Two ways in: pay for school (981 U.S. schools offer Precision Metal Working programs at certificate/associate level, median net price $8,501/yr) or get paid to train (552 registered apprenticeship programs in the federal database). Federal program data groups welding with related trades in one category (Precision Metal Working), so school counts cover the category. Many programs are Pell-eligible at Title IV schools; AWS certification is the industry credential; union apprenticeships earn while training.
Working welding professionals earn a median of $55,610/yr nationally — state medians range from $47,970 (Arkansas) to $80,840 (Alaska). Wage data: U.S. Dept of Labor via CareerOneStop.
No state license: Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan — employers typically expect industry certification instead.
We've verified licensing rules for 10 states so far, each cited to the official board on its state page — more are being added. States not listed above may well require a license: always confirm with your state's licensing authority before enrolling.
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About half of states run their own apprenticeship agencies (including NY, MN, OR, VT, WA, DC) and are under-reported in the federal database — a low count there does not mean apprenticeships don't exist in that state.