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Looking for a meaningful career with excellent opportunities?
Welding can be a perfect choice for those who want to make smth important and prefer working with their own hands.
If you are a Colorado resident and want to become a welder, we prepared for you a list of the best welding schools in the state.
Also, there is a bunch of useful tips for welding students and welders.
Article Table of Contents
- 1 Welder’s Duties and Roles in Colorado
- 2 Reasons for Becoming a Welder in Colorado
- 3 Average Welder’s Salary in Colorado
- 4 Where Can Certified Welders Work in Colorado?
- 5 Top 15 Welding Certification Schools in Colorado
- 6 Popular Degree Programs
- 7 Similar Career Options in Colorado
- 8 Frequently Asked Questions
Welder’s Duties and Roles in Colorado
Working as a welder, you need to connect metal pieces together using various tools.
There are lots of tools that will allow to heat and fuse metal elements and you should be able to use all of them.
It may sound like a pretty simple process but still, you need to be really skillful and knowledgeable.
Most Significant Welder’s Responsibilities
Welders perform a number of various responsibilities.
Nevertheless, there are 4 responsibilities that have exceptional significance:
- 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 Colorado
To begin with, welding is an absolutely rewarding and important job.
Working as a certified welder in Colorado, you’ll perform work you can be proud of.
Welding will be a perfect career for people who like working with their own hands outdoors.
Also, it is a really fascinating job as you’re going to work with metals, flame, heat, and sparks.
Moreover, you’ll be working on numerous important and big projects such as buildings, bridges and other various structures that require metal constructions.
Keep in mind that welding has an impressive outlook.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that it will grow by 6% by 2026.
Becoming a certified welder, you need to be:
- Detail oriented;
- Technical skills;
- Physical strength;
- Physical stamina;
- Manual dexterity;
- Spatial-orientation skills.
Average Welder’s Salary in Colorado
A median salary of a welder in Colorado is about $45 830 per year or $22,04 per hour.
It’s pretty much higher than an average salary throughout the country which is $39 390 per year ($18,94 per hour).
Top 10% of welders in Colorado earn a median salary which is about $68 520 per year.
At the same time, the top 10% of welders throughout the country earn $62 100 per year.
Where Can Certified Welders Work in Colorado?
After getting your certification as a welder, you can work in numerous industries.
Welders in Colorado can work 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 15 Welding Certification Schools in Colorado
We’ve done our best and prepared for you a list of the best welding schools in the state of Colorado.
The table below contains info about 15 welding schools in Colorado you can get your certification at.
Each school is approved by the American Welding Society’s SENSE Accreditation Program.
Moreover, all schools have excellent educational programs that contain Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick), or Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG) and other classes you need to become a professional welder.
Most schools require a high-school diploma or GED to enroll in welding training.
There are some schools that require just the completed 10th grade.
| School | Location | Contact Information | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bollman Technical Education Center | 9451 N. Washington St. Thornton, CO 80229 United States | Janet Renden | (720) 972-5824 |
| Colorado Educational Center | PO Box 999 Cannon City, CO 81212 United States | Samual Graham | (719) 269-5002 |
| Community College Of Denver - CCD | 2570 31 St. Denver, CO 80216 United States | John Wenner | (303) 289-1249 |
| Durango High School | 2390 Main Ave Durango, CO 81301 United States | Klink Chandler | (970) 259-1630 |
| Emily Griffith Technical College | 1205 Osaga St. Denver, CO 80203 United States | Ryan Thomas | (720) 423-8985 |
| Front Range Community College | 4616 South Sheilds Fort Collins, CO 80526 United States | Thompson Tindall | (970) 204-8610 |
| Lincoln College Of Technology | 11194 E. 45th Ave. Denver, CO 80237 United States | Joe Nuanes | (303) 722-5724 |
| Morgan Community College Fort Morgan | 920 Barlow Road Fort Morgan, CO 80701 United States | Kevin Crews | (970) 867-4060 |
| Pickens Technical College | 500 Airport BLVD Aurora, CO 80011 United States | (303) 344-4910 | |
| Pikes Peak Community College | 5675 S. Academy BLVD Colorado Springs, CO 80906 United States | Ed Golding | (719) 502-3000 |
| Prairie View High School Welding | 12909 E. 120th Ave. Henderson, CO 80640 United States | Paul Francisco | (720) 685-7641 |
| SW CO Community College | 33057 HWY 160 Mancos, CO 81328 United States | Ross Kibel | (970) 565-8457 |
| Tic Holdings Inc | 2645 Jacobs Circle Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 United States | Paul Laborde | (970) 879-2561 |
| Warren Tech | 13300 W. 2nd Place Lakewood, CO 80228 United States | Joe Shaw | (303) 982-8600 |
| Western Colorado Community College | 2508 Blickmann Ave. Grand Junction, CO 81505 United States | Bill Campbell | (970) 255-2704 |
Popular Degree Programs
Similar Career Options in Colorado
If you don’t feel like becoming a welder but still you are looking for some similar jobs, there are some options for you in Colorado:
- Boilermakers;
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters;
- Sheet Metal Workers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What metals cannot be welded together?
Metal pairs that cannot be successfully welded together include aluminum and copper, aluminum and steel, and titanium and steel.
They are impossible to fuse together because their metallurgical properties cannot be altered.
On the other hand, there are some metals that are difficult but not impossible to weld together.
This is where dissimilar metal welding comes into play.
What is flux-core arc welding?
Flux-core arc welding, also referred to as dual shield welding, is a process that is similar to but more efficient than MAG welding.
Initially developed as an alternative to sticking welding, this semi-automatic arc welding process combines a constant voltage power supply, a wire-feed electrode, and MAG-like welding equipment to weld metals.
This process is compatible with cast iron, stainless steel, hard-facing alloys, and most carbon steels.
What type of welding pays the most?
Some of the highest-paid welders include military support welders, industrial shutdown welders, and oil welders.
Because these jobs need welders with certain specialized skills and because not many welders are willing to take the risks associated with the work, these jobs can pay as much as $100k or more.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Certified Welder
Welding Schools by City
Welding Schools by State