Welding & Metalworking programs: earnings, debt and schools by state
1,500 certificate and associate-degree programs at 1,024 U.S. schools teach welders, cutters, machinists and tool-and-die workers. Federal data shows what past graduates earned and borrowed. Programs in this group teach arc and MIG/TIG welding, blueprint reading, cutting and fabrication, and in some schools CNC machining and tool-and-die work. The Scorecard groups them under CIP 48.05, Precision Metal Working.
Best-paying welding programs (one year after completion)
Ranked by the median earnings of completers working and not enrolled, among programs with at least 10 earners reported. High earnings can reflect local labor markets and who enrolls, so compare debt and completion too.
| School | City | Program | Credential | Completers/yr | 1-yr earnings | Median debt | Monthly payment* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | 19 | $72,223 | $16,757 | $190 |
| Lee College | Baytown, TX | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | 144 | $70,412 | – | – |
| Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College | Bowling Green, KY | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | 254 | $69,657 | $8,750 | $99 |
| Ivy Tech Community College | Indianapolis, IN | Precision Metal Working | Associate degree | 139 | $69,427 | $8,998 | $102 |
| Hennepin Technical College | Brooklyn Park, MN | Precision Metal Working | Associate degree | 18 | $68,632 | $13,954 | $159 |
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny, IA | Precision Metal Working | Associate degree | 20 | $65,355 | – | – |
| Jefferson Community and Technical College | Louisville, KY | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | 291 | $65,286 | $8,250 | $94 |
| Hennepin Technical College | Brooklyn Park, MN | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | 98 | $64,415 | $14,750 | $168 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | Williamsport, PA | Precision Metal Working | Associate degree | 80 | $63,054 | $19,500 | $222 |
| Anoka Technical College | Anoka, MN | Precision Metal Working | Associate degree | 13 | $62,495 | – | – |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District | Davenport, IA | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | 87 | $61,035 | – | – |
| Gateway Community and Technical College | Florence, KY | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | 390 | $60,680 | $7,125 | $81 |
| Bluegrass Community and Technical College | Lexington, KY | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | 473 | $60,604 | $10,786 | $123 |
| Dunwoody College of Technology | Minneapolis, MN | Precision Metal Working | Associate degree | 19 | $60,388 | $12,000 | $136 |
| Idaho State University | Pocatello, ID | Precision Metal Working | Certificate | 26 | $59,367 | $6,500 | $74 |
*Scorecard's estimated monthly payment on the median debt over 10 years. “Not reported” means the Department suppressed or did not publish the figure.
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Welding programs by state
| State | Programs | Schools | Median 1-yr earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 29 | 21 | $33,184 | $13,000 |
| Alaska | 6 | 5 | $51,824 | $12,586 |
| Arizona | 27 | 18 | $41,896 | $8,178 |
| Arkansas | 32 | 26 | $36,190 | $8,250 |
| California | 142 | 85 | $42,870 | $8,331 |
| Colorado | 27 | 16 | $45,384 | $9,500 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 4 | $45,316 | $9,500 |
| Delaware | 2 | 2 | not reported | – |
| Florida | 58 | 57 | $42,077 | $6,855 |
| Georgia | 35 | 25 | $41,468 | $9,500 |
| Hawaii | 4 | 2 | not reported | – |
| Idaho | 13 | 7 | $45,039 | $8,208 |
| Illinois | 69 | 46 | $40,917 | $8,178 |
| Indiana | 6 | 4 | $50,612 | $8,998 |
| Iowa | 28 | 16 | $47,678 | $5,500 |
| Kansas | 43 | 27 | $46,143 | $5,812 |
| Kentucky | 29 | 18 | $46,842 | $7,898 |
| Louisiana | 16 | 14 | $35,402 | $9,235 |
| Maine | 14 | 8 | not reported | $8,457 |
| Maryland | 7 | 6 | $40,066 | $11,250 |
| Massachusetts | 6 | 6 | not reported | – |
| Michigan | 57 | 33 | $46,691 | $9,153 |
| Minnesota | 34 | 22 | $52,294 | $8,992 |
| Mississippi | 31 | 16 | $33,946 | $5,368 |
| Missouri | 30 | 19 | $47,133 | $8,150 |
| Montana | 22 | 13 | $42,934 | $7,084 |
| Nebraska | 11 | 6 | $53,959 | $9,834 |
| Nevada | 8 | 4 | not reported | – |
| New Hampshire | 9 | 6 | $47,695 | $9,856 |
| New Jersey | 10 | 10 | $44,036 | $8,594 |
| New Mexico | 33 | 20 | not reported | $8,753 |
| New York | 26 | 19 | $44,512 | $6,718 |
| North Carolina | 103 | 61 | $39,883 | $11,000 |
| North Dakota | 11 | 8 | $51,411 | $7,692 |
| Ohio | 72 | 60 | $43,425 | $9,500 |
| Oklahoma | 33 | 32 | $34,326 | $11,255 |
| Oregon | 27 | 15 | not reported | – |
| Pennsylvania | 54 | 43 | $44,624 | $9,500 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 2 | not reported | – |
| South Carolina | 27 | 16 | $43,267 | $9,500 |
| South Dakota | 7 | 4 | $47,755 | $8,750 |
| Tennessee | 30 | 29 | $42,632 | $9,500 |
| Texas | 120 | 77 | $39,883 | $9,500 |
| Utah | 14 | 11 | $40,367 | $6,866 |
| Virginia | 27 | 23 | $42,466 | $12,000 |
| Washington | 46 | 24 | $47,948 | $8,001 |
| West Virginia | 18 | 13 | not reported | – |
| Wisconsin | 24 | 17 | $50,390 | $5,500 |
| Wyoming | 15 | 8 | $47,103 | $5,500 |
States with fewer than three programs have no detail page.
What to know before you enroll
Employers often ask for a welding certification such as those offered by the American Welding Society. Those exams are separate from the school diploma, so ask each school how many weld-test hours you get in a booth.
Questions to ask every school
- How many hours are spent in the weld booth versus the classroom?
- Which welding processes (SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW) and positions are covered?
- Does the school host certification tests on site?
For national pay and job outlook, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics profile: Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
Frequently asked questions
How much do welding graduates earn?
Among 355 welding programs that report earnings, the median first-year figure is $43,370 for certificate programs ($42,713) and $49,506 for associate programs. These are medians of past graduates and vary by state and employer.
How much debt do welding students take on?
The median federal loan debt among borrowers across programs reporting it is $8,630. Many students in short programs borrow nothing; the figure only covers borrowers.
Is the data current?
It comes from the College Scorecard release dated October 15, 2026. The Department updates it annually and each figure describes graduates from earlier years.
Can I trust a school's own job-placement claims?
Treat them as a starting point. Ask for the placement rate definition, the number of graduates counted and the time window, then compare with the federal earnings above.
Related programs
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study and Institution files (release dated 10/15/2026). Earnings are median annual earnings of completers working and not enrolled one year after finishing; debt is median federal loan debt of borrowers; both describe past cohorts and small programs are suppressed by the Department. See our methodology.