Welding Schools in Virginia

As an aspiring welder in Virginia, one of the most important areas of consideration is to start your career by fulfilling all the major requirements. These will ensure straightforward entry into a professional position and make it easier to take advantage of career opportunities.

The article below explores all of these major requirements in detail. We also provide some important, albeit non-mandatory, steps to help candidates utilize professional networking and continuing education opportunities.

Additionally, interested individuals will discover the possible salary range to expect based on a few factors.

How to Become a Welder in Virginia

Below are the key steps required to become a welder in Virginia.

Get Educated

Naturally, the first step to becoming a plumber in Virginia and anywhere else is to obtain proper training. However, the purpose of this step goes beyond acquiring the necessary skills for the job.

Yes, candidates will acquire these skills, but they will also be able to participate in hands-on training to stimulate how it feels like to work in the real world.

The best training programs may also provide job placement assistance upon graduation while equipping candidates with relevant tools for the job.

Gain Experience

The classroom education that an aspiring plumber in Virginia receives will contribute to their understanding of the fundamentals of the field. Subsequently, they must also gain some experience before they are employed.

The specific approach employed to achieve this goal will depend on their chosen training arrangement. Academic training programs may facilitate real-world experience through internships and partnerships with apprenticeships.

Apprenticeship programs usually help candidates gain real-world experience from the start through participation in actual projects.

Consider Certification

Welders in Virginia are expected to become certified after they can start their careers. However, doing so is extremely advantageous and may open the door to various career opportunities.

We will discuss this subject in detail in the next section.

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Licensure & Certification Requirements

Welders in Virginia are expected to become licensed by the state after they start their careers. However, employers love working with those certified by recognized professional organizations.

Candidates looking to become certified may do so by taking advantage of the credentials offered by organizations like the American Welding Society (AWS) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

To obtain these credentials, they must be ready to go through certification exams containing written and hands-on assessments.

AWS offers credentials in gas metal arc welding, shielded metal arc welding, and gas tungsten arc welding, among others.

ASME offers certification in the construction of pressure vessels, boilers, piping systems, and other mechanical components. Welders in the state certified by either of these organizations should also be prepared to participate in continuing education to renew their credentials.

Top Welding Schools in Virginia

The following are a few top welding schools in Virginia for candidates to consider.

Explore Welding Schools in Virginia by City:

• Welding Schools in Virginia Beach

Salary & Career Outlook

As a welder in Virginia, you may look forward to starting your career with an annual average salary of around $37,634. Of course, this figure is not set in stone but was obtained from a survey of thousands of welders in the state who fell among the bottom 10% of earners.

From this point, professionals can then scale their salary to around $49,480, the figure for the midpoint earners. Subsequently, with more experience and other factors in their favor, a welder in Virginia can earn as high as $66,650 — the figure for the top 10%.

Concerning the best places to work as a welder in the state, they include Newport News, with an annual average salary of $60,029; Norfolk, with an annual average salary of $55,050; Sterling, with an annual average salary of $54,200; Chesapeake, with an annual average salary of $52,875; and Lynchburg, with an annual average salary of $51,026.

Welders in Virginia Beach earn an annual average salary of $40,549.