Read on if you are looking for info on welding in South Dakota.
Aside from tips and info, you will also get a list of the best training schools in this state.
Briefly Introducing Welding
Before deciding whether to become a welder, you first need to learn more about this job.
Below is essential info you need to know in order to start your career.
Welding skills
Every profession has its requirements, and these are the skills needed by a welder:
- Physical force and endurance
- Meticulous
- Adroitness in using the hands
- Positional awareness skills
- Technical strengths
Even if you don’t have all the skills, you can always learn more.
Welding, Soldering, Brazing: Brief Comparison
All these technical careers have a thing in common: the fusing of metal through a particular technique.
However, welding is different than soldering and brazing, which require fillers when connecting the metals.
Soldering and brazing also work with lower temperatures of 850 degrees Fahrenheit.
In welding, higher temperatures are needed to melt the metals.
Most Known Welding Techniques
Some of these include:
- 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
Stick, MIG, and TIG are used most often, but there are over 100 welding techniques in total.
Median Salary in South Dakota
Typically, a South Dakota welder makes about $33,722 per year, while a top 10% welder earns about $38,741 yearly.
Across the country, the median wage is $39,533 per year, while the 10% best-paid of professionals in this field earn $45,418 annually.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Certified Welders in South Dakota
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $34,647 |
| Rapid City | $34,311 |
| Aberdeen | $32,220 |
| Watertown | $34,054 |
| Brookings | $34,054 |
| Mitchell | $34,047 |
| Pierre | $32,813 |
| Yankton | $33,295 |
| Huron | $33,137 |
| Vermillion | $32,536 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City, SD | 180 | $43,060 | $20.7 | $52,720 | $33,160 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 780 | $46,430 | $22.32 | $59,240 | $36,550 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Where to Get Hired in South Dakota?
Some of the spheres include:
- Creating buildings and other structures
- Manufacturing
- Aerospace applications
- Gas & oil field power plants and refineries
- Building ships
- Car & motorbike manufacturing and repair
Training Schools in South Dakota
The state has 9 schools, including job corps centers, technical facilities, high-schools, and community colleges.
South Dakota High-School Courses
There are 5 schools that offer training:
- Huron High School has an 80% graduation rate.
- Leola High School offers a welding course for students, who receive their certification and high-school diploma simultaneously.
- Mobridge-Pollock High School in Mobridge provides a welding certification course.
- Montrose School District offers the Entry Level course in welding.
- Sunshine Bible Academy, a Christian boarding school for kindergarten to 12th grade and has a welding course as well.
South Dakota College Courses
There are 4 colleges that have welding programs:
- Boxelder Job Corp Center in Nemo has an 8 to 12-month welding program and teaches the required skills for a technical career.
- Western Dakota Tech Institute is one of the best schools in the state, offers a Welding and Fabrication program.
- Here you will get practical experience as well as technical training.
- Southeast Technical Institute, situated in Sioux Falls.
- The school won the Aspen Prize award, and is considered one of the best 150 community colleges.
- It also provides more than 50 50 “fast-track” career courses.
- Mitchell Technical Institute has 25 Associate Degree programs and 15 Certification courses, such as welding.
9 Welding Schools in South Dakota
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Boxelder Job Corp Center | P.O. Box 110, Nemo, SD 57759 United States |
| Huron High School | 801 18th St. SW Huron, SD 57350 United States |
| Leola High School | 820 Leola Ave., Leola, SD 57456 United States |
| Mitchell Technical Institute | 1800 East Spruce Street, Mitchell, SD 57301 United States |
| Mobridge-Pollock High School | 1107 First Avenue East, Mobridge, SD 57601 United States |
| Montrose School District | 309 S. Church Ave Montrose, SD 57048 United States |
| Southeast Technical Institute | 2320 N. Career Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57107 United States |
| Sunshine Bible Academy | 400 Sunshine Drive, Miller, SD 57362 United States |
| Western Dakota Tech Institute | 800 Mickleson Dr, Rapid City, SD 57701 United States |
Double-check the info as it is subject to change.
Welding Accreditation
After finishing the welding course, you are required to pass some tests designed by the American Welding Society (AWS).
Passing the tests leads to becoming a certified welder.
You will need to renew your certificate every 6 months.
The AWS approved 11 different welding certifications:
- Certified Welder
- Senior Certified Welding Inspector
- Associate Welding Inspector
- Welding Inspector
- Welding Supervisor
- Welding Engineer
- Welding Educator
- Welding Sales Representative
- Radiographic Interpreter
- Robotic Arc Welding
- Reciprocity Program
Conclusion
After reading this article, you can decide whether welding is the career you want to pursue.
If so, pick the most suitable school in order to improve your skills.
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