Best Welding Schools In Houston – Texas [Updated]

Welding schools will offer you great opportunities that you simply won’t find elsewhere. Welders are in high demand in Houston and in Texas in general today, so attending a welding school is the first step you can take in your welding career.

Welding Schools In Houston

I have listed all the relevant welding schools in Houston that offer courses, certifications, and college degrees.

Welding Schools Houston	Contact	Program availability
Tusla Welding School Houston	243A Greens Rd. Houston, TX 77060  Phone: (855) 237-7711	Professional Welder Professional Welder with Pipefitting Associate of Occupational Studies in Welding Technology.
Aviation Institute of Maintenance	Houston 7651 Airport Blvd Houston, TX 77061	Programs available at the Houston campus are The Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Program and The Maintenance Technician Program.
School of Automotive Machinists & Technology	1911 Antoine Houston, TX 77055	SAM Tech offers various programs in Cylinder Head Machining, EFI Tuning, CNC Machining, and Engine Block Machining. As well as Associates Degree classes.
Houston Community College	3100 Main Street Houston, TX 77002	Welding Technology program will provide the students with the necessary skills for entry-level positions.
Lee College	511 S Whiting Baytown, TX 77520	Welding Technologist, Weekend Welding Certificate, Preparation for Certified Welding Inspector and many others.
San Jacinto Community College	8060 Spencer Hwy Pasadena, TX 77501	Welding Technology is in the Construction, Industry, Manufacturing & Transportation area.
Lone Star College System	5000 Research Forest Drive The Woodlands, TX 77381	Pipe Welder Certificate, a Welder (SMAW & GMAW) Certificate, an AWS Welder Master Certificate, a Layout & Fabrication Welding Certificate, and many others.
College of the Mainland	1200 Amburn Road Texas City, TX 77591	Welding Technology Program and get the opportunity to receive an Entry-Level Welder Certificate from the American Welding Society.
ALDINE SR HIGH SCHOOL	11101 AIRLINE DR HOUSTON, TX 77037 United States Facility Representative: BOBBY JOSEY  2814485231	No Informations.
Cypress Creek High School	9815 Grant Road Houston, TX 77070 United States Facility Representative: Dan Autrey  281-897-4200 F: 281-897-4193 School Contact Email: [email protected]	No Informations.

Welding Schools In Texas

I have listed all the relevant welding schools in Texas that offer courses, certifications, and college degrees.

Welding Schools Texas	Contact	Accredited with
Angelina College Welding Technology	3500 South First Street, Lufkin, Texas 75904 Phone: (936) 639-1301	pipe welding, blueprint reading and welder certifications.
Amarillo College Welding Technology	P.O. Box 447 Amarillo Texas 79178 Phone: (806) 371-5000	pipe welding, blueprint reading and welder certifications
ATI Career Training Center Welding	1417 S Valley Mills Drive, Waco, TX 76711 Phone: (888) 209-8264	pipe welding and blue print reading classes plus welding certifications.
Austin Community College Welding Technology	Riverside Campus 1020 Grove Blvd. Building C Austin, TX 78741 Phone: (512) 223-6220 Round Rock Campus 4400 College Park Dr. Building 5000 Austin, TX 78665 Phone: 512.223.6220	pipe welding and blue print reading classes plus welding certifications
El Centro College Welding Technology	1402 Corinth Street, Dallas, TX 75215 Phone: (214) 860-5900	pipe welding and blueprint reading.
El Paso County Community College Welding Program	919 Hunter El Paso, TX 79915 Phone: (915) 831-2350	pipe welding and blueprint reading.
Kilgore College Welding Program	1100 Broadway, Kilgore, Texas 75662 Phone1: (903) 983-8162 Phone2: (903) 988-7459 Phone3: (903) 983-8637	pipe welding and blue print reading classes plus welding certifications.
Lone Star College System Welding Technology	CyFair Campus 9191 Barker Cypress Cypress, Texas 77433 Phone: (281) 290-3200 Montgomery Campus 3200 College Park Drive Conrow Texas 77384 Phone: (936) 273-7000	pipe welding and blue print reading classes plus welding certifications.
Mountain View College Welding	4849 W. Illinois Avenue Dallas, TX 75211 Phone: (214) 860-8767	pipe welding and blueprint reading
South Plains College Welding Technology	1401 S. College Ave., Levelland, TX, 79336 Phone: (806) 716-2284	pipe welding, blueprint reading and welding certifications.

>> Check out All Welding Schools in Texas Here…

Here are some frequently asked questions about welding schools in Texas:

Is It Worth Going to Welding School?

In a word, yes! Once you have completed formal training, the opportunities, along with your potential earnings, will increase drastically.

This won’t be enough to convince some of you though so let’s take a look at 4 reasons why you really should go to welding school.

1. Specialism

Welding is hard. Not everyone can do it — otherwise, they would, the salary is great! You need training, a complete understanding of the process, and specialist tools and equipment. So, being trained in a specialist skill from a dedicated trade college is worthwhile to achieve all of the above.

2. Safety

Since welding is dangerous (or it can be), you need the right amount of strength, coordination, stamina, and safety equipment to do it safely. Thus, welding schools exist to train you in all of these areas so you’ll be well-equipped to face any welding job.

3. Possibilities

After your graduate from welding school, you won’t just be sat in an office from 9 to 5 every day. You will be out in the thick of it, getting your hands dirty. The possibilities are truly endless as almost all industries need some sort of welding work done!

4. Curriculum

At welding school, you will be immersed in the subject. From the classroom to practical training, you will be focused on your craft every day, for a pre-specified duration. After this, the welding world is your oyster.

How Long Is Welding School in Texas?

How long is a welding school in Texas? Generally, you will be looking at 2 years for an undergraduate certificate. However, if you want to complete a specialized welding program, you will have to finish 4 to 5 courses in your area which could take a fair amount of time but it’s worth it in the end.

We will take a look at 4 welding schools in Texas and what they offer to give you a deeper understanding of the route you want to take.

1. Austin Community College District

Here, you can acquire a welder certification, an Associate of Applied Science in Code Welding, and qualifications in plate, pipe, and inert gas welding.

Alongside these courses, you can learn about blacksmithing, coppersmithing, metal sculpture, blueprint interpretation, art metals, and welding inspection. All of this will take you 2 years.

Related reading: How To Become a Welder In Texas and How Long Does It Take?

2. Central Texas College

Situated in Killeen, you can obtain certificates proving your competency at tacking, fitting, welding, and welding technology. If you are taking welding as a major, you can also earn your associate’s degree at the same time.

Regardless of the specific certification you choose, you will become competent in GMAW, SMAW, pipe, and oxy-fuel welding. Plus, you’ll dive into blueprint reading, and layout and fabrication.

Again, you’ll be here for 2 years.

3. Lone Star College System

You can acquire the following certificates here:

• Pipe welding
• Layout and fabrication welding
• Gas tungsten arc welding
• Gas metal arc welding
• Shielded metal arc welding
• Welding technology majors (associate’s degree)

All of these are roughly 16 credits long (except the associate’s degree), which requires you to take 4 classes per certificate, taking you 2 years.

Related reading: The Top 10 Types of Welding Certification

4. Tarrant County College District

Here, you have the option to obtain a basic welding certificate, an advanced welding certificate, and an Associate Degree of Applied Science in Welding Technology. So, lots of options!

You need to sit 5 classes for the basic certificate, but the advanced one is only 4. For those of you pushing it to the max and doing your associate’s degree, you’ll be here for 2 years.

How Much Does Welding School Cost in Texas?

Much like the previous question, this depends on which school you go to and the type of qualification you are looking to complete. With that being said, we will go over the general costs so you can get a feel for everything before you say “yay” or “nay” to attending welding school.

How much does welding school cost in Texas? For most welding training programs, you should expect to pay anywhere between $5,000 and $15,000. This usually just applies to those who choose to go to a community college or a technical school. These usually last around 2 years (as we talked about in the previous section).

For an associate’s degree in welding, you will be paying somewhere between $2,000 and $31,000. Many schools (like Austin Community College) ramp up the price if you aren’t a resident. Again, it will take 2 years to complete.

For a bachelor’s degree in welding, you will be required to pay $40,000 to $100,000 depending on where you study. Usually, schools will hike up the price if you aren’t a resident. Plus, they will take you twice as long (i.e. 4 years!).

If you are looking to do a welding apprenticeship, you should expect to pay between $0 and $1,300. These typically last 3 to 5 years, depending on who employs you. Try to find an official apprenticeship position; you won’t need to pay anything then.

Other certifications in welding will cost between $275 and $1,100 depending on the specialism and content.

While all of that might seem like a lot of money, you do not have to pay it out of your own pocket. There are plenty of financial aids available that you may indeed qualify for. You don’t know until you try!

How Much Money Do Welders Make in Texas?

How much money do welders make in Texas? The average salary for a welder in Texas is $43,400 a year. Of course, it is very unlikely that you will walk straight into a job that pays you this much. You will probably start around the $29,000 mark and work your way up. Depending on the type of jobs you take, you could earn well above the average at a whopping $69,100 per year.

To get to the top of the welding game, you need to keep up to date with the latest industry technology. You will be wanted by loads of employers if you do this.

For those looking to chase the dollar, you will want to head into the electrical and gas utilities industries since they pay the highest. However, you will usually find welding jobs in Texas within the construction and manufacturing sectors which are not so lucrative.

It is worth realizing here that just because Dave down the road gets a paid a certain figure, you won’t necessarily be paid that too. Yes, even if you live in the state and do the same work.

A bucketload of factors comes into play when employers determine how much to pay their welders including experience level, the working environment, and the employer themselves.

How Much Do Pipeline Welders Make in Texas?

In the previous question, we mentioned how welders in the oil and gas industry earned the highest salary. Well, pipeline welders are those guys and gals who have nabbed a job in this sector.

How much do pipeline welders make in Texas? Working as a pipeline welder in Texas is incredibly lucrative at a lovely average of $40,000. But you should expect to keep raising this number until around $70,000 or, in some parts of the state, $83,000!

Of course, you will start on a lower salary, but you will soon realize how quickly this starts to increase when you get going. Just remember that the education needed for pipeline welding is among the longest of the trade (understandably so!).

Oh, one more thing before we move on — you can make six figures welding! This is where experience, education, and working in more lucrative industries come in handy.

Typically, industrial welders make $100,000 per year, military support welders can earn up to $160,000 every year, and some underwater welders can make a crazy $300,000! It just depends on your wants and dreams. Anything is possible when you choose to weld as your career.

Related reading: Highest Paying Welding Jobs

Can You Become a Certified Welder Without Going to School?

Back in the day, yes. Generally, somebody’s grandfather would train them up and then wham, bam, they’re a welder. In this day and age, that isn’t going to work for you.

Can you become a certified welder without going to school? Short answer is: NO. No matter who you speak to, they will tell you that going to school (or a community college that offers a welding course) is the first thing you need to do. Otherwise, trying to get certified and acquire your license becomes a moot activity.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail after all. In some states, you need specific qualifications before you can become certified in the area (we know, it’s pretty annoying, but it’s how it works).

If you don’t go to welding school, you will miss out on learning all sorts of important aspects of the job and the process. Like what, we hear you ask? Let’s have a look:

• MIG welding
• TIG welding
• Shielded metal arc welding
• Oxy-fuel welding
• Blueprint reading
• Layout and fabrication
• Safety equipment
• Pipe welding

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You might want to check out our other articles about welding for more information.

• How Long Does It Take To Learn Welding?
• Is Welding Easy To Learn? A Beginner´s Introduction
• What Is The easiest Type Of Welding To Learn as a Beginner?
• Welding As a Job: 16 Crucial facts Why Welding Is a Great Career Choice
• The Top 10 Types Of Welding Certification
• 6+ Famous Female Welders You Should Know
• Do Welders make Good Money? – Highest Paying Welding Jobs
• How To Start & Grow a Welding Business In 11 Steps
• Who Is The Best Welder In The World?
• Who Is The Richest Welder In The World?