The 9 Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota

In “The 9 Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota,” you’ll find profiles of the nine institutions where you can obtain your welding certification. Additionally, you’ll find some key welding information that every welding student should know. It is our goal to helping you take the first step to find a good welding job in South Dakota.

Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota:
Table of Contents

• Information Every Welding Student Should Know
• The 9 Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota
• Contact Info, Names, & Locations of Welding Trade Schools in South Dakota
• More Accredited Welding Institutions Nearby
• Welding Jobs in SD

Information Every Welding Student Should Know

Even though you’re going to learn a lot in welding school, it’s good to know the basics before enrolling. After all, the more you know about welding, the more likely you’ll be sure that it’s the best career choice for you.

What It Takes to Be a Good Welder in South Dakota

Since welding jobs are demanding, it’s a good idea to make sure you have what it takes. Basically, you need to be able to combine technical skills with a strong mental constitution.

The following is a list of traits we consider to be the most important for welders to possess:

• Be attentive to details
• Have manual dexterity
• Be physically fit
• Have strong spatial-orientation skills
• Demonstrate strong technical skills

For more information, watch the video “Do You Have What It Takes to Become a Welder?”

Welding vs Brazing vs Soldering

Basically, welding is using heat to fuse together two pieces of metal. Although it’s a lot like brazing and soldering, there are a few key differences.

Unlike soldering and brazing, welding doesn’t involve the use of a filler metal. (Or a “solder.”) Another key difference is that soldering and brazing use lower temperatures, at 850 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

Also, Brazing stands out from soldering in that it produces stronger structures and often uses a liquid flux material.

Welder Certification

Generally speaking, welder certification is a requirement for finding a good welding job. Since the American Welding Society (AWS) has created standard tests to measure prospective welders’ knowledge, it’s a good uniform standard for measuring skill levels for jobs. AWS’s mission is “Advancing the science, technology, and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes worldwide.”

Currently, AWS offers 11 types of welder certifications:

• Certified Welder
• Welding Inspector
• Associate Welding Inspector
• Senior Certified Welding Inspector
• Welding Educator
• Radiographic Interpreter
• Welding Supervisor
• Robotic Arc Welding
• Welding Sales Representative
• Reciprocity Program
• Welding Engineer

The 6 Most Popular Welding Methods

While attending one of the 22 Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota, you’ll likely learn these 6 welding methods first:

• Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick)
• Plasma Arc Welding
• Flux-Cored Welding
• Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG)
• Tungsten Inert Gas Welding (TIG)
• Gas or Oxy Acetylene Welding

If you want to see a video explanation, check out “The 6 Main Types of Welding.” From the list above, the most common welding methods are stick, MIG, and TIG.

The 9 Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota

All in all, there are 9 Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota. Some are high schools that offer classes to students in the 11th and 12th grades. Others are job corps centers or technical institutes.

High Schools with Welding Programs in South Dakota

At this time, there are 5 high schools with welding programs in South Dakota.

1. Huron High School: Second on the list is Huron High, which is a welding school in Huron, South Dakota. It’s a small school with a graduation rate of about 80%.
2. Leola High School: At Leola High School, juniors and seniors have the opportunity to learn about welding at the same time they earn their high school diploma.
3. Mobridge-Pollock High School: Yet another high school, Mobridge-Pollock High, offers welding classes for certification. It is located in a town called Mobridge.
4. Montrose School District: Of the three SENSE levels (Entry, Advanced, and Expert), Montrose offers the Entry Level certification program.
5. Sunshine Bible Academy: For those desiring a Christian-based school for kids with a welding program, the Sunshine Bible Academy is the best place. It’s a boarding school with grades K-12.

Welding Colleges in South Dakota

Additionally, there are 4 non-secondary welding schools in South Dakota:

1. Boxelder Job Corp Center: The Boxelder Job Corp Center is located in Nemo, South Dakota. Like the rest of the job corps centers in the United States, its purpose is to provide young people with the skills necessary for technical careers and/or further education. The welding program takes 8-12 months.
2. Western Dakota Tech Institute: Last but not least, the Western Dakota Tech Institute is another one of the Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota. Their Welding & Fabrication program provides students with technical training, hands-on learning, and the necessary skills for entry level welding jobs in SD.
3. Southeast Technical Institute: Located in Sioux Falls, SD, the Southeast Technical Institute offers over 50 “fast-track” career programs. Notably, it was named one of the top 150 community colleges and awarded the Aspen Prize.
4. Mitchell Technical Institute: The fourth welding school in South Dakota is the Mitchell Technical Institute. It offers 25 Associate Degree programs and 15 Certification programs, including welding.

Contact Info for the Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota

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Accredited Welding Institutions Nearby

In addition to the 9 Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota, there are more welding schools in bordering states. For more information, follow the links below.

• In North Dakota, there are 7 welding schools.
• Next South Dakota’s neighbor to the east, Minnesota, offers 13 welding schools for certification.
• Another bordering state, Iowa, has 11 more welding schools to add to the mix.
• Nebraska has 2 welding trade schools.
• There’s also Wyoming, which as 7 welding school.
• Last but not least, Montana offers 12 welding schools for certification.

Welding Jobs in SD Pay Well

Welders are in high demand across the United States. Consequently, it’s a career that will provide you with a stable source of income.

The median salary for welding jobs in South Dakota is $36,040 ($17.33 per hour). Another helpful statistic to look at is the salary of welders earning in the top 10%, which is $47,160.

Enter your zip code to find the Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota near you!

Conclusion

After checking out the 9 Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota, we hope you found one that fits your lifestyle. Remember, you can always branch out to bordering states if you aren’t satisfied with South Dakota’s options.

Thanks for visiting, and feel free to check out the rest of Trades for Careers for more information about high paying technical vocations.