How to Become a Welding Engineer in 2026
Quick answer: Becoming a welding engineer requires a 4-year degree - typically a Bachelor’s in welding engineering, materials science, or metallurgical engineering. The national median pay is $112,860 per year, and BLS projects +5.7% employment change from 2024 to 2034 (BLS OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Welding Engineer at a Glance
| Metric | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $112,860 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Typical wage range | $72,300 (10th pct) - $175,720 (90th pct) | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected growth (2024-34) | +5.7% | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 |
| Typical education | Bachelor’s in welding engineering, materials science, or metallurgical engineering | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| License / certification | CWEng/CWI certifications (AWS) valued; PE for some roles | State licensing boards |
What Does a Welding Engineer Do?
Welding engineers specify weld procedures, select filler metals and processes, qualify welders, and solve metallurgy problems on pipelines, pressure vessels, ships, and structural steel. BLS classifies them under materials engineers (SOC 17-2131) - the wage data on this page is for that category.
Skills That Make a Great Welding Engineer
- Weld metallurgy and heat treatment
- WPS/PQR development and qualification
- NDT methods and acceptance criteria
- AWS D1.1 and ASME code fluency
- Failure analysis
How to Become a Welding Engineer
1. Earn a bachelor’s degree
Welding engineering (a handful of dedicated programs exist), materials science, or metallurgical engineering.
2. Keep your hood time
Field welding experience is what separates welding engineers who write workable procedures from those who don’t.
3. Add AWS credentials
CWI (Certified Welding Inspector) and later CWEng formalize the expertise.
4. Start in procedure development or QA
Fabricators, energy companies, and shipyards hire at the bachelor’s level.
5. Advance
Senior welding engineer, QA manager, or consulting on code work (ASME, AWS D1.1).
Why an Online Degree Works for This Career
This is the welder’s degree path, full stop. A certified welder with a welding engineering or materials science bachelor’s is one of the most employable combinations in heavy industry - and AWS CWI experience counts double alongside it. Online materials and welding engineering technology programs serve working welders specifically.
Welding Engineer Salary
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $72,300 |
| 25th | $88,080 |
| 50th (median) | $112,860 |
| 75th | $142,720 |
| 90th | $175,720 |
Job Outlook
| Year | Employment |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 23,000 |
| 2034 projected | 24,300 |
| Percent change | +5.7% |
Cost and Time to Complete the Degree
For welding engineers, the credential is: Bachelor’s in welding engineering, materials science, or metallurgical engineering. A bachelor’s degree is typically 120 credit hours: four years full-time, and commonly five to six years part-time while working. Transfer credit is the other lever: prior college, military training, apprenticeship coursework, and industry certifications can be worth a year or more at transfer-friendly schools, so get a written transfer evaluation before enrolling anywhere. Costs vary widely by school type; in-state public online programs are usually the value benchmark, and employer tuition assistance is common for working adults in this field.
Pros and Cons of Becoming a Welding Engineer
Pros
- Median pay of $112,860 nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- BLS projects +5.7% employment growth through 2034
- Field experience from the trades is a genuine hiring advantage
- Accredited online and hybrid degree paths exist for working adults
Cons
- Requires a 4-year degree (typically 120 credit hours)
- Entry-level pay starts near $72,300 at the 10th percentile
- Licensing hurdle: CWEng/CWI certifications (AWS) valued; PE for some roles
Frequently Asked Questions
Is welding engineer a real degree path for welders?
Yes - it is the canonical trade-to-engineer jump. BLS groups welding engineers under materials engineers (SOC 17-2131); the median for that category is shown above, and welding-specific roles in energy and heavy fabrication frequently pay at the upper end.
How much do welding engineers make?
The national median annual wage for materials engineers is $112,860 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The top 10% earn $175,720 or more, while entry-level pay starts around $72,300.
What is the job outlook for welding engineers?
BLS projects employment of materials engineers to change by +5.7% from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Welding Engineer Salary and Requirements by State
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Virginia · Washington · Wisconsin · Wyoming
Related Trade Careers
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Materials Engineers (SOC 17-2131)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Welding Engineer Salary by State
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.
| Data | Provider | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | May 2025 |
| Employment Projections | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2024-2034 |
| Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System | National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) | 2024 |
| College Scorecard (school-level outcomes) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release |
| College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release (updated 2026-06-12) |
| Occupational licensing requirements | CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2026-02-22) |
| Registered apprenticeship programs | CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2025-10-25) |
| O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones) | U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.) | O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13) |