Welding Schools in West Virginia (Top Programs Listed)

Welding Schools in West Virginia

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.

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:

  1.  Studying and understanding specific sketches, blueprints, and instructions. Also, a welder should be able to follow all these instructions properly.
  2. 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.
  3. Usage of appropriate tools depending on the chosen method.
  4. 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.

SchoolLocationContact InformationPhone Number
Academy Of Careers And Technology390 Stanaford Rd, Beckley, WV 25801 United StatesGlenn D. Smith(304) 528-5106
Ben Franklin Career Center500 28Th St Dunbar, WV 25064 United StatesCarl Spitzer(304) 766-0369
Cabell County Career Tech1035 Norway Avenue, Huntington, WV 25705 United StatesGeorge Givens(715) 674-2311
Carver Career Center4799 Midland Dr, Charleston, WV 25306 United StatesChristian V Hudson(304) 348-1965
Fayette Institute Technology300 W Oyler Ave, Oak Hill, WV 25901 United StatesGene Worthington(304) 469-2911
Fred Eblere Technical CenterRt 5 Box 2, Buckhannon, WV 26201 United StatesFred Dumire(304) 472-1259
Mercer County Technical Education Center1397 Stafford Dr, Princeton, WV 24740 United StatesRonnie L Shrewsbury(304) 425-9551
Potomac State CollegeAgriculture Dept, Keyser, WV 26726 United StatesRick Woodsworth(304) 788-6986
PRT Vo-Tech CenterState Route 2 Harmony Acres, P.O. Box 29, St. Mary's, WV 26170-0029 United StatesRichard Young(304) 684-2464
Putnam County Technical Center101 Roosevelt Blvd, Eleanor, WV 25070 United StatesCarl Spitzer(304) 586-3494
Roane-Jackson Technical Center4800 Spencer Road, Leroy, WV 25252 United StatesRandall Board(304) 372-7335
United Technical CenterRoute 3 Box 4 C, Clarksburg, WV 26301 United StatesWilliam E. Younkins(304) 624-3280
West Virginia University300 Campus Drive, Parkersburg, WV 26104 United StatesJoe 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.

USA Welding Schools by City


USA Welding Schools by State


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