How It's Done

The schooling required to be a welder ranges from a year to a lifetime. There are literally enough welding courses and classes that you cannot complete them in a lifetime. In one year you can complete basic welding training and receive your c ticket that can get you into basic welding jobs such as body shops and other basic steel welding. In 3 years you can complete your b ticket and work on pressurized pipes and tanks and many other metals. This is where most people stop and go to work because the pay ranges from $30-$100 an hour. If you stay for a full 5 years you will receive you A ticket allowing you to work on nearly any metal or welding machine. As an A certified welder most will make the same as a B certified welder but with chances for other high paying side jobs. Other than you basic ABC welding training there are hundreds of classes for anything from plastic welding to under welding and even outer space welding. What courses you take all depends on where you want to work, how much money you have for courses and how much you want to make on the job. A welder can make between $25,000 to upwards of $850,000. Just depends on your skill and training.