If you think it’s time to look for some career options, this article will be useful for you.
Welding is an exciting and rewarding career so we’ve thought it may interest you.
That’s why we’ve prepared some info about this career and the best training options available in Louisiana.
Article Table of Contents
- 1 Welder’s Duties and Roles in Louisiana
- 2 Reasons for Becoming a Welder in Louisiana
- 3 Average Welder’s Salary in Louisiana
- 4 Where Can Certified Welders Work in Louisiana?
- 5 Top 38 Welding Certification Schools in Louisiana
- 6 Popular Degree Programs
- 7 Similar Career Options in Louisiana
- 8 Frequently Asked Questions
Welder’s Duties and Roles in Louisiana
Do you want to know what are the duties of a welder?
The answer is pretty simple – metal pieces connection.
To do it properly, welders use various tools that heat, melt and join metal elements.
Most Significant Welder’s Responsibilities
There are 4 the most significant responsibilities any welder should perform daily:
- Studying and understanding specific sketches, blueprints, and instructions. Also, a welder should be able to follow all these instructions properly.
- Raw structure/material analysis in order to determine appropriate methods required for an excellent result. There are about 100 welding methods such as gas tungsten arc welding, shielded metal arc welding, or gas metal arc welding.
- Usage of appropriate tools depending on the chosen method.
- Maintaining equipment and tools so it meets all the requirements. There is a variety of different types of tools including electric and manual equipment. Sometimes, welders should be able to use numerous combination of tools to perform their job properly.
Reasons for Becoming a Welder in Louisiana
Welding – it’s not only interesting and exciting but also a rewarding career.
Working as a welder, you are going to create a number of important constructions such as buildings, bridges and so on.
It means that you’ll have something to be proud of.
Consider the fact that welding career outlook grows daily.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that the number of career option will grow significantly by 2026 (by 6%).
If you want to work as a welder, you need to be:
- Detail oriented;
- Technical skills;
- Physical strength;
- Physical stamina;
- Manual dexterity;
- Spatial-orientation skills.
Average Welder’s Salary in Louisiana
An average median salary throughout the country is $39 390 per year or $18.94 per hour.
At the same time, a median welder’s salary in Louisiana earns about $47 810 annually which is about $22,99 per hour.
The top 10% of welders in the USA has a salary of $62 000 per year.
Speaking of the top 10% of welders in Louisiana, they earn about $69 680 or more.
Where Can Certified Welders Work in Louisiana?
There are lots of career options for welders in Louisiana such as:
- Construction of buildings and bridges;
- Manufacturing;
- Aerospace applications;
- Gas & oil field power plants and refineries;
- Shipbuilding;
- Auto & motorcycle fabrication and repair.
Top 38 Welding Certification Schools in Louisiana
Louisiana has a number of schools that provide welding training.
This article has a list of the best welding certification schools below.
It’s important to say that every school in the list was approved by the American Welding Society’s SENSE Accreditation Program.
Each program contains a number of important classes such as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick), or Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG) and so on.
Speaking of the requirements you should meet it’s a high-school diploma or GED.
Also, some schools accept 10th-grade students gladly.
School | Location | Contact Information | Phone Number |
---|---|---|---|
Acadian Technical Institute | 1933 West Hutchinson Ave. Crowley, LA 70526 United States | Darryl Boullion | (337) 788-7521 |
Advanced Welding School LLC | 10340 Florida Blvd Walker, LA 70785 United States | Randy Pearson | (225) 480-6304 |
Bossier Parish Community College | 6220 East Texas Street Bossier City, LA 71037 United States | Beonica Rutherford-Frazier | (318) 678-6255 |
Caddo Career Center | 5950 Union Ave. Shreveport, LA 71108 United States | Gayle Flowers | (318) 636-5150 |
Central Louisiana Technical Community College | 4311 South MacArthur Drive Alexandria, LA 71302 United States | Kyle Vidrine | (318) 487-5443 |
College St. T & I Voc Center | 736 W College St. Lake Charles, LA 70607 United States | Andrew Fontenot | (337) 217-4370 |
Delgado Community College | 5200 Blair Drive Metairie, LA 70001 United States | William Wilson | (504) 671-5631 |
Grant High School | 17779 HWY 167 Dry Prong, LA 71449 United States | Polly Briggs | (318) 899-3331 |
Louisiana Tech College System | PO Box 489 Hammond, LA 70404 United States | Francis Bickham | (800) 469-0236 |
Lousiana Technical College Lafayette | 1101 Bertrand Dr Lafayette, LA 70506 United States | Charles Lewis | (337) 262-5962 |
Moore Career College | 14141 Airline Hwy Bldg 1 Ste X Baton ROuge, LA 70817 United States | Speedy Moore | (225) 757-3770 |
Northshore Technical Community College Florida Parishes Campuses | PO Box 1300 948 Hwy. 1042 Greensburg, LA 70441 United States | Sharon Homsby | (225) 222-4251 |
Shreveport Job Corp Center | United States | (800) 733-5627 | |
South Central Louisiana Technical College | 181 Regala Park Rd Reserve, LA 70084 United States | Jimmy Goodson | (985) 536-4418 |
South Central Lousiana Technical College | 900 Youngs Road Morgan City, LA 70380 United States | (985) 380-2436 | |
Sparx Welding And Technology Institute | 280 A Equity BLVD Houma, LA 70363 United States | Philip Strother | (985) 655-7779 |
Keep in mind that the information in the table may change so we recommend you to doublecheck it.
Popular Degree Programs
Similar Career Options in Louisiana
Don’t feel like becoming a welder but still looking for something similar?
These options may interest you:
- Boilermaker;
- Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter;
- Sheet Metal Worker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I learn to weld online?
The American Welding Society (AWS) offers online courses that allow you to learn at your own pace.
Although these online courses are extremely convenient and you can study from the comfort of your own home, you still need hands-on training.
The amount of time it takes for you to become a full-fledged welder will depend a lot on how quickly you complete your self-paced online course.
What is a hyperbaric welder?
A hyperbaric welder is an underwater welder.
This type of welder, earning between $38,000 and $147,000 per year, works either offshore or inland.
Although offshore underwater welders earn slightly more than inland underwater welders, both get paid decently well.
Plus, welders with experience as diver medical technicians can expect to receive a respectable bonus.
How much does a structural welder make?
Structural welders make more than most other welders, with an average salary of $56k per year.
Responsible for the welding of steel structures, such as bridges and buildings, they have to be able to work under stressful conditions.
Because of all the innovations being done for residential and commercial properties, structural welding has become a highly sought-after service.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Certified Welder