Train For a Career in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing

If you enjoy working with industrial materials including steel, titanium, and plastics, you might want to consider a career in welding. Welders are in demand in manufacturing and repair jobs and if you have the right training you can make a very good living.

Welding sounds simple, doesn't it? You just put on the big helmet and the gloves, fire up the torch, and fuse pieces of metal together in a shower of sparks. Perhaps that's what the guy next door does - the one who makes those big metal sculptures he's got arranged around his yard like rusty dinosaurs - but in reality welding is a complex business that requires professional training.

There are many different types of welding including arc welding (using an electric current to create heat), soldering, brazing, plasma, and oxy-gas cutting. Welders have to know how to join a wide variety of materials within rigid specifications. They work in every conceivable environment, from factories to construction sites to bridges and even under water. The jobs they work on range from welding huge skyscraper beams to creating custom-made motorcycles for Hollywood stars. They have to know how to work from blueprints and have knowledge of mathematics, physics, electricity, metallurgy, and engineering.

Qualifications for Welders

Most employers seek to hire welders who have been through formal training programs. Knowledge of computers is increasingly important, especially for welding, soldering, and brazing machine operators, who work with automatic welding robots and other computer-controlled machines.

Some welding positions require general certifications in welding or certifications in specific skills such as inspection or robotic welding. In industries such as defense and aerospace, where highly skilled and accurate work is required, many employers require these certifications.

Some employers are willing to pay for the training of employees at accredited welding schools. Many welding schools offer the American Welding Society certification courses. The Institute for Printed Circuits offers certifications and training in soldering. The increased use of lead-free soldering, which requires a higher level of skill than standard lead-based soldering, has increased the importance of certification to employers.

Job Prospects Are Good for Trained Welders

According to the U.S. Government's Bureau of Labor Statistics, for welders trained in the latest technologies job prospects should be good. Trained welders can earn up to $20 an hour or more. Welding schools report that even in today's economy graduates have success in finding work, and many welding employers report difficulty finding properly skilled welders. But welders without professional training are facing stiff competition for job openings.

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