Welding Jobs Overview
A welder is both a scientist and an artist. They take detailed, technical instructions and use their artistry to create beautiful but functional products. Welders are responsible for 70% of all manufactured products—from cars, buildings, and airplanes to small kitchen appliances. But the U.S. is running short of welders, with industry analysts predicting 400,000 vacant welding jobs that need to be filled over the next few years. Luckily, you can start training to be a welder in a high school vocational-education program and go to work immediately after graduation.
Welders use precision and expert skills to weld various metals and alloys, install piping and equipment, and work with engineers on construction and manufacturing projects. As a welder, you'll also read blueprints, sketches, or specifications; calculate the dimensions of parts; and inspect structures or materials before welding.
To expand your job opportunities, you can search for other production jobs related to welding on Monster, including:
Welding Training and Skills
You can enter the welding trade with a high school diploma or GED plus training that you can get while you're still in high school by taking tech ed courses. You can also get your welding training at vocational-technical schools, community colleges, private welding schools, and military welding schools.
Besides hands-on welding training, courses that will make you a more desirable candidate for a welding job include shop mathematics, mechanical drawing, physics, chemistry, and metallurgy. It's not required, but to increase your job opportunities, you can become certified as a welder by the American Welding Society. Advanced welding jobs such as a Certified Welding Inspector and a Certified Robotic Arc Welder require specialized certification.
In addition to having technical skills, you'll benefit from being detail oriented and having manual dexterity, physical strength, stamina, and spatial awareness. Take a look at this description for typical welder jobs from Monster to better understand what it takes to succeed as a welder.
Update Your Welding Resume
When looking for a welding job, your first step is to put together a clean and updated resume to highlight your training and job experience. If you're not sure where to begin, we've got you covered. Check out our sample resumes and resume writing tips. You'll find plenty of helpful, straightforward instructions on putting together a resume that gets results. Adding a welder cover letter is a great way to get an employer's attention and let them know that you're serious about your career.
Interviewing for a Welding Job
What do employers ask during interviews for a welding job? They'll certainly want to know about your experience, what welding equipment and tools you've used, and how you avoided injuries in your last job. You'll have an advantage if you think about these questions and have answers in mind before the interview. This Monster article lists some of the questions you may be asked during interviews for manufacturing jobs and includes a special section for welding jobs.
How Much Do Welding Jobs Pay?
According to Monster research, the median welder pay in the in the U.S. is $18.56 per hour. You can use Monster's Salary Tools to search what welder jobs in your area are paying. That page also includes a list of skills that can boost your value and steps you might want to take next in your career.
Monster Is the First Step in Finding Your Next Welding Job
Are you ready to jump in and find your next job? Click on the welding jobs on this page to see what's available. With welders being in demand right now, creating a profile on Monster can attract the attention of recruiters and employers, so they can get in touch with you. A profile also allows you to get custom job alerts and helpful articles from our extensive library of job-hunting knowledge.