Welding Schools in South Dakota (Top Programs Listed)

If you’ve decided to become a welder in South Dakota and look for some useful info, this article is for you.

Here you can find a lot of useful info about welding, job options and salary in the state.

Also, there is a list of the best welding certification schools in South Dakota.

Welding in South Dakota: Clue Facts

Choosing your future career, it’s important to understand at least some basics of the job.

That is why considering becoming a welder, you need to understand the essence of this career.

Just read the info below to get a better understanding of this job.

Significant Welder’s Characteristics

Working as a welder, you should be able to complete a variety of complicated tasks.

In order to do it, you need to have some personality traits that will help you to become a successful welder.

In order to become a good welder, you need to be:

• Detail oriented;
• Technical skills;
• Physical strength;
• Physical stamina;
• Manual dexterity;
• Spatial-orientation skills.

If you miss some of these traits, you can always improve yourself.

Just work hard to achieve your goal.

Welding vs Soldering vs Brazing

Welding, soldering, and brazing are rather similar processes.

All of them – it’s a process of joining metal pieces together.

Nevertheless, there is one significant difference between welding and two other methods.

Welding doesn’t require any additional materials while in soldering and brazing there are used so-called fillers.

Also, welding requires a higher temperature while for soldering and blazing 850 degrees Fahrenheit or lower is enough.

Welding Certification

Those individuals who want to become a welder need to enroll in a welding training program.

After completing it, you’ll be asked to pass some tests to prove your proficiency.

You should know that all the tests are created by the American Welding Society (AWS).

Nowadays, there are 11 types of welding certifications established by AWS:

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

Most Popular Welding Methods

Among the most popular welding methods there are:

• 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.

In fact, there are about 100 welding methods but most of them aren’t so popular while Stick, MIG, and TIG are the most widely used.

Where Can Certified Welders Work in South Dakota?

There is the whole bunch of industries where certified welder can work in South Dakota.

There are such options as:

• Construction of buildings and bridges;
• Manufacturing;
• Aerospace applications;
• Gas & oil field power plants and refineries;
• Shipbuilding;
• Auto & motorcycle fabrication and repair.

Top 9 Welding Certification Schools in South Dakota

There are 9 welding certification schools in South Dakota.

There are high-schools, colleges, job corps centers and technical institutes in the list.

High-school Welding Programs in South Dakota

5 high schools in South Dakota provide welding training courses:

1. Huron High School is a welding school that is located in Huron, South Dakota. It’s a small school and it has a graduation rate of about 80%.
2. Leola High School provides a welding training program for juniors and seniors who earn their high school diploma at the same time.
3. Mobridge-Pollock High School offers a welding certification program. It is located in Mobridge.
4. Montrose School District has the Entry Level certification program for welders.
5. Sunshine Bible Academy is a Christian-based school for kids with a welding program. It’s a boarding school with grades K-12.

Welding Colleges in South Dakota

Also, there are 4 non-secondary welding schools in the state:

1. Boxelder Job Corp Center is located in Nemo. As well as other job corps centers in the United States, it aims to provide young people with the skills they need for technical careers and/or further education. Its welding program lasts for 8-12 months.
2. Western Dakota Tech Institute is one of the Top Welding Schools for Certification in South Dakota. It has Welding & Fabrication program that includes technical training, hands-on learning, and the necessary entry-level skills.
3. Southeast Technical Institute is located in Sioux Falls. It has more than 50 “fast-track” career programs. It is known as one of the top 150 community colleges and has an award of the Aspen Prize.
4. Mitchell Technical Institute offers 25 Associate Degree programs and 15 Certification programs, including welding.

Best Welding Certification Schools in South Dakota

Keep in mind that the information in the table may change so we recommend you to doublecheck it. 

Popular Degree Programs

Average Welder’s Salary in South Dakota

You should know that there is a shortage of welders in the USA.

It means that you’ll be able to get a great career with an excellent income.

Working as a welder in South Dakota, you can earn a median salary of $36 040 per year or $17.33 per hour.

At the same time, the top 10% of welders in the state earn about $47 160 annually.

Conclusion

Now, as you’ve learned about welding, you can make a final decision.

Choose the school you like and start your training.

We believe that you’ll achieve your goal and become a successful certified welder.

Welding Schools by City

Welding Schools by State