If you want to start a rewarding career in trades without spending four years in higher education, the welding profession is worth exploring.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage reported by Massachusetts welders was $61,300 as of May 2023- higher than the national average for this profession.
Before being ready to start your welding career, the first step is to complete technical and/or on-the-job training that teaches you the skills needed for entry into this profession.
Although the curriculum can vary depending on the program duration and the credential it leads to, welding students typically learn about:
- Shop Math
- Materials used in welding
- 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
- GTAW
- GMAW
- FCAW
- Plasma cutting
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 Massachusetts and the programs they offer.
We invite you to read our list and choose the format that best meets your needs.
#1Southeastern Technical Institute
About the School
Southeastern Technical Institute offers a Metal Fabrication and Joining Technologies program.
This is provided as a partnership between Masshire Greater Brockton Career Center, Commonwealth Corporation of Massachusetts, and STI.
Training is free for those who qualify.
The 300-hour program is designed to develop entry-level metal fabrication and welding skills.
Students prepare for careers as skilled welders in construction, pipefitting, facility maintenance, and more.
The program includes resume building and career readiness.
Program participants receive their OSHA 10 card and Hot Work Safety Program card.
Courses Offered
The following courses are included in the program:
- OSHA 10 Construction Safety Course
- GMAW- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- GTAW- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
- Print Reading for Welders
- Job Readiness
Contact Information
- Address: 250 Foundry Street, South Easton, MA 02375
- Phone: 508.230.1297
- Website: https://stitech.edu
#2Greater Lawrence Technical School
About the School
Greater Lawrence Technical School offers a Welding and Metal Fabrication program that prepares graduates for high-demand occupations such as welders or structural metal fabricators.
This is an After Dark program that covers MIG, TIG, and stick welding, blueprint reading, and prepares students for American Welding Society certifications.
Students graduate with Hotworks and OSHA 10 certificates.
The GLTS After Dark program is designed to respond to the demand for vocational education in the Merrimack Valley.
Through this program, students in Lawrence High School, Phoenix Academy, Andover High, Methuen High, and North Andover have the opportunity to receive a career and technical education.
Students attend technical training from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
In the morning, they attend their home high school for academic classes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Contact Information
- Address: 57 River Road, Andover, MA 01810
- Phone: (978) 686-0194
- Website: https://www.glts.net
#3Minuteman Technical Training
About the School
Minuteman Technical Training offers a Welding program that provides students with real-world experience and the ability to graduate with certifications sought by employers.
The curriculum offers practical skills in welding theory and practice.
Students become equipped with a wide range of skills related to welding and sheet metal.
They learn how to use up-to-date equipment and are trained in many forms of welding.
Courses Offered
The following courses are available at the school:
- Safety
- Hand and power tools
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Oxy Acetylene
- Plasma Cutting
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Gas Welding
- Arc Welding
- Weld and Fabricate using SMAW and GMAW
- And more
The 290-hour program includes the following industry certifications:
- MTI Metal Fabrication/Welding Certificate
- OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety
- American Welding Society (AWS) D1.1
- Mass. Highway D1.5 (pending)
- Stainless Steel
Contact Information
- Address: 758 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA 02421
- Phone: (781) 861-6500
- Website: https://www.minutemanti.org
#4Morash Institute of Welding and Safety- Cape Code Campus
About the School
Morash Institute of Welding and Safety- Cape Code Campus offers Welding, Cutting, OSHA Training, and Certification.
The program includes GTAW, SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, oxy-fuel cutting, and welding processes.
Students also learn about blueprint reading and welding symbols.
Courses Offered
The following subjects are taught:
- Hot Works permit classes through Morash Institute of Welding and Safety
- OSHA 10-hour 1926 Construction Industry course
- OSHA 30-hour 1926 Construction Industry Advanced Course
- Welding and Cutting Fundamentals
- Intro to AWS Welding Symbols and Positions
- Metal Finishing Course
- Welding GTAW Alum
- Welding GTAW Stainless Steel
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 128 Union Street, Yarmouth Port, MA 02675
- Website: https://www.morashinstitute.com
#5South Shore Technical High School
About the School
South Shore Technical High School offers specialized training in Metal Fab Welding and helps students achieve proficiency in several welding processes, including:
- Blueprint reading
- Thermal cutting methods
- Fabrication
The skills are covered by both theory and practical application.
Courses Offered
Freshman students learn about:
- Tool usage and identification
- Oxy-Fuel Welding and Brazing
- Measurement
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Gas Metal Arc Welding in the flat position
- Operate shear
- Iron worker
- Band saw
- Pan brake
Sophomores learn about:
- OSHA 10
- Trade Specific math
- Out of position Shielded Metal Arc Welding and Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Flux Cored Arc Welding
- Oxy-Fuel Cutting
Juniors take classes on:
- Weld symbols
- Blueprint reading
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
- Plasma Cam
- Carbon Arc Gouging
- Hydraulic Press Brake
- Power Rolls
Seniors learn:
- Employ-ability
- Work ethic
- GTAW
- Challenging Layout Projects
Contact Information
- Address: Vocational Technical High School 476 Webster St., Hanover, MA 02339
- Phone: 781.878.8822
- Website: https://southshore.tech
#6Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical Institute
About the School
Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical Institute offers Mig-Tig and Arc welding classes.
The Arc Welding course is provided on Tuesday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. for eight weeks.
Students who take this class learn about operation, care, maintenance, and safety in voltage, amperage, and rod selection.
The use of a welding machine for bending, butt, flat, vertical, and overhead welding is also covered by this class.
This course costs $350.
The Mig-Tig Welding course is available on Wednesdays from 6-9 p.m. for eight weeks and provides an introduction to the feeding of a consumable wire through a shielding gas as well as tungsten inert gas welding.
This course also costs $350.
Contact Information
- Address: 1121 Ashley Boulevard – New Bedford – MA – 02745
- Phone: 508.998.3321 Ext. 195
- Website: https://gnbvti.org
#7UA Pipefitters Local 537
UA Pipefitters Local 537 represents more than 3000 members across Massachusetts and is affiliated with the United Association.
Courses Offered
UA Pipefitters Local 537 provides first-class welding training that prepares apprentices get in the field and perform their job with excellence.
Apprentices learn their trade in a brand new, modern training center.
The state-of-the-art 70,000-square-foot building includes classrooms, more than 80 welding bays, and ample space to train future pipefitters.
Apprentices earn while they learn.
After completing the five-year program, graduates have jobs, great benefits, and no debt.
Contact Information
- Address: 1121 Ashley Boulevard – New Bedford – MA – 02745
- Phone: 508.998.3321 Ext. 195
- Website: https://pipefitters537.org
#8Porter and Chester Institute
About the School
Porter and Chester Institute has four campuses in Massachusetts: Brockton, Chicopee, and Worcester.
The institute offers a Welding program that helps students get the skills to begin a career in welding in as few as 10 months.
The hands-on welding program can train students to perform Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, and Flux-Cored Arc Welding.
Students also learn:
- Safety principles
- Creating a safety plan
- Conducting safety training
Students spend 100% of their training time on campus in classes and in the welding shop.
The program is offered in Bridgeport and New London.
Graduates earn a Diploma.
The school alternates in-person lectures with hands-on work that allows students to use the same equipment and tools they find out in the field.
Contact Information
- Address: 609 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301
- Phone: (774) 360-8300
- Website: https://porterchester.edu
#9Bunker Hill Community College
About the School
Bunker Hill Community College offers a Welder Technician course that provides an intensive overview of skills relating to welding techniques.
The curriculum covers basic principles of metal cutting and rigging, safety guidelines, and manufacturing management.
This course costs $2,245 and takes 12 months to complete.
Courses Offered
Students learn:
- Welding Safety, Processes, and Applications
- Troubleshooting
- Inspection Methods
- Metallurgy
- Rigging
- Fabrication Processes
They also have access to video-based simulation labs for virtual hands-on experience.
The syllabus covers:
- Abrasives
- Fasteners
- Inspection
- Lean
- Materials
- Mechanical Systems
- Metal Cutting
- Quality
- Rigging
- Shop Essentials
- Soldering
- Supervisor Essentials
- Welding
- Workforce Essentials
- Virtual Labs/Simulations
Contact Information
- Address: 250 New Rutherford Avenue, Boston, MA 02129 US
- Phone: 855.520.6806
- Website: https://careertraining.bhcc.edu
#10New England Institute of Technology
About the School
New England Institute of Technology offers a Welding Engineering Technology Associate Degree, AS.
Students enrolled in this program get the intensive, experience-based education they need to begin a career in the industry through the Associate of Science in Welding Engineering Technology degree program.
The program gives them the opportunity not only to hone their welding skills but also to learn about computer-aided design, building design, how to read blueprints, and other theories and best practices.
Students can complete an associate degree in as few as 18 months.
The curriculum is approved by the American Welding Society and provides students with SENSE certification.
The program is offered on the Access Road campus in Rhode Island.
In addition to welding and pipefitting, students also take courses in industrial Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety procedures and policy to prepare for the realities of working on a job site.
The program includes coursework in metallurgy, structural design, blueprint reading, computer-aided design and drafting, and many other related topics.
Contact Information
- Address: 1 New England Tech Boulevard, East Greenwich, RI 02818
- Phone: 401-739-5000
- Website: https://www.neit.edu
Schools Summary Table
Welding Average Salary in Massachusetts
Estimated Earnings Range:| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
|
$46K
|
|
|
$64K
|
|
|
$85K
|
Welding Salary by Metro Area in Massachusetts
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,270 | $64,760 | $31.13 | $84,230 | $47,410 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 30 | $61,610 | $29.62 | $82,990 | $46,020 |
| Springfield, MA | 160 | $61,150 | $29.40 | $78,600 | $45,570 |
| Worcester, MA | 450 | $59,730 | $28.72 | $78,970 | $39,510 |
* Employment opportunities may differ based on your location.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have read our selection of the best welding programs in Massachusetts, it’s time to continue the research and choose the curriculum that best meets your learning style and career aspirations.
This is an important step, so take your time and choose wisely!
