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One Hot Job

Welders hold the manufacturing industry together—literally.
They work hands-on, fusing the metal plates and pieces of our world’s most complex machinery and structures. From automobiles to power pipelines to bridges and highways, welders make things that make a difference in our world.

WHAT TYPE OF WELDERS ARE THERE?

The four most common types of welding are:

  • Shielded Metal Arc Welding, where a stick electrode welding rod fuses metals
  • Metal Inert Gas Welding, which heats and joins metal with a shielding gas
  • Tungsten Inert Gas Welding, where a tungsten electrode is used to weld materials
  • Flux Cored Arc Welding, which is a semi-automatic, high speed alternative to shield welding.

Different methods and levels of expertise exist within each type of welding, making the opportunities in this field diverse and the career growth endless.

How Can I Become A Welder?

Welding is a very promising career path and you won’t need a college degree to get started. With a high school diploma and additional technical training, you can qualify for entry-level positions where the starting salaries are competitive and growth opportunities are at your fingertips. You can even start developing your skills as early as high school. Check out our education and training programs below.

What Does It Take To Be A Welder?

  • Love working with your hands
  • Strong eye for detail
  • Approach problems with a mathematical mindset
  • Open to working in different environments (indoors and outdoors) and on a variety of projects
  • High school/diploma and some skills training

Where Do Welders Work?

Welder is one of the top 20 in-demand positions for the Tampa Bay manufacturing workforce. They excel—and are highly needed—in a number of fast-growing fields, including aerospace, automotive, energy and construction.

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