Welding
Welding is a versatile degree that prepares students for a wide range of professional opportunities. With 26,100 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Welding and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$N/A Median In-State Public
$N/A Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Welding majors are, on average, $N/A for in-state public colleges, and $N/A for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Welding programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
57,768 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Welding from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Welding.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insufficient Data | |||
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Welding programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insufficient Data | |||
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Welding programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insufficient Data | |||
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Welding programs.
Graduation Rates
47.86% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
49.35% Average Graduation Rate
334 Institutions Reporting
33.77% - 62.23% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Welding programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Welding graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$63,590 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Welding majors is $63,590.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Welding majors.
Occupations by Share
26,100 2023 Workforce
The number of Welding graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Welding by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Welding degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
ROI data is not available for this degree program.
Financial value comparison for Welding degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Welding in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Welding.
Age distribution for Welding degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
57,768 Total Degrees Awarded
51,239 Male (88.70%)
6,529 Female (11.30%)
Gender distribution of Welding degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
32,137 White (55.63%)
13,696 Hispanic or Latino (23.71%)
5,989 Black or African American (10.37%)
2,027 Two or More Races (3.51%)
1,022 American Indian/Alaska Native (1.77%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Welding degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Welding are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Welding.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Welding field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Welding majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Welding majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Welding majors.
About
Welding
In 2023, 57,768 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Welding.
CIP Code
48.0508 - Welding
Insights and Analysis
Welding offers students a pathway to career success with diverse opportunities across multiple industries. Prospective students should carefully evaluate factors including costs, outcomes, program quality, and personal interests when making their educational decisions.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.