If you’re looking for some options for your future career in West Virginia, you should consider becoming a welder.
This career is absolutely interesting and rewarding.
Becoming a welder, you’ll be working with your own hands on open air daily.
Below you can find all the information you need to learn about welding.
Article Table of Contents
- 1 Welder’s Duties and Roles in Maine
- 2 Reasons for Becoming a Welder in West Virginia
- 3 Average Welder’s Salary in West Virginia
- 4 Where Can Certified Welders Work in West Virginia?
- 5 Top 13 Welding Certification Schools in West Virginia
- 6 Popular Degree Programs
- 7 Similar Career Options in West Virginia
- 8 Conclusion
- 9 Frequently Asked Questions
Welder’s Duties and Roles in Maine
Before becoming a welder, learn some data about welder’s duties.
Welding is a process of joining metal elements which means that a welder should be able to use various tool for heating and melting metal.
In fact, it requires excellent knowledge and practical skills.
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 West Virginia
To begin with, welding is an absolutely rewarding job.
You’ll be able to see the results of your hard work all over your city,
Moreover, this job is a great choice for those who prefer working with their own hands.
You can work in an open air daily creating amazing constructions such as buildings, bridges and so on.
Also, you should keep in mind, that this career has an amazing outcome.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that the number of job offers will grow by 6% until 2026.
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 West Virginia
Welders in West Virginia have a good salary.
Their median payment is about $43 690 per year or $21 per hour.
A median salary throughout the country is $39 390 per year or $18.94 per hour.
The top 10% of welders in West Virginia earn about $70 350 annually while the top 10% of welders throughout the country earn $62 100 per year.
Where Can Certified Welders Work in West Virginia?
Looking for welding career options in West Virginia, you’ll be able to find numerous options in such spheres as:
- Construction of buildings and bridges;
- Manufacturing;
- Aerospace applications;
- Gas & oil field power plants and refineries;
- Shipbuilding;
- Auto & motorcycle fabrication and repair.
Top 13 Welding Certification Schools in West Virginia
Below there is a list of the best welding certification schools in West Virginia.
There are 13 schools that were approved by the American Welding Society’s SENSE Accreditation Program.
Each school provides a variety of important and essential courses such as Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick), or Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG).
It means that you’ll be able to perform your duties properly.
Keep in mind that you need a high-school diploma or GED to start your training.
Nevertheless, some schools are ready to accept high-school juniors.
In any case, to become a certified welder, a high-school diploma is required as well as a bunch of significant skills.
School | Location | Contact Information | Phone Number |
---|---|---|---|
Academy Of Careers And Technology | 390 Stanaford Rd, Beckley, WV 25801 United States | Glenn D. Smith | (304) 528-5106 |
Ben Franklin Career Center | 500 28Th St Dunbar, WV 25064 United States | Carl Spitzer | (304) 766-0369 |
Cabell County Career Tech | 1035 Norway Avenue, Huntington, WV 25705 United States | George Givens | (715) 674-2311 |
Carver Career Center | 4799 Midland Dr, Charleston, WV 25306 United States | Christian V Hudson | (304) 348-1965 |
Fayette Institute Technology | 300 W Oyler Ave, Oak Hill, WV 25901 United States | Gene Worthington | (304) 469-2911 |
Fred Eblere Technical Center | Rt 5 Box 2, Buckhannon, WV 26201 United States | Fred Dumire | (304) 472-1259 |
Mercer County Technical Education Center | 1397 Stafford Dr, Princeton, WV 24740 United States | Ronnie L Shrewsbury | (304) 425-9551 |
Potomac State College | Agriculture Dept, Keyser, WV 26726 United States | Rick Woodsworth | (304) 788-6986 |
PRT Vo-Tech Center | State Route 2 Harmony Acres, P.O. Box 29, St. Mary's, WV 26170-0029 United States | Richard Young | (304) 684-2464 |
Putnam County Technical Center | 101 Roosevelt Blvd, Eleanor, WV 25070 United States | Carl Spitzer | (304) 586-3494 |
Roane-Jackson Technical Center | 4800 Spencer Road, Leroy, WV 25252 United States | Randall Board | (304) 372-7335 |
United Technical Center | Route 3 Box 4 C, Clarksburg, WV 26301 United States | William E. Younkins | (304) 624-3280 |
West Virginia University | 300 Campus Drive, Parkersburg, WV 26104 United States | Joe Hunt | (304) 424-8339 |
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 West Virginia
These options may as well interest you:
- Boilermaker;
- Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter;
- Sheet Metal Worker.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are enough welding certification schools in West Virginia.
You just need to choose the best one and start your training.
After some training, you’ll be able to enroll in your successful career.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MIG or TIG easier?
MIG welding is much easier than TIG.
While the former is a great option for beginning welders, the latter requires highly skilled operators, demanding the use of both hands and one foot simultaneously.
TIG is also considerably slower than MIG and other forms of welding, and the workpiece surface has to be clean and spotless.
Are Harbor Freight welders any good?
Harbor Freight is known for its high-quality TIG, MIG, stick, and flux welders.
Whether you are a beginning or seasoned welder, you have a decent number of options to choose from.
Many people opt for Harbor Freight welders because they are affordable without compromising quality.
Why is undercut considered a cardinal sin in welding?
An undercut is bad because it weakens the weld to a certain degree.
Even in cases in which the weld is not completely weakened, a lot of its potential is taken away, increasing its likelihood of breaking or cracking in the future.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Certified Welder