Are you interested in a career in welding? Unsurprisingly, you’ll have no difficulty finding a good fit out of the list of 179 Top Welding Schools for Certification in Texas. In the following article, you’ll find information for each school, as well as basic welding information.
The Top Welding Schools for Certification in Texas: Overview
- How Much Do Welders Make in Texas?
- The Best Welding Schools in Texas: List of Welding Schools Location & Contact Info
- Welding Schools in Dallas [Video]
- Welding Schools in San Antonio
- Houston’s Welding Schools [Video]
- Austin’s Welding Schools [Video]
- El Paso’s Welding Schools
- Underwater Welding Schools in Texas
- Best Welding Schools for Certification in Nearby States
- Welding 101: What You Should Know About Being a Welder [Video]
- Essential Welding Equipment and Supplies
How Much Do Welders Make in Texas?
In Texas, welders have better salaries than the national average.
While the national median average is $39,390 annually, Texas welding jobs pay a median salary of $45,250.
- In other words, this is an hourly mean wage of $21.76.
Another notable comparison is with the national median average of welders earning in the top 10% of median pay, which is $62,100 yearly.
- The highest paying welding jobs in Texas (the top 10%) pay about $70,910 yearly.
And welding salaries are only going to get better. The welding employment outlook is great. According to the US Department of Labor, there’s an expected growth of 22,500 more welding jobs between 2016 and 2026.
The Top Welding Schools for Certification in Texas:
Finding Welding Schools Near Me
All in all, there are 179 Top Welding Schools for Certification in Texas. Below is the contact information for each.
For details about welding schools in major cities like Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, El Paso, and Austin, keep scrolling.
Welding Schools in Dallas
To begin, we recommend this brief video about welding vocational schools in Dallas, Texas.
If you’re looking for welding classes in Dallas, Mountain View Community College is the place for you. Actually, the college offers classes to prepare you for both entry level jobs and welding inspector jobs. For more information, check out the college’s Welding page.
Welding Schools in San Antonio
For welding classes in San Antonio, check out the Southern Careers Institute (SCI). After graduating from SCI, you’ll be eligible for jobs as TIG, Combo, and MIG welders; fabricators, pipe welders, and/or sheet metal workers.
Welding Schools in Houston, Texas
At the Tulsa Welding School campus in Houston, Texas, you can have training as a Welding Specialist or Welding Specialist with Pipefitting.
For a virtual tour, watch this video:
In the next main section, you’ll learn more about the one commercial diving school in Houston – The Ocean Corporation.
Welding Schools in Austin, Texas
Another good welding school in Texas is located in Austin, and it’s called Austin Community College. At ACC, students can learn to become Certified Welders, Welding Inspectors, or Metal Artists.
To learn more, check out this Austin Community College Welding Department video:
Welding Schools in El Paso
In El Paso, Texas, El Paso Community College offers a Welding Technology program. In addition to teaching basic fabrication, their curriculum encompasses the most popular methods of welding discussed in “Welding 101” below.
Underwater Welding Schools in Texas
There is one underwater welding school in Houston, Texas. This commercial diving school, named The Ocean Corporation, features various tanks, a special deck, and diving complex. All of the facilities are top notch.
At this time, the two available programs are Non-Destructive Testing and the Ultimate Diver Training program. For videos and information about this underwater welding schools cost, requirements, and more, see The Best Underwater Welding Schools Near Me in the United States.
Welding Schools for Certification in Texas and Beyond
Additionally, looking at the 4 states bordering Texas is also a great place to start. Follow the links below to explore the options for welding schools in nearby states.
To explore pipe welding schools in all 50 states, we suggest taking advantage of the article shown below.
Welding 101: What You Should Know About Being a Welder
On the one hand, welding is a complex field. On the other hand, its overall meaning is quite easy to understand: welding is using a heat source to fuse together two pieces of raw material. The finished project can be anything from a small art project to an enormous bridge.
Being a successful welder involves both mental and physical sharpness. Of course, welding requires physical strength, stamina, and finesse.
Also, it requires the ability to interpret blueprints and understand certain kinds of mathematics. Welders need to be independent and highly motivated.
Depending on the individual projects, welders are responsible for measuring, cutting, and execution as well as maintaining safe welding machinery throughout the process.
The Different Types of Welding Methods
There are several types of welding methods, including:
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Flux-Cored Welding
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Tungsten Inert Gas Welding
- Gas or Oxy Acetylene Welding
- Plasma Arc Welding
Although there are 100+ different welding methods, those are the top 6 most popular welding methods. And they are the ones you’ll learn about first in welding school.
For more details on each welding method, check out the video below:
How to Become a Welder in Texas
- Prior to enrolling in one of the Top Welding Schools for Certification in Texas, you’ll need to have your high school diploma or GED.
- Alternatively, you can participate in a program like “Pathways to Graduation” for welding at your local high school. In this case, you’ll be able to start once you’re in the 11th grade.
- After this, your certification alongside on-the-job training is your key to landing a position with a good welding job.
Careers Like Welding in Texas: Soldering & Brazing
In a nutshell, the difference between soldering/brazing and welding is that welding omits the use of a filler metal.
Like welding, soldering and brazing involve the connection of raw materials. However, lower temperatures are used. (Typically, this is below 850 degrees Fahrenheit/450 degrees Celsius.) Soldering implements a filler metal, or “solder.” In this process, the solder is heated and each piece of metal is attached to the solder.
Brazing is a similar process, only the filler metal heats even more. Frequently, a liquid flux material is utilized to blend the pieces together more easily. An advantage of brazing is that it produces a stronger structure than does soldering.
More Careers Like Welding in Texas
While welding is a great vocation, there are plenty of other viable technical vocations worth your time. Here are some careers like welding in Texas:
- Boilermakers
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Sheet Metal Workers
Best Welding Supplies and Equipment Online
Many welders use equipment manually, whereas others operate welding machines. It all depends on the particular welding project at hand.
For beginners, here’s a basic checklist of the essentials:
- Auto-darkening welding helmet
- Welding gloves
- Safety Glasses
- Welding Magnets
- Frame Jig
- C Clamps
- Welding Clamps
- Speed Square
- Angle Grinder
- Soapstone
- MIG Pliers
- Metal Brush
- Sheet Metal Gauge
- Metal File
This isn’t a comprehensive list, but it’s definitely a good start. Make sure to check out 2018’s Best Auto Darkening Welding Helmets Review.
The 30 Top Welding Schools for Certification in Texas: Conclusion
In conclusion, Texas offers a gigantic selection of the top welding schools in the country. Welding is worth your while, and there will be good welding jobs awaiting you after graduation.
Are you interested in other types of technical careers? If so, we invite you to check out the rest of Trades for Careers for helpful articles.