Home › North Carolina › Welding schools
60 schools in North Carolina offer welding-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Federal program data groups welding with machining & cnc — schools below may offer any of these.
North Carolina does not require a state license or certification to work as a welder; AWS credentials are the accepted industry standard. The one state-run requirement is NCDOT's Field Welder Certification Program, mandatory only for welders on NCDOT bridge projects. Community college welding programs run about 1-2 years, and ApprenticeshipNC registered apprenticeships offer a 3-4 year paid alternative.
Official source: None — no NC occupational licensing board covers welding; NCDOT Materials & Tests Unit runs the Field Welder Certification Program for bridge work only · Exam: No state exam. AWS Certified Welder performance test (voluntary); NCDOT Field Welder qualification tests for bridge work · Typical requirement: No state-mandated hours. AWS Certified Welder = pass a performance test (no coursework prerequisite). NC community college welding programs run roughly 1-2 years; apprenticeships 3-4 years. NCDOT field welders must pass NCDOT qualification tests (SIP, fillet, groove levels).
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Community College | Shelby | public | $995 | 30.6% | $33,755 |
| Piedmont Community College | Roxboro | public | $1,095 | 39.5% | $33,274 |
| Pamlico Community College | Grantsboro | public | $1,321 | 55.3% | $30,005 |
| Durham Technical Community College | Durham | public | $1,664 | 24.1% | $36,142 |
| Johnston Community College | Smithfield | public | $1,776 | 40.5% | $37,310 |
| Rockingham Community College | Wentworth | public | $2,060 | 32.3% | $32,480 |
| James Sprunt Community College | Kenansville | public | $1,863 | 41% | $29,307 |
| Wayne Community College | Goldsboro | public | $2,245 | 39.8% | $34,148 |
| College of the Albemarle | Elizabeth City | public | $2,253 | 34% | $33,234 |
| Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte | public | $3,345 | 24% | $37,865 |
| Wilson Community College | Wilson | public | $3,064 | 29.5% | $32,973 |
| Sampson Community College | Clinton | public | $3,108 | 36.5% | $33,409 |
| Nash Community College | Rocky Mount | public | $3,338 | 27.8% | $34,912 |
| Vance-Granville Community College | Henderson | public | $3,286 | 31.9% | $34,304 |
| Craven Community College | New Bern | public | $3,289 | 36.7% | $34,231 |
| Robeson Community College | Lumberton | public | $2,892 | 37% | $29,036 |
| Martin Community College | Williamston | public | $2,676 | 36% | $26,016 |
| Fayetteville Technical Community College | Fayetteville | public | $3,589 | 28.2% | $31,861 |
| Lenoir Community College | Kinston | public | $4,127 | 36.3% | $33,866 |
| Surry Community College | Dobson | public | $4,961 | 47% | $36,012 |
| Southwestern Community College | Sylva | public | $5,207 | 41.4% | $34,145 |
| Stanly Community College | Albemarle | public | $5,721 | 37.7% | $36,686 |
| Blue Ridge Community College | Flat Rock | public | $5,756 | 48.8% | $36,324 |
| Central Carolina Community College | Sanford | public | $5,446 | 41.6% | $33,525 |
| Mayland Community College | Spruce Pine | public | $5,861 | 38.7% | $34,663 |
| Richmond Community College | Hamlet | public | $5,071 | 36.7% | $29,951 |
| Alamance Community College | Graham | public | $6,109 | 33.1% | $34,241 |
| South Piedmont Community College | Polkton | public | $6,675 | 26.9% | $37,308 |
| Gaston College | Dallas | public | $6,592 | 44.1% | $35,386 |
| Western Piedmont Community College | Morganton | public | $6,448 | 37% | $34,195 |
| Roanoke-Chowan Community College | Ahoskie | public | $5,570 | 20.4% | $29,324 |
| Haywood Community College | Clyde | public | $6,723 | 39.7% | $34,770 |
| Mitchell Community College | Statesville | public | $6,481 | 34.9% | $33,298 |
| Pitt Community College | Winterville | public | $7,337 | 29.3% | $37,259 |
| Beaufort County Community College | Washington | public | $6,500 | 42.7% | $32,519 |
| Randolph Community College | Asheboro | public | $6,918 | 37.6% | $33,336 |
| Wake Technical Community College | Raleigh | public | $8,759 | 31.8% | $41,769 |
| Forsyth Technical Community College | Winston-Salem | public | $7,200 | 32.9% | $34,139 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus Community College | Salisbury | public | $7,981 | 32% | $34,936 |
| McDowell Technical Community College | Marion | public | $7,784 | 34.4% | $33,035 |
| Davidson-Davie Community College | Thomasville | public | $8,753 | 38.3% | $36,337 |
| Tri-County Community College | Murphy | public | $7,799 | 34% | $32,232 |
| Brunswick Community College | Bolivia | public | $9,009 | 38.6% | $36,668 |
| Cape Fear Community College | Wilmington | public | $9,610 | 39.7% | $38,654 |
| Coastal Carolina Community College | Jacksonville | public | $9,461 | 32.7% | $36,444 |
| Catawba Valley Community College | Hickory | public | $10,528 | 34% | $36,977 |
| Halifax Community College | Weldon | public | $9,040 | 37.3% | $31,644 |
| Southeastern Community College | Whiteville | public | $9,148 | 37.7% | $30,284 |
| Bladen Community College | Dublin | public | $9,551 | 23.7% | $30,591 |
| Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute | Hudson | public | $10,810 | 32.8% | $34,515 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | Asheville | public | $11,602 | 33.6% | $36,048 |
| Carteret Community College | Morehead City | public | $10,764 | 37.5% | $33,357 |
| Isothermal Community College | Spindale | public | $10,758 | 41.2% | $33,325 |
| Montgomery Community College | Troy | public | $13,832 | 66.7% | $32,742 |
| Guilford Technical Community College | Jamestown | public | $15,002 | 27.4% | $33,934 |
| Universal Technical Institute-Mooresville | Mooresville | private for-profit | $28,915 | 62.4% | $52,873 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Charlotte | Charlotte | private for-profit | $25,733 | 56.5% | $42,759 |
| Miller-Motte College-Raleigh | Raleigh | private for-profit | $22,736 | 50% | $31,102 |
| Edgecombe Community College | Tarboro | public | not reported | 38.7% | $33,267 |
| Wilkes Community College | Wilkesboro | public | $-264 | 46.4% | $34,728 |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
Federal and state aid programs have windows and deadlines. Get them for your trade and state, plus program matches.
We may share your info with matched school and program partners so they can contact you about enrollment. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy & editorial policy.