What Are the Best Welding Schools in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC) is the best-known of the welding schools in Los Angeles, with a full-time Welding Gas and Electric program plus GTAW and SMAW certificates. El Camino College in Torrance adds a Welding AS with pipe welding, and Compton College offers an AS and a certificate. All three charged California residents between $1,142 and $1,238 a year in 2024–25.
Los Angeles Welding Programs Compared
These Los Angeles welding schools teach similar processes, but their schedules and credentials differ.
LATTC, Downtown
The Welding Gas and Electric path is full time and leads to an associate degree or certificate; separate GTAW and SMAW certificates suit students who want one process. LATTC conferred 51 welding certificates and 5 associate degrees in 2024–25.
El Camino, Torrance
A Welding Associate of Science, a Certificate of Achievement, and process certificates covering SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, layout, fabrication, and pipe welding.
Compton College
An Associate of Science and a certificate with practice in SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, cutting, layout, and pipe welding.
Structural Welding Testing
Mt. SAC in Walnut, east of Los Angeles, is a licensed test site for Los Angeles City structural welding certification.
Welding Schools in Los Angeles by the Numbers
| College | Tuition | Certificates | Associate | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Trade-Technical College | $1,238in-state | 51 | 5 | 35% |
| El Camino College | $1,144in-state | 10 | 9 | 42% |
| Compton College | $1,142in-state | 5 | 1 | 27% |
Tuition and fees for a full-time year and welding credentials conferred, both 2024–25; completion is the college-wide federal graduation rate. Source: NCES College Navigator, retrieved September 24, 2026. Blank cells mean the college reports no figure for that field.
Welding Programs in Los Angeles
Tuition on each card is the lowest 2024–25 full-time resident rate at these welding schools in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Trade Technical College, Los Angeles, California
Offers an associate degree and 3 certificates in welding
- Tuition / year
- $1,238 in-state, 2024–25
- Welding awards
- 56 conferred 2024–25
Teaches Stick · TIG · Cutting · Fabrication
El Camino Community College District, Torrance, California
Offers an associate degree and 5 certificates in welding
- Tuition / year
- $1,144 in-state, 2024–25
- Welding awards
- 19 conferred 2024–25
Teaches Stick · MIG · TIG · Flux-cored · Pipe · Cutting
Compton College, Compton, California
Offers an associate degree and a certificate in welding
- Tuition / year
- $1,142 in-state, 2024–25
- Welding awards
- 6 conferred 2024–25
Teaches Stick · MIG · TIG · Flux-cored · Pipe · Cutting
Welding Classes in Los Angeles: Which Fits
Choose LATTC if you can commit to a full-time schedule and want the most-established program near downtown. Choose El Camino if you're in the South Bay and want pipe welding in a degree. For welding classes in Los Angeles at the lowest cost, Compton College is the pick. Los Angeles welding schools all prepare you for the structural and AWS weld tests local employers ask for.
Welder Salary in California
Annual wages for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers across California (26,060 jobs; U.S. median $53,750). Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Los Angeles Welding FAQ
How Much Does Welding School Cost in Los Angeles?
2024–25 in-state tuition and fees were $1,238 at LATTC, $1,144 at El Camino, and $1,142 at Compton College for a full-time year.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Welder in Los Angeles?
LATTC's certificates and most El Camino certificates fall in the federal '12 weeks to under one year' or '1 to 2 years' categories; an associate degree takes about two years full time.
How Much Do Welders Make in California?
The California median welder wage is $58,060 a year (BLS, May 2025).
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Los Angeles Structural Welding Certification: Where to Train and Test
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How Much Do Welders Make in California?
California welders earned a median $58,060 in May 2025. See pay in all 25 metro areas, from $64,320 in San Francisco to $46,850 in Visalia.
Guides, Careers and Pay
Sources
Reviewed September 24, 2026.
- lattc.edu: Welding
- elcamino.edu: Welding
- compton.edu: Welding
- Mt. SAC welding overview
- Federal IPEDS record 117724, U.S. Department of Education
- Federal IPEDS record 113980, U.S. Department of Education
- Federal IPEDS record 112686, U.S. Department of Education
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025