Elite Pipe Welding Program are made ready for journeyman-level positions in commercial and industrial pipe welding. You’ll find welders of this type in various settings, including industrial pre-fabrication shops, paper mills, refineries, power plants, chemical plants, food processing plants, oil and gas pipelines, and other locations.
The Elite Structural Welding Program prepares students for journeyman-level steel welding jobs in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. You’ll find welders of this type in various locations, including light and heavy commercial or industrial shop fabrication, plants, refineries, power plants, manufacturing facilities, etc.
#14. San Jacinto College
San Jacinto College has one of the region’s most extensive and best-equipped welding training facilities. Students can study many aspects of welding technology and access career paths ranging from manufacturing and industry to inspection and management.
The curriculum for the San Jacinto College Welding Technology program is ready-made for the welding industry’s needs. All positions on the carbon and chrome steel plate and pipe are covered.
Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) “Stick,” Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) “MIG,” Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) “TIG,” and Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) processes, also as Oxy-Fuels, are all samples of metal arc welding processes.
Read Also: 15 Best Welding Schools in Arkansas
#15. Paris Junior College
PJC’s Certificate of Completion in Welding provides students with a specialized program to organize them for entry-level employment. Technical and hands-on training in structural welding, pipe welding, oxyacetylene cutting, plasma arc cutting, air carbon arc lamp cutting, and gas tungsten arc welding is a package component. The scholar must pass the AWS and ASME structural and pipe certification exams.
PJC’s welding technology program is an industry-driven curriculum that permits students to learn the necessary welding skills and technical knowledge to obtain entry-level jobs in the welding vocation and related fields. The program excels at applying fundamental welding processes.
All students can take the ASME pipe certification and AWS structural certification exams. Technical and hands-on training in structural welding (SMAW), pipe welding, oxyacetylene cutting, gas tungsten arc welding (TIG), metal noble gas welding (MIG), and flux cored arc welding is available at three certification levels (FCAW).
How Much Do Welding Schools Cost in Texas?
The cost of tuition to become a certified welder in Texas will vary greatly depending on the school you attend. Tuition fees can also vary depending on the type of training, length of the program, and state. Some courses offer certification after a 7-month training period, while others may take up to 4 years to finish.
Welding school tuition in Texas typically starts at around $5,000 for courses lasting 3-7 months. College welding programs can cost up to $15,000 for courses that last up to fifteen months. Counting on your goals, a university program may provide more benefits than welding training, which is a smaller amount, more expensive, and lasts less time.
Welding Schools In Texas FAQs
How long does Texas welding school last?
Welders in Texas must be certified by the American Welders Society. Finding an open program at a nearby school and testing for certification is the best action. These programs can last from six months to 2 years.
Is certification required for welders in Texas?
The state requires the American Welders Society certification of Texas for welders. Finding an honest program at a local school and testing for certification is the best action.Â
Is obtaining a welding certification worthwhile?
Yes, welding schools are often worthwhile because consistent with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers increasingly require postsecondary welding education (BLS).
Conclusion
To summarize, there are numerous welding schools in Texas where you’ll study welding.
Any welding schools in Texas listed above are a superb place to start. However, some schools could also be more helpful in your job search once you complete your program.
Schools like Lincoln Electric welding school, which is operated and owned by one of the major players in the welding industry, will look good to a possible employer because their name is behind your certification.
References
