41 Best Welding Schools & Online Courses in California

Are you residing in California? Have you been considering a career in welding? These are some of the various Welding Schools in California. These schools provide classes in Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), as well as conventional pipe welding, making sure you receive the right training. Sculptors and other artists might also put in for welding training a way of supplementing their skills.
Find Affordable Welding Schools in California

Website: http://www.caltradeweldingschool.com/

Cost depends on the certification (such as a shielded metal arc certificaiton) you are trying to get, but for most people it's about $9,000. The courses they have focus on 6 different disciplines -  Combination, Welding Inspection, Structural Welding, MIG/TIG, and Pipeline welding where you'll learn key welding skills and blueprint reading capabilities. 

Bonus: For all tests students get 1 hour of free preparation with instructors.

Best in Southern California: Welding Skills Test and Training Center in Rancho Cucamonga

Welding Job Market In California

Welding Salary In California

The median hourly wage for welders in California is $18.60. The hourly wage varies from $15.00 to about $37.00 per hour. Welders earn a median salary of approximately $40,000 per year. The typical salary of welders in California varies from approximately $31,000 to about $77,000. This does not include bonuses and benefits information and other factors which affect base pay. Welders in the state rank in the top 10% in terms of wages and salaries compared to the rest of the country.  Note that California does have a relatively high cost of living so while pay may be higher it also costs more to live in the state.

Two of the highest paying employers are gas and electrical utilities, at $63,000 and $65,000 on average respectively. A majority of the employers are in the manufacturing and construction sectors, where pay is usually around $36,000 to $42,000 per year.

However, the salary for a welder usually varies based on a number of factors which include industry, location, company size, level of education, and years of experience. It always helps to b certified and have gone to an accredited welding school.

Expectations and Openings

Most companies expect welding certification. Graduates of welding programs usually have several job opportunities waiting for them immediately after completing their program.

As of 2019, welding provided job opportunities for about 29,000 individual in California. Looking at 2024, new job openings of about 2000 have already been projected, taking the total available welding jobs to 31,000. With a percentage increase of 6.9%, the average annual job opening is around 2000.

WHAT CITIES ARE MOST POPULAR IN CALIFORNIA FOR WELDERS?

Below are the cities in California that hire the most welders. $ amount in parentheses represents the average wage for the city. Remember to take cost of living into account when considering wages, as it is more expensive to live in some cities compared to others.

• San Diego ($24.63 hourly, or about $52,000 annually)
• Los Angeles ($22.83 hourly, or about $48,000 annually)
• Bakersfield ($21.93 hourly, or about $44,000 annually)

WHAT COMPANIES ARE HIRING IN CALIFORNIA?

The following companies are some of the most popular companies to hire welders. They may not indicate the median or average.

• General Dynamics Information Technology
• BAE Systems
• Union Pacific

FAQs

How do I become a certified welder in California?

To become a certified welder in California you need to complete an AWS welding school's program. Once the program is done, you'll need to take the AWS Certification test. Passing it will have you become a certified welder.

How much does welding school cost in California?

Welding schools in California cost anywhere from $5,500 to $13,000, with most of them being about $10,000. How much a school is depends on the length of program and location. Please keep in mind that this is simply cost of tuition - there will be additional living costs.