Best Welding Schools in San Mateo, California (2026)

Quick answer: Welders in California earn a median of $58,060 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited welder schools near San Mateo, California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

San Mateo sits within the California welder workforce, served by accredited training providers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $58,060 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Affordable Online Welding Programs Now Accepting Students in San Mateo, California:

San Mateo Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$58,060BLS OEWS, May 2025
California pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$44,520 to $81,940BLS OEWS, May 2025
San Francisco, CA metro median wage$64,320BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+2.2% growth, about 45,600 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment26,060 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
San Mateo County unemployment rate3.6%BLS LAUS, 2024
California location quotient0.53BLS OEWS, May 2025

Nearby Cities

Explore the Welder Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to San Mateo. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the San Mateo County and California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.


Welding Training Near San Mateo

How We Rank Schools

Local school lists are ordered by location first, using the distance from the city or state page you are viewing. Each eligible school also shows a BOC Score, computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data.

Location / proximity to this page
Primary local sort
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%

Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Chabot College

Hayward, CA 13.0 miles away BOC Score 46.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 44.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 40
  • Annual completions: 1066
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $66,589 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

City College of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 14.2 miles away BOC Score 44.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 39.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 87
  • Annual completions: 2534
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $60,859 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Laney College

Oakland, CA 17.0 miles away BOC Score 17.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 33.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 38
  • Annual completions: 415
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,151 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Las Positas College

Livermore, CA 30.3 miles away BOC Score 71.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 41
  • Annual completions: 353
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,625 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Los Medanos College

Pittsburg, CA 40.1 miles away BOC Score 62.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 39.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 32
  • Annual completions: 852
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,523 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Welder Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile - Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $39240, P25 $46790, P50 $53750, P75 $63010, P90 $77530.10th$39,24025th$46,79050th (median)$53,75075th$63,01090th$77,530
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$39,240
25th$46,790
50th (median)$53,750
75th$63,010
90th$77,530
Projected employment growth, Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, 2024-2034
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 457300; 2034 projected employment 467200; percent change +2.2%.2024457,300 jobs2034 (proj.)467,200 jobsChange: +2.2%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
2024457,300
2034 projected467,200
Percent change+2.2%

Enrollment & Certification Pathway in California

Most students in California follow this process:

  1. Apply to an accredited welding school or trade program in San Mateo.
  2. Complete hands-on labs, pass bend and visual tests, and earn AWS certifications that match your goals.
  3. Gain experience through shop work, construction, or fabrication roles. then pursue NCCER or advanced AWS credentials.

Next Steps

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does welder training take near San Mateo?

Welder certificate programs near San Mateo typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Many welders also enter the field through a registered apprenticeship, which combines paid on-the-job training with related classroom instruction and usually takes 3 to 5 years to complete. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do welders earn in California?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), welders in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $58,060. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $44,520 to $81,940 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many welder schools are near San Mateo?

The schools listed above are within about 250 miles of San Mateo. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)