Home › Pennsylvania › Welding schools
41 schools in Pennsylvania offer welding-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 16 registered apprenticeship sponsors in Pennsylvania train welding apprentices — see apprenticeships. Federal program data groups welding with machining & cnc — schools below may offer any of these.
Pennsylvania does not license welders — the Commonwealth states plainly that it has no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors or their employees. AWS Certified Welder is the credential employers expect, earned by passing a hands-on weld test with no coursework prerequisite. Registered apprenticeships through PA's Apprenticeship and Training Office (typically 3-4 years, paid) are a common alternative to a 6-18 month trade program.
Official source: None — PA Department of Labor & Industry (state has no licensure/certification requirement for most construction trades or their employees) · Exam: No state exam. AWS Certified Welder performance test (voluntary); code qualifications (AWS D1.1, ASME IX) as required by employers · Typical requirement: No state-mandated hours. AWS Certified Welder = pass a hands-on performance test (no coursework prerequisite). Typical programs 6-18 months; registered apprenticeships 3-4 years.
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westmoreland County Community College | Youngwood | public | $5,167 | 26.4% | $37,439 |
| Schuylkill Technology Center | Frackville | public | $6,797 | 60.1% | $49,148 |
| Delaware County Community College | Media | public | $6,576 | 18.3% | $45,391 |
| Community College of Beaver County | Monaca | public | $6,937 | 28.5% | $45,090 |
| Pennsylvania Highlands Community College | Johnstown | public | $6,200 | 39.3% | $38,752 |
| Butler County Community College | Butler | public | $6,233 | 30.2% | $38,891 |
| New Castle School of Trades | New Castle | private for-profit | $8,361 | 78.4% | $44,814 |
| Lehigh Carbon Community College | Schnecksville | public | $9,203 | 24.6% | $42,436 |
| Luzerne County Community College | Nanticoke | public | $9,433 | 24.1% | $40,437 |
| Reading Area Community College | Reading | public | $9,228 | 21.2% | $39,082 |
| Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology | Pleasant Gap | public | $9,857 | 90.8% | $41,677 |
| Laurel Technical Institute | Hermitage | private for-profit | $6,778 | 65.6% | $28,311 |
| York County School of Technology-Adult & Continuing Education | York | public | $13,490 | 89.7% | $54,322 |
| Laurel Technical Institute | Uniontown | private for-profit | $7,825 | 76.2% | $30,819 |
| Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology | Lancaster | public | $14,104 | 67.1% | $54,681 |
| Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center | Johnstown | public | $14,111 | 76.6% | $48,881 |
| Northampton County Area Community College | Bethlehem | public | $12,119 | 29.8% | $41,566 |
| Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center | Altoona | public | $12,419 | 71.5% | $38,008 |
| Harrisburg Area Community College | Harrisburg | public | $14,471 | 21.3% | $42,007 |
| Clearfield County Career and Technology Center | Clearfield | public | $14,460 | 80.4% | $41,559 |
| Community College of Allegheny County | Pittsburgh | public | $13,970 | 25.3% | $39,449 |
| Johnson College | Scranton | private nonprofit | $19,954 | 57.3% | $55,194 |
| Somerset County Technology Center | Somerset | public | $14,444 | 89.1% | $37,558 |
| Lancaster County Career and Technology Center | Willow Street | public | $17,505 | 77.2% | $44,566 |
| Welder Training and Testing Institute | Allentown | private for-profit | $22,503 | 89.1% | $55,598 |
| Rosedale Technical College | Pittsburgh | private nonprofit | $19,760 | 81% | $47,880 |
| All-State Career School-Pittsburgh | West Mifflin | private for-profit | $15,576 | 69.3% | $33,193 |
| All-State Career School | Essington | private for-profit | $18,205 | 61.7% | $38,495 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | Williamsport | public | $25,110 | 61% | $52,567 |
| Universal Technical Institute of Pennsylvania Inc | Exton | private for-profit | $24,883 | 67.3% | $51,222 |
| Fayette County Career & Technical Institute Practical Nursing Program | Uniontown | public | $24,194 | 72.4% | $49,229 |
| Indiana County Technology Center | Indiana | public | $18,822 | 72.7% | $34,858 |
| Commonwealth Technical Institute | Johnstown | private nonprofit | $11,714 | 81.4% | $21,632 |
| Penn Commercial Business/Technical School | Washington | private for-profit | $18,350 | 52.7% | $31,736 |
| Erie Institute of Technology Inc | Erie | private for-profit | $30,164 | 72.1% | $41,951 |
| Williamson College of the Trades | Media | private nonprofit | $1,545 | 76.1% | not reported |
| Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center | Springville | public | $5,594 | 96.7% | not reported |
| Institute of Medical Careers | Pittsburgh | private for-profit | $21,392 | 69.5% | not reported |
| Berks Career & Technology Center | Leesport | public | $20,536 | 70% | not reported |
| Philadelphia Technician Training | Philadelphia | private nonprofit | $22,813 | 49.8% | not reported |
| Lehigh Career & Technical Institute | Schnecksville | public | $23,735 | not reported | not reported |
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.
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