According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Alaska is the highest-paying state for welders.
Workers in this profession reportedly earned $79,210 on average, as of May 2023.
Before being ready to start your welding career, the first step is to get your high school diploma or equivalent and then complete technical and on-the-job training that teaches you the skills needed for entry into this profession.
During your training, you will typically learn about:
- Materials used in welding and their application
- Welding symbols
- Types of welding joints performed in pipe welding
- Welding Processes
- Welding Safety
- And more
Most programs teach, hands-on, the following processes:
- SMAW/Stick
- GTAW/TIG
- GMAW/MIG
- FCAW/Dual Shield
Program duration varies between a few months and a few years, depending on the school and the format you choose.
To help you choose the format that best meets your learning style, we have compiled a selection of the best welding schools in Alaska and the programs they offer.
We invite you to read our list and choose the format that best meets your needs.
#1Northern Industrial Training, LLC
About the School
Northern Industrial Training, LLC is Alaska’s number 1 resource for vocational training and corporate training support services.
Grant opportunities for financial support are available to help students excel and succeed in a new chapter of their lives.
Courses Offered
NIT’s welding programs provide students with the training and practice required to qualify, certify, and succeed in the welding industry.
The following courses are available:
- Structural
- Advanced
- Ultimate
- Pipe
- Aluminum
- Fabrication
- Workshops
- Testing/Booth Rental
The Structural program follows the NCCER curriculum and provides training for code quality welding on plate in all positions.
Students receive an introduction to many different codes, specifications, and industrial standards.
They prepare for entry-level construction work, fab shops, and other entry-level positions.
The curriculum includes:
- Welding Safety
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- SMAW Electrodes
- SMAW- Equipment and Setup
- Base Metal Preparation
- SMAW- Beads and Fillet Welds
- And more
The program includes 320 hours of training.
The course costs $11,500.
Contact Information
- Address: 1740 N. Terrilou Ct. Palmer, AK 99645
- Phone: 907.357.6400
- Website: https://nitalaska.com
#2University of Alaska Anchorage
About the School
The University of Alaska Anchorage offers a Welding Occupational Endorsement Certificate program designed to be completed in one year.
The program includes hands-on instruction in different welding techniques using a variety of materials.
Those who complete the certificate are ready for entry-level positions in the welding industry.
Students need 19 credits in total for the occupational endorsement certificate.
The University has a 4,000-square-foot welding lab that features the latest equipment, including 39 welding booths, oxy-acetylene and plasma cutting technology, industrial band saws, and metal shears.
The certificate covers three welding processes:
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Flux Cored Arc Welding
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Mechanical Grinding
- Air Carbon Arc Gouging
- Mechanical Cutting
Contact Information
- Address: 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508
- Phone: (907) 786-1800
- Website: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu
#3Alaska Vocational Technical Center
About the School
Alaska Vocational Technical Center offers an Industrial Welding program that emphasizes steel welding.
Students are also expected to become knowledgeable about the processes of welding on non-ferrous materials such as aluminum.
The primary focus is on electrode welding.
Students train on Sheet Metal Arc Welding wire feed processes, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, Tungsten Inert Gas, Plasma Arc and Air Arc Cutting, Oxyacetylene Welding, and cutting machines.
Destructive tests are performed on groove welds in both the stick and wire feed processes.
The welding shops are equipped with advanced cutting and welding equipment, including computerized plasma cutting machines for plate and pipe.
The program offers a blend of classroom instruction, lab, and live work practice.
The curriculum is fast-paced and challenging.
The program includes 1,110 clock hours.
Contact Information
- Address: 809 Second Ave, PO Box 889, Seward, AK 99664
- Phone: (907) 224-3322
- Website: https://avtec.edu
#4University of Alaska Southeast
About the School
University of Alaska Southeast has campuses in Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan.
The campus, located on Auke Bay, offers students residential housing and the campus life experience.
The campuses offer classrooms and specialized training facilities.
Courses Offered
University of Alaska Southeast offers a Welding program that prepares skilled, certified welders for work on construction sites, in petroleum-related industries, and in many jobs where heavy equipment is used.
The curriculum covers the following topics:
- Basic Welding
- Intermediate Welding
- Selected Topics in Advanced Welding
- ST: Metal Art
Contact Information
- Address: 2600 7th Ave, Ketchikan, AK 99901
- Phone: (907) 224-3322
- Website: https://uas.alaska.edu
#5Charter College
About the School
Charter College offers training programs for residents in Fairbanks, Juneau, Palmer, Ketchikan (and everywhere else in Alaska), who want to start a career in health care or the trades.
The school offers bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, and certificate programs.
Charter College offers a welding program that prepares students to become skilled tradespersons and leads to a certificate.
Students prepare for work across industries: from automotive to aerospace, construction, and engineering.
Those who successfully complete this certificate are able to:
- Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to complete basic welding practices
- Demonstrate basic industry safety practices, rules, and regulations in the welding field
- Demonstrate professionalism, communication, and collaboration skills in a professional setting.
Courses Offered
The curriculum covers topics such as:
- Basic Welding Processes
- Welding and Equipment Safety
- Welding Codes, Standards, and Specifications
- Cutting Procedures
- Basics of Fabrication Drawings
- Welding Symbols
Students can graduate in as little as 10 months.
Contact Information
- Address: 2221 East Northern Lights Blvd #120, Anchorage, AK 99508
- Phone: (907) 277-1000
- Website: https://chartercollege.edu
#6UAF Community and Technical College
About the School
UAF Community and Technical College is part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks
The college offers more than 50 one-year certificate programs in a variety of exciting fields.
A two-year Associate of Arts degree is also available.
Courses Offered
The college provides an entry-level welding (O.E.) program.
This occupational endorsement program has been designed to prepare students to succeed in the welding industry.
The coursework covers knowledge and skills in basic oxyacetylene, arc welding and flame cutting, basic MIG and TIG welding, shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, metal fabrication, and applied mathematics.
The program requirements include:
- Mathematics for the Trades
- Welding I and II
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Metal Fabrication
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1810 Salcha Street, 102 Signers’ Hall, P.O. Box 757495 | Fairbanks, AK 99775-7480
- Phone: 907-474-6300
- Website: https://catalog.uaf.edu
#7The American Welding Society
About the School
The American Welding Society offers CWI training in Anchorage.
The programs are designed to help local welders and quality control personnel prepare for the Certified Welding Inspector exam.
This gives them the opportunity to expand their career options.
The seminars combine exam-specific instruction with practical learning experiences that match the realities of fieldwork in remote and demanding environments.
Courses Offered
Seminars include:
- Core welding theory and fundamentals
- Hands-on visual inspection training
- Detailed instructions on interpreting code books
Contact Information
- Phone: (800) 443-9353
- Website: https://www.aws.org/certification-and-education/locations/alaska-anchorage
#8Kenai Peninsula College
About the School
Kenai Peninsula College offers a welding technology program that can be completed in one year.
The certificate program provides students with specific training for structural and pipe welding and aluminum welding certification.
Students gain knowledge of the latest welding technology, blueprint reading, layout, and fabrication.
The one-year welding certificate can be earned at the Kenai River Campus, but general classes that are required for this program can be taken through any of KPC’s campuses or online.
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes:
- Introduction to Welding
- Technical Drawings for Welders
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Welding for High Strength Steels
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Flux Cored Arc Welding
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 156 College Rd. Soldotna, Alaska 99669
- Phone: (907) 262-0330
- Website: https://kpc.alaska.edu
#9NHTI
About the School
NHTI offers a Welder Technician program available fully online.
This program costs $2,795 with tools included and can be completed in 12 months.
The course is an intensive overview of skills relating to welding techniques, from the basic principles of metal cutting and rigging to safety guidelines and manufacturing management.
Courses Offered
The program includes:
- Welding safety, processes, and applications
- Troubleshooting
- Inspection methods
- Metallurgy
- Rigging
- Fabrication processes
The syllabus covers:
- Grinding processes
- Grinding Safety
- Safety for Assembly
- Basic Measurement
- Blueprint Reading
- Process Flow Charting
- Introduction to Physical Properties
- Safety for Metal Cutting
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 31 College Drive, Center for Training & Business Development, Concord, NH 03301
- Phone: 855.520.6806
- Website: https://careertraining.nhti.edu
#10CDG Training
About the School
CDG Training offers an Advanced Welding Inspection Professional program.
This program costs $250.
The courses are available online and give students the option to learn anytime, anywhere, at their own pace.
Students have lifetime access across devices, including post-completion.
Courses Offered
The syllabus includes:
- Introduction to Welding Inspection
- Welding Inspection Standards and Codes
- Welding Processes for Welding Inspection
- Welding Symbols and Drawings in Welding Inspection
- Visual Welding Inspection Techniques
- Destructive Testing in Welding Inspection
- Welding Inspection Documentation and Reporting
- Welding Inspection, Safety, and Health
- And more
Contact Information
- Website: https://www.cdgtraining.com
Schools Summary Table
Welding Average Salary in Alaska
Estimated Earnings Range:| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
|
$48K
|
|
|
$76K
|
|
|
$106K
|
Welding Salary by Metro Area in Alaska
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | 210 | $66,760 | $32.10 | $89,880 | $44,920 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | 80 | $81,440 | $39.15 | $110,690 | $51,810 |
* Employment opportunities may differ based on your location.
Final Thoughts
As a welder, you will spend most of your workday joining pieces of metal together using a variety of welding techniques.
The schools included in our list are designed to equip you with the skills needed for this profession.
We invite you to read our list and apply for the program that best meets your learning style and career aspirations.
