This page is designed for those who want to start a welding career in the state of Virginia.
Although job descriptions vary depending on experience, employers, and a variety of other factors, as a welder, you will be responsible for joining metal parts using hand-held or remotely controlled equipment.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage reported by welders in Virginia was $55,540 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 this profession.
During their training, students typically learn about:
- Materials used in welding and their application
- Welding Symbols
- Bevel two pieces of metal properly for a welding application
- Types of welding joints performed in pipe welding
- Welding Processes
- Welding Safety
- And more
Program duration varies between a few months and a few years, depending on the school, the type of degree or diploma you want to obtain, and the format you choose.
A certificate typically takes a year or less, while an associate degree program is two years long.
Costs range from less than $1,000 to more than $10,000, depending on your skill level and the type of course you want to pursue.
We invite you to read our list and choose the format that best meets your needs.
#1Dennis Inspection Inc.
About the School
Dennis Inspection Inc. offers experienced welding inspection, consultation, and welding services, structural steel inspection, welding education, and more.
It provides an AWS Accredited Test Facility, a welding school, a certified weld inspector, a certified welding educator, and a certified welder.
Courses Offered
The Certified Welder program provides students the opportunity to gain the necessary entry-level skills for combination welder positions.
Students also have the chance to gain an AWS Welding Certification, which is highly respected in the welding industry.
The program includes 80 hours of training, including supplies.
Students prepare for job duties such as:
- Welding components in flat, vertical, and overhead positions
- Operating safety equipment
- Examining work pieces
- Operating hand and power tools
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 172 Butler Lane, White Post, Virginia 22663
- Phone: (540) 535-5170
- Website: https://dennisinspection.com
#2VA School of Metal
About the School
VA School of Metal was founded in 2012 by a welder with 47 years of welding and fabricating experience.
So far, the school has trained more than 6,000 individuals looking for a career in the welding industry.
The school has state-of-the-art equipment and more than 30 welding machines for all processes.
Courses Offered
The following courses are available at the school:
- MIG Welding Course
- TIG Welding Course
- STICK Welding Course
The MIG Welding Course provides students with hands-on training, ensuring they acquire the skills needed to excel in their careers.
The program is open for both beginners and experienced welders.
The following bundles are available:
- Career Bundle 1- a course that costs $8,500
- Career Bundle 2- a course that costs $9,500
- MIG Welding Qualification- a $3,200 course
- Welding 101: Intro to MIG welding- a $450 class
- Welding 105: Advanced MIG Welding- a $450 class
Contact Information
- Address: 102 Industrial Dr, Troy, VA 22974
- Phone: 434-632-9949
- Website: https://vaschoolofmetal.com
#3Advanced Technology Institute
About the School
The Advanced Technology Institute offers a Maritime Welding program that includes multiple processes, materials, and certifications to help students broaden their skills.
Students learn by doing.
They spend 80 percent of their time in the shop, where they have their own booth and are provided with all necessary equipment and supplies.
Students can earn American Welding Society Certifications up to 6g Pipe while in the program.
Testing takes place on-site during normal class hours.
ATI offers training in how to interpret blueprints and schematics, teaching you how to turn designs into real projects.
After completing a Diploma, students have the opportunity to earn an Associate Degree with only 15 weeks of additional training.
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes:
- Oxy Fuel Cutting
- Plasma Arc Cutting
- Carbon Arc Cutting and Gouging
- SMAW Welding
- GMAW
- Pulse-Arc Welding
- Flux Core Welding
- GTAW
Contact Information
- Address: 5700 Southern Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
- Phone: (757) 490-1241
- Website: https://auto.edu
#4Piedmont Virginia Community College
About the School
Piedmont Virginia Community College offers programs of study that include associate degrees that prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges and universities, as well as degrees and certificates that prepare students for jobs in the local economy.
Short-term workforce training programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials, certifications, and licenses are also available.
Courses Offered
The Welding program available at PVCC helps students develop entry-level through advanced welding skills.
The following fast-forward welding credential programs are available:
- Basic Welder- a 100-contact-hour program designed for students with no previous welding experience and for those who want to upgrade their skills
- Gas Metal Arc Welding- a 100-contact hour program designed not only for students with no previous experience but also for those who want to upgrade their skills
Applicants must meet requirements such as:
- Being at least 18 years of age on the first day of class
- Meeting minimum essential functions and standards for the program
- Attend a coaching appointment or information session
- Complete all funding assistance paperwork, if applicable
- If English is not the first language, students must complete a CASAS assessment
Contact Information
- Address: 501 College Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22902
- Phone: 434.977.3900
- Website: https://www.pvcc.edu
#5New River Community College
New River Community College offers state-of-the-art training in welding technology and prepares students for careers that continue to be in high demand throughout Virginia and across the United States.
Courses Offered
The following welding programs are available at the college:
- Fundamentals of Welding Career Studies Certificate
- Advanced Welder Career Studies Certificate
- Welding Automation Career Studies Certificate
- Certificate in Welding Technology
Students have access to courses such as:
- Fundamentals of Welding
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Pipe Welding
- Inert Gas Welding
- Welding Metallurgy
- Welding, Drawing, and Inspection
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Supervised Study in Welding
- Robotic Welding
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 5251 College Drive, Dublin, VA 24084
- Phone: (540) 674-3600
- Website: https://www.nr.edu
#6Central Virginia Community College
About the School
Central Virginia Community College offers a Welding program that is designed for students who desire to obtain skills as beginning welders.
The two-year program leads to an Associate Degree.
Courses Offered
The following program pathways are available at the college:
- Technical Studies- Welding, AAS
- Welding Plus CSC
- Welding Fundamentals CSC
- Welding Level 1 (NCCER)
- Welding Level 2 (NCCER)
- Welding Level 3 (NCCER)
- Welding Level 4 (NCCER)
The Technical Studies- Welding, AAS is designed for students who have successfully completed training in Welding Technology and received their career studies certificate, certificate, or diploma.
The curriculum includes:
- Basic Technical Mathematics
- Introduction to Welding
- Topics in NCCER Welding
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Metals/Heat Treatment
- Pipe and Tube Welding
- Welding Layout and Fabrication
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 3506 Wards Road, Lynchburg, VA 24502
- Phone: (434) 832-7600
- Website: https://centralvirginia.edu
#7Richmond Community College
About the School
Richmond Community College offers a Welding program designed to prepare students for a welding career in just two semesters.
After successfully completing each course, students will be able to obtain certifications from the American Welding Society.
Courses Offered
The Welding I program includes the following topics:
- Safety in Welding and Cutting
- Cutting Processes
- Welding Symbols and Specifications
- SMAW Plate
- SMAW Pipe
- Fabrication
The Welding II program teaches:
- Safety
- Fabrication
- GMAW FCAW/Plate
- GTAW Plate and Pipe
The following programs are also available:
- Welding- Stick Pipe
- Welding Tig Pipe
- Welding- Basic
Contact Information
- Address: 1042 W. Hamlet Ave. Hamlet, NC 28345
- Phone: (910) 410-1700
- Website: https://richmondcc.edu
#8Southwest Virginia Community College
About the School
Southwest Virginia Community College offers classes at a variety of locations and times to provide students with the training they want when they need it.
Students become credentialed in several processes at the school’s on-site AWS testing facility.
The program covers the fundamentals of MIG, Flux-Core, Stick, and TIG.
Students apply the concepts learned to projects in pipe welding and fabrication.
The training is tailored to a specific career in a specific industry.
Trainees earn American Welding Society Certified Welder Certifications aligned with their career goals.
Courses Offered
The program can be completed in one year and includes courses such as:
- Introduction to Welding
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Flux Cored Arc Welding
- Industrial Safety
- Welder Qualification Tests
- Welding Drawing and Interpretation
- And more
Southwest Virginia Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees.
Contact Information
- Address: 724 Community College Rd. Cedar Bluff, VA 24609
- Phone: 276-964-2555
- Website: https://sw.edu
#9The Maritime Institute
About the School
The Maritime Institute offers a Basic 1 Welding program designed for entry-level welders with little to no experience.
The course covers:
- Basic blueprint reading
- Oxy-acetylene and alternate fuel gas cutting theory, practice, and safety
- Proper procedures for fire watch, basic fire theory, and safety
- Welding theory and procedure
- Welding metallurgy
- Pressure and Non-Destructive Testing
- And more
Students start their training by performing multiple butt welds in the flat position using the SMAW or stick welding process on several pieces of hot-rolled steel.
Afterwards, they may proceed to fillet welds on T joints in the flat position, with the ultimate goal to progress through all four positions proficiently.
Contact Information
- Address: 5301 Robin Hood Road, Suite 100, Norfolk, VA 23513
- Phone: (757) 464-6008
- Website: https://maritimeinstitute.com
#10Northern Virginia Community College
About the School
Northern Virginia Community College offers a variety of programs and courses, from Accounting to Welding.
The Welding program available at the college provides students with versatile welding skills that can be applied to a variety of fields, from manufacturing to aviation.
The Welding Basic Techniques Career Studies Certificate includes 18 credits and can be completed in one year.
The program is available in Manassas.
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes:
- Introduction to Welding
- Arc Welding
- Welding II: Electric Arc
- Welding Drawing and Interpretation
- Inert Gas Welding
- Semi-Automatic Welding Processes
- and more
Tuition at Northern Virginia Community College is $224.56 for Virginia resident students.
Contact Information
- Address: 5000 Dawes Ave, Alexandria, VA 22311
- Phone: 703.323.3000
- Website: https://www.nvcc.edu
Schools Summary Table
Welding Average Salary in Virginia
Estimated Earnings Range:| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
|
$39K
|
|
|
$58K
|
|
|
$78K
|
Welding Salary by Metro Area in Virginia
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 300 | $53,720 | $25.83 | $65,860 | $39,100 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 90 | $58,660 | $28.20 | $80,500 | $40,170 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 100 | $50,890 | $24.47 | $70,650 | $33,930 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 660 | $58,200 | $27.98 | $82,470 | $39,790 |
| Richmond, VA | 1,240 | $59,500 | $28.61 | $90,570 | $40,000 |
| Roanoke, VA | 820 | $54,200 | $26.06 | $62,380 | $39,040 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | 300 | $59,850 | $28.77 | $82,680 | $38,830 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 3,950 | $59,370 | $28.54 | $75,710 | $46,020 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | 170 | $52,460 | $25.22 | $64,750 | $36,260 |
* Employment opportunities may differ based on your location.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have read our selection of the best welding programs in Virginia, it’s time to continue the research and choose the one that best meets your learning style and career aspirations.
With so many options available, choosing the right one can take some time, so start doing your research right away.
