How to Become a Welder in Florida
- Train at one of the 49 welding schools in Florida that award welding credentials; a certificate takes months, an associate degree about two years.
- Practice the core processes: SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, plus blueprint reading and cutting.
- Pass a weld test: an employer's procedure test or the AWS Certified Welder test at an accredited facility.
- Start work: Florida welders earn a median $50,640 a year, with the top 10% above $70,390 (BLS, May 2025).
Where to Train as a Welder in Florida, Starting With Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville
Tuition is the 2024–25 full-time resident rate and graduation rate is college-wide (NCES College Navigator). Welding awards are credentials conferred in welding (IPEDS). Blank cells mean no federal figure for that college.
Florida Programs That Train Welders
Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida
Offers an associate degree and 2 other awards in welding
- Welding awards offered
- 3 certificates and degrees
- Welding awards
- 1050 conferred 2024–25
Teaches Stick · Flux-cored · Pipe · Fabrication
Southern Technical College (Orlando), Orlando, Florida
Offers an associate degree in welding
- Welding awards offered
- 1 certificates and degrees
- Welding awards
- 160 conferred 2024–25
Teaches Stick · MIG · TIG · Pipe · Fabrication
Lively Technical College, Tallahassee, Florida
Offers a certificate in welding
- Welding awards offered
- 1 certificates and degrees
- Welding awards
- 56 conferred 2024–25
Teaches Stick · MIG · TIG · Flux-cored · Cutting
Lake Technical College, Eustis, Florida
Offers 3 certificates in welding
- Welding awards offered
- 3 certificates and degrees
- Welding awards
- 70 conferred 2024–25
Teaches Stick · MIG · TIG · Flux-cored · Pipe · Fabrication
Hillsborough Community College (Hillsborough College), Tampa, Florida
Offers 2 certificates in welding
- Tuition / year
- $2,506 in-state, 2024–25
- Welding awards
- 52 conferred 2024–25
Teaches Stick · MIG · TIG · Flux-cored · Pipe · Fabrication
Manatee Technical College, Bradenton, Florida
Offers a certificate in welding
- Welding awards offered
- 1 certificates and degrees
- Welding awards
- 50 conferred 2024–25
Teaches Stick · MIG · TIG · Flux-cored · Pipe · Cutting
Tuition and welding awards: NCES College Navigator, 2024–25. Programs and processes: each school's own welding page, reviewed September 2026.
How to Become a Welder in Florida, Step by Step
Pick a Certificate or an Associate Degree
A certificate concentrates on shop time and gets you to entry-level work fastest. An associate degree adds advanced processes, metallurgy, inspection and general education, which helps if you're aiming for pipe work, inspection or supervision later. Florida colleges conferred 2,045 welding certificates and 154 associate degrees in 2022–23.
Learn the Processes Employers Test
Florida programs on this page most often list SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, PIPE, blueprint reading. Structural work leans on stick and flux-core; pipe and precision work add TIG.
Pass a Weld Test
The AWS Certified Welder program tests you on a specific procedure and code at an AWS Accredited Test Facility, with no education or experience prerequisites. Many employers run their own procedure test instead, so ask which one the jobs you want require.
Build Experience and Pay
Pay grows with the processes and positions you can pass tests in. After years on the job, some welders move into inspection through the AWS Certified Welding Inspector program, which requires work experience plus three exams.
Compare welding careers · Welding certification guide · Compare welding schools in Florida
Welder Salary in Florida: The Naples Area Pays the Most
For pay by metro area and by welding job, see Welder Salary in Florida.
| Metro area | Median pay | Top 10% earn more than | Welding jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples–Marco Island | $56,440 | $74,110 | 180 |
| Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach | $54,590 | $74,600 | 3,510 |
| Panama City–Panama City Beach | $53,350 | $62,230 | 250 |
| Cape Coral–Fort Myers | $52,410 | $71,040 | 580 |
| Port St. Lucie | $52,270 | $70,840 | 290 |
| North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota | $51,820 | $73,720 | 910 |
| Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin | $50,710 | $67,110 | 120 |
| Jacksonville | $50,640 | $72,840 | 1,420 |
| Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford | $50,200 | $68,780 | 2,020 |
| Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville | $49,930 | $66,460 | 600 |
Welder salary: annual wages for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Florida (16,420 jobs); U.S. median $53,750. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
How to Become a Welder in Florida: FAQ
How Much Do Welding Schools in Florida Cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2024–25 at the Florida colleges on this page run from $2,496 to $3,930 for residents, before books, tools and protective gear.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Welder in Florida?
Florida programs publish awards from short certificates to associate degrees. For example, Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville lists Professional Welding Training (7 months) and Welding and Pipefitting Training Program (Welding Specialist with Pipefitting) (9.5 months); Southern Technical College (Orlando) lists Associate of Applied Science Degree in Welding Technology (18 months); Lively Technical College lists Welding Technology (1050 clock hours).
How Much Do Welders Make in Florida?
BLS estimates a median of $50,640 a year for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Florida (May 2025), across 16,420 jobs. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $39,200 and the top 10% earn more than $70,390.
What Is the Best Welding School in Florida?
On federal data for program size, cost and completion, Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville ranks first among Florida colleges with verified welding programs, followed by Southern Technical College (Orlando). The best fit depends on the credential you want and the campus you can reach.
Do I Need a Certification to Work as a Welder?
Many employers test welders on their own procedure before hiring. The American Welding Society's Certified Welder program is a performance test with no education or experience prerequisites, taken at an AWS Accredited Test Facility.
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How Much Do Welders Make in Florida?
Florida welders earned a median $50,640 a year ($24.35 an hour) in May 2025. See pay in 22 metros, from Naples to Tallahassee, and in welding-related careers.
Florida · Cost
How Much Does Welding School Cost in Florida?
2024–25 welding tuition in Florida, from $2,496 at Eastern Florida State College to $3,930 at Ridge Technical College, plus full-program prices and books.
Florida · Certificates and Degrees
Florida's 1,050-Hour Welding Programs: How Long They Really Take
32 of 36 Florida welding programs list a 1,050-hour certificate. See how many months it takes by day or evening, the 750-hour add-on, and who runs each.
More on Welding in Florida
Sources
- Official welding program pages of the 36 Florida colleges above (each college name links to its page), reviewed September 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS completions 2022–23 and College Navigator.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- American Welding Society, Certified Welder program.