Welder Apprenticeship in New Jersey

Wages, programs & career outlook

Welders join metal using heat and filler material — structural steel, pressure piping, aerospace alloys, automotive assemblies. Process matters: MIG for production speed, TIG for precision, stick for field repairs, and certified procedures for pressure or critical welds.

NJ Median Salary
$59,630/yr
+17% vs. national
National Median
$51,000/yr
NJ Employment
3,300
Welders employed
NJ Sponsors
5
Registered programs
Training Term
3.0 yrs
Time-Based
Job Growth
2.2%
2024–2034 projected
Annual Openings
45,600
Nationally, per yr

Welder Apprenticeship in New Jersey: Quick Facts

What apprenticeship means here

A registered welder apprenticeship in New Jersey combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Programs typically run 3.0 years and follow a time-based structure. You earn wages from day one — apprentices are employees, not students.

New Jersey pay vs. national

Median welder wages in New Jersey are $59,630/year, +17% above the national median of $51,000. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.

Where to find programs

New Jersey has 5 registered apprenticeship sponsors for welder listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov directory. The sponsor list further down includes joint labor-management programs (JATCs), individual employers, and contractor associations.

Job-market outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 2.2% job growth for welders nationally between 2024 and 2034, with approximately 45,600 annual openings each year (replacement plus growth combined). Apprenticeship demand tends to track local construction and infrastructure spending — New Jersey-specific outlook can vary from national figures.

New Jersey Wage Spread

Annual wages for Welders in New Jersey across all experience levels.

10th pct
$40,410
Median
$59,630
90th pct
$90,390
Middle 50% of workers earn $49,250$73,630

Current Welder Apprenticeship Openings in New Jersey

No welder apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for New Jersey. The sponsors listed below accept applications on a rolling basis — contact them directly. Consider setting up an alert on apprenticeship.gov to be notified when new listings are posted.

Listings aggregated from apprenticeship.gov (US Dept. of Labor). Data refreshed daily.

Welder Apprenticeship Sponsors in New Jersey

5 welder-related registered sponsors identified in the DOL ApprenticeshipUSA directory for New Jersey. Directory lists sponsor names only — contact each organization directly to confirm current welder apprenticeship openings.

Organization City County
Superior Welding Company Avenel
Swenson Welding & Fabrication, LLC Egg Harbor City
Manhattan Welding Company, Inc. Hillside Union County
Pro Welder NJ LLC Passaic Passaic County
Versatile Welding Group Scotch Plains Union County
Search apprenticeship.gov for current Welder openings

Filter by occupation code 51-4121 and state NJ for the most relevant results.

Welder Apprenticeship in New Jersey

With 5 trade-specific sponsors in our directory, New Jersey's Welder apprenticeship landscape is limited. Candidates should also consider nearby states or contact national union offices for referrals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Welder salary in New Jersey?
The BLS reports a median wage of $59,630/yr for Welders in New Jersey (May 2024 data). Experience, union membership, and specialization all affect where you fall in the range.
How long is a Welder apprenticeship?
A typical Welder apprenticeship lasts approximately 3 years (6,000 hours of on-the-job training). The program combines paid work experience with related classroom instruction.
Should I do a Welder apprenticeship or go to trade school?
The key difference: apprenticeships pay you during training while trade schools charge tuition. Many employers prefer apprenticeship-trained Welders, but trade school can give you a head start on the classroom requirements.
How do I find a Welder apprenticeship in New Jersey?
Contact one of the 5 Welder-adjacent registered sponsors in New Jersey (listed below), or search apprenticeship.gov for current openings. Local union halls, community colleges, and the state apprenticeship agency are good first stops.
How much do Welder apprentices earn?
Apprentices are paid employees from the start. In New Jersey, a first-year Welder apprentice might earn around $29,815/yr (roughly half the $59,630 journeyman median), with scheduled raises throughout the 3-year program.

Prefer Trade School Instead?

Apprenticeships pay from day one, but the classroom-first path may fit better for some. Welders also train through trade school programs — shorter timeline, more upfront cost.

Compare Precision Metal Working programs in New Jersey →
Or see all 332 programs nationwide.

Welder in Other States

Other Apprenticeships in New Jersey

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024, DOL RAPIDS Registered Apprenticeship database, ApprenticeshipUSA Sponsor Directory.