If you want to be a welder, you need to know a bit more about this occupation.
With that purpose in mind, we prepared this guide.
Here you’ll learn about a welder’s job duties, some details about the training and salary.
Welder’s Duties
Welders have a lot of technical knowledge and several skills.
On the job, you’ll use a variety of tools and heat while trying to melt or fuse metals together.
Most Common Responsibilities
Here are the most common duties of a welder:
- Analyzing and strictly following the instructions from blueprints, sketches, and other materials
- Choosing the right welding methods after studying the structure of the materials
- Selecting the right method out of the 100 possible is not enough: the welder must ensure the correct tools are also being used, even if it means combining them
- Ensuring the used equipment, electrical or mechanical, is always clean and working according to the standards
Reasons to Become a Welder in Massachusetts
Though most people have personal reasons to choose a career over another, there usually are some common motives.
What you make is meant to last for a very long time.
You can use your hands to create something while being in the open air.
The demand for welders is on the rise, and the prognosis from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is that by 2026 there will be 6% more jobs available.
If you want to train as a welder, you need:
- Spatial-orientation skills
- To be meticulous
- Physical strength and endurance
- Technical skills
- Dexterity
Median Wage in Massachusetts
Massachusetts welders earn a median salary of $43,012 per annum.
Compared to the median salary throughout the country, $39,540 yearly, Massachusetts welders earn more.
The top 10% of welders in Massachusetts earn $49,414 per year.
Throughout the country, the top 10% of welders make $45,418.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Certified Welders in Massachusetts
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Boston | $44,969 |
| Worcester | $41,629 |
| Springfield | $41,312 |
| Lowell | $43,091 |
| Cambridge | $44,969 |
| Brockton | $42,815 |
| New Bedford | $41,668 |
| Fall River | $41,668 |
| Lynn | $44,969 |
| Quincy | $44,969 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town, MA | 70 | $56,250 | $27.04 | $79,700 | $39,820 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | 2,570 | $59,670 | $28.69 | $86,730 | $37,740 |
| Leominster-Gardner, MA | 140 | $46,650 | $22.43 | $64,490 | $31,940 |
| New Bedford, MA | 90 | $53,050 | $25.51 | $69,260 | $36,890 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 60 | $56,520 | $27.17 | $72,330 | $46,030 |
| Springfield, MA-CT | 370 | $53,420 | $25.68 | $73,610 | $35,360 |
| Worcester, MA-CT | 460 | $52,540 | $25.26 | $70,290 | $36,870 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Where Do Certified Welders Work in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has plenty of job options for certified welders.
These are just some areas of interest:
- Making buildings and bridges
- Constructing ships
- Manufacturing
- Aerospace applications
- Gas and oil field power plants and refineries
- Car and motorbike manufacturing and repair
Top Schools To Train as a Welder in Massachusetts
We looked for the best welding schools in this state and arranged them in a table.
These schools are approved by the American Welding Society’s SENSE Accreditation Program.
These schools offer important classes like Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (stick), and Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG).
A high-school diploma or GED is usually required, but some schools also accept high-school juniors.
23 Welding Schools in Massachusetts
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Assabet Valley Vocational Technical School | 215 Fitchburg St Malboro, MA 01752 United States |
| Attleboro Tech Voc High School | 100 Rathbun Willard Dr. Attleboro, MA 02703 United States |
| Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School | 65 Pleasant Street Upton, MA 01568 United States |
| Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical High School | 800 Randolph St Canton, MA 02021 United States |
| Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School | 940 Couty St, Taunton, MA 02780 United States |
| Charles H. McCann Technical School | 70 Hodges Crossroads, North Adams, MA 01247 United States |
| Chicopee Comprehensive High School | 617 Montgomery St, Chicopee, MA 01020 United States |
| Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School | 251 Stonehaven Rd, Fall River, MA 02723 United States |
| Franklin County Tech School | 82 Industrial Blvd, Turners Falls, MA 01376 United States |
| Greater Lowell Tech High School | Metal Fab/Welding, 250 Pawtucket Blvd, Tyngsboro, MA 01879 United States |
| Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School | 1121 Ashley Blvd, New Bedford, MA 02745 United States |
| Joseph P. Keefe Technical School | 750 Winter Street, Framingham, MA 01702 United States |
| Minuteman Career & Technical High School | 758 Marrett Rd, Lexington, MA 02421 United States |
| Northeast Metro Reg Vocational | 100 Hemlock Road, Wakefield, MA 01880 United States |
| Old Colony Regional Vocational Tech | 476 North Ave, ATTN: Accounts Payable, Rochester, MA 02745 United States |
| Plymouth South High School | 490 Long Pond Rd, Plymouth, MA 02360 United States |
| Quincy High School Center for Technical Education | 52 Coddington St, Quincy, MA 02169 United States |
| Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical School | 100 Cook St, Billerica, MA 01821 United States |
| Silver Lake Regional High School | 260 Pembroke St, Kingston, MA 02364 United States |
| Smith Vocational High School | 80 Locust St, Northampton, MA 01060 United States |
| Tri-County Regional Vocational | Technical School District, 147 Pond St, Franklin, MA 02038 United States |
| Westover Job Corps Center | 103 Johnson Road Chicopee, MA 01022 United States |
| Weymouth High School | One Wilcat Way, Weymouth, MA 02190 United States |
We do recommend that you doublecheck the provided information.
Alternative Career Options
If you don’t want to be a welder, check out these alternatives:
- Boilermaker
- Plumbing
- Pipefitting, and Steamfitting
- Sheet Metal Work
Welding Schools by City
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