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Welder Apprenticeship in Texas

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.

TX Median Salary
$49,830/yr
-2% vs. national
National Median
$51,000/yr
TX Employment
56,650
Welders employed
TX Sponsors
8
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 Texas: Quick Facts

What apprenticeship means here

A registered welder apprenticeship in Texas 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.

Texas pay vs. national

Median welder wages in Texas are $49,830/year, -2% below the national median of $51,000. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.

Where to find programs

Texas has 8 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 — Texas-specific outlook can vary from national figures.

Texas Wage Spread

Annual wages for Welders in Texas across all experience levels.

10th pct
$36,570
Median
$49,830
90th pct
$78,440
Middle 50% of workers earn $43,340 – $62,810

Current Welder Apprenticeship Openings in Texas

No welder apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for Texas. 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 Texas

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

Organization City County
AC Fabrication Inc. Beaumont Jefferson County
Super Welders Academy Brownsville Cameron County
4W Welding & Manufacturing, Inc. Haskell —
FABco, LLC Houston Harris County
Supreme Welding Academy LLC Houston —
All Around Welding & Construction, LLC Lovelady Trinity County
WELD LIVE NATION ACADEMY Pasadena Harris County
ONWARD FABRICATIONS & INDUSTRIAL SERVICES Tomball Harris County
Search apprenticeship.gov for current Welder openings →

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

Welder Apprenticeship in Texas

With 8 trade-specific sponsors in our directory, Texas's Welder apprenticeship landscape is limited. Candidates should also consider nearby states or contact national union offices for referrals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Welders make in Texas?
The BLS reports a median wage of $49,830/yr for Welders in Texas (May 2024 data). Experience, union membership, and specialization all affect where you fall in the range.
How many years does it take to become a Welder through apprenticeship?
Most Welder apprenticeships run 3 years. Apprentices work under a journeyman while attending classes, typically earning wages from day one with scheduled increases.
What's the difference between a Welder apprenticeship and 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.
Where can I apply for a Welder apprenticeship in Texas?
Contact one of the 8 Welder-adjacent registered sponsors in Texas (listed below), or search apprenticeship.gov for current openings. Local union halls, community colleges, and the state apprenticeship agency are good first stops.
Do Welder apprentices get paid during training?
Apprentices are paid employees from the start. In Texas, a first-year Welder apprentice might earn around $24,915/yr (roughly half the $49,830 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 Texas →
Or see all 332 programs nationwide.

Welder in Other States

Hawaii ($76,970) Alaska ($75,140) Wyoming ($66,070) Connecticut ($64,520) Washington ($61,730) Massachusetts ($61,710) North Dakota ($60,270) Louisiana ($59,860) New Jersey ($59,630) Nevada ($59,370) Minnesota ($58,730) District of Columbia ($58,700) Oregon ($58,590) Maine ($58,340) California ($57,940) New Hampshire ($57,700) Vermont ($57,520) Virginia ($57,350) New York ($57,230) Colorado ($57,200)

Other Apprenticeships in Texas

Automotive Mechanic Boilermaker Bricklayer & Blockmason Carpenter Construction Painter Diesel Mechanic Electrical Power-Line Worker Electrician Elevator & Escalator Mechanic Firefighter Glazier HVAC Technician Industrial Machinery Mechanic Insulation Worker Ironworker Machinist Plumber & Pipefitter Roofer Sheet Metal Worker
Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024, DOL RAPIDS Registered Apprenticeship database, ApprenticeshipUSA Sponsor Directory.