While New Hampshire does not offer the most opportunities for welders, there are good welding jobs there if you know where to look. In addition, many excellent welding schools in New Hampshire are available to help you get trained and ready for your welding certification exam.
This guide includes steps on how to become a welder in New Hampshire, and it will also assist you in finding welding schools and training centers. It also contains information about existing welding careers in New Hampshire and how to find them.
What Does a Welder Do?
Welders’ job descriptions vary substantially depending on what industry they decide to pursue. However, all welders need a basic understanding of how different metals are fused, how to read blueprints and plans, communicate ideas, and listen carefully and follow instructions precisely.
Welding careers in New Hampshire generally relate to the construction or metal manufacturing industries.
Trained and certified welders can typically locate companies hiring for welding jobs working on projects such as:
- New building construction
- Building and repairing roads and bridges
- Production work in metal manufacturing plants
- Biochemical and pharmaceutical labs
- Navy shipyard
Welding Schools Near Me in New Hampshire
PHAZE Welding Technology Center
PHAZE offers students needs-targeted learning and leverages relationships with regional companies that hire welders to help graduates find work.
- Location: Peterborough
- Phone: 603.371.9032
- Programs available: Introduction to Welding, Welding Certification (AWS D1.1), Advanced Industrial Fabricator course
- Program duration: Total of 350 hours of training with varying completion rates due to flexible scheduling and rolling enrollment
- Average cost: All three courses total $24,000; New Hampshire’s WorkNow NH program offers generous tuition assistance
Great Bay Community College
Great Bay gives students in-depth welding training and certification courses focused on meeting advanced industry standards and providing thoroughly trained and capable welders to the workforce.
- Location: Portsmouth
- Phone: 1.800.522.1194
- Programs available: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Welding Technologies
- Program duration: 36 weeks
- Average cost: $3,870 for residents plus up to about $400 in additional instructor-recommended supplies
Advanced Trade School
A good choice for students seeking accelerated learning programs, Advanced Trade Schools offers welding programs with evening class schedules to accommodate keeping a full-time day job while attending classes.
- Location: Brentwood
- Phone: 603.785.2491
- Programs available: Introduction to Welding and Advanced Shielded Metal Arc (stick)
- Program duration: Each course is four weeks ( two 150-minute classes per week)
- Average cost: $599 for Introduction and $549 for Advanced
Manchester Community College
Manchester has welding courses to get students working quickly in entry-level jobs or a two-year Associates Degree program to help them qualify for higher-paying positions.
- Location: Manchester
- Phone: 603.206.8000
- Programs available: Welding Technology Professional and Welding Technology Certificates plus Welding Technology Degree
- Program duration: Associates Degree – two years; Certificate courses take 16 or 10 weeks to complete
- Average cost: Degree is $17,445; certificates are $6,880 and $7740 (Professional)
The White Mountains Community College
Students in the White Mountains Community College Welding program receive state-of-the-art welding training and access to the school’s many industry partners willing to hire certified graduates.
- Location: Berlin
- Phone: 603.752.1113
- Programs available: Advanced Welding Technology Certificate (transferrable to some AAS degree programs)
- Program duration: 32 weeks
- Average cost: $7,740 for NH residents
Welding Career Opportunities in New Hampshire
Primary sources for welding jobs in New Hampshire include shipyards, bridge construction, standard metal fabrication, construction sites, and some specialized building construction for biomedical labs.
How Much Do Welders Make in New Hampshire?
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics indicates that welders earn between $49,320 and $52,000 annually, close to the average salary in New Hampshire.
The salary information tool on the job-seeking website Indeed shows openings for entry-level welders in New Hampshire that pay around $44,603 per year.
Major Employers of Welders in New Hampshire
Welding jobs may not be as plentiful as in some other states, but there are good-paying jobs for fully trained candidates with the right skills.
- CANAM: International bridge building company, hiring all skill levels of welders and metal fabricators
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard: The U.S. Navy employs civilian welders to help support their missions, formal apprenticeship program helps entry-level employees find opportunities
- Terex Corporation: The manufacturing firm is offering a $500 sign-on bonus for welders
- Rotobec: Company that custom fits heavy equipment attachments offers welding positions on different shifts
How To Become a Certified Welder in New Hampshire
Since not many states require welders to earn a certification, most employers look for applicants to have welding certifications from The American Welding Society (AWS) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Some welding jobs might be available for applicants without these certifications, but they will be scarce and low-paying.
Aspiring welders typically graduate high school with vocational training and then take a formal welding course to earn their certifications and deepen their professional knowledge. Welding careers can take many different paths requiring diverse skills, so training with industry professionals helps students target their efforts to gain as much skill as possible.
Certification opens many doors to opportunities with companies with government contracts or other significant obligations that require their welders to be certified. In addition, apprenticeship programs after school can offer welders more professional training in specific niches to open up more higher-paying jobs in more advanced fields.
Do You Need a License to be a Welder in New Hampshire?
No license is required to operate welding equipment in New Hampshire. However, those starting a welding business must obtain the usual business licenses. In addition, if you will be working with fuel or gas fittings or any plumbing, New Hampshire requires you to have a safety permit.
New Hampshire Welding FAQs
1. How Long Does It Take to Become a Welder?
If you know how to weld but are not certified, finding a job may not take long. But you may not like the pay or the working conditions. Of course, any on-the-job experience is helpful. Still, to become a professional welder, you have to consider the time it takes for some form of training program to get you ready for certification.
Courses are available that you can complete in as little as a month, all the way up to earning a two-year degree. The amount of time it takes to become a welder depends on the type of welding work you want to do and if you have aspirations to take your career beyond an entry- or mid-level position to one dealing with advanced technology that requires more skill.
2. Does a Welder Need Insurance in New Hampshire?
You do not need insurance to become a welder in New Hampshire unless you are starting your own business and planning on hiring employees,
You can easily request a free commercial insurance quote from our partners using the tool below.
3. Who Can I Contact If I Have Questions?
Most of the trade schools in New Hampshire seem to have sufficient industry contacts to answer just about any questions you may have. In addition, local trade associations like U.A. Local 131 can also be a good source for finding welding jobs in various local industries.
For More License and Career Guides
To find out how to become a Welder in another state, start here.
For information on other trades in New Hampshire, click on a link below to learn more about the licensing requirements:
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