Colorado can be a tempting destination for any up and coming professionals for a number of reasons. Communities are booming, and the growing economy is demanding skilled labor for both construction and industrial activities. It is easy to see then why learning how to get a welding certification to become a professional in any field from TIG welding to spot welding and more in Colorado could be very enticing. We have the information on welding jobs, educational opportunities in the state, and salary rages for welders in the Denver metro area.
Do you really need a welding certification in Colorado?
In a word, not necessarily. But it’s not quite that simple. There are so many types of welding, and so many different types of jobs that require welding, that offering licensure would be overwhelming for the Colorado state bureaucracy. Instead, employers are left to use their own standards in hiring for welding jobs. Although it is possible to get a job as a welder straight out of high school, most employers will require previous work experience, which may include professional training and/or certifications.
What Types of Certification Do Colorado Employers Look for in Welders?
If you want welding certification that will impress employers in Colorado, you will want to seriously consider ASME and AWS welding certifications. AWS stands for the American Welding Society, and earning a certification from this trade organization can help you find better employment and earn more money in a welding job. Likewise, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers offers welding certification. They also offer online courses for practical welding techniques and applications such as arc welding, TIG welding, spot welding and more.
How Long Is Welding School in Colorado?
One of the most popular welding schools in Colorado is the Community College of Denver. Due to the rigorous nature of the courses, students can expect to spend two years learning the basics to prepare for an entry-level welding job if they attend the Community College of Denver’s welding school program.
Graduates receive a Fabrication Welder Certificate.
Another popular option for welding education is Front Range Community College in the Denver suburb of Westminster. At this school you can earn an associate’s degree in welding and/or a Welding Fundamentals Certificate. Whether you’re chiefly interested in creative metalworking, arc welding, or spot welding, Range Community College offers a program to suit you.
Do Welders Make Good Money in Colorado?
Colorado welders are among the higher-paid welders in the U.S., but wages/salaries in Colorado don't reach the heights they do in costly coastal cities.
SkillsetGroup Salary Guide for the Denver metro area shows median wages for welders are about $51,000 or $23-$24 per hour. That's well below median welder wages in the San Francisco bay area, for instance. The average welder there makes about $63,000 per year, according to SkillsetGroup's Salary Guide.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are 4,740 welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers currently employed in Colorado.
Where in Colorado do Welders Make the Most Money?
If you’re looking for the highest-earning jobs in welding in Colorado, you will want to look to the big city, Denver. Denver is home to the highest-earning welding jobs in the state, with jobs starting at $40,000/year, and going as high as $62,000/year.
Fort Collins also offers its share of high-earning welder wages. Workers hoping to earn the highest wages as welders would do well to consider certified training in MIG, TIG, and arc welding techniques.
What other schools offer welding certification in Colorado?
Although the community colleges around Denver are some of the most popular places to earn welding certifications, they are by no means the only places offering welding certificates.
- Between Fort Collins and Denver is the town of Greeley, and Greeley’s Aims Community College offers both a certificate in pipe welding and a certificate in welding technician, as well as an associate’s degree in welding technology.
- To the West of the Rockies is Grand Junction, CO, home of Colorado Mesa University. CMU offers both a certificate and a degree in welding. Right between Denver and Grand Junction lies Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, CO. They offer a certificate in basic welding and cutting.
- Back in the Denver area, aside from the community colleges you can choose the Emily Griffith Technical College, which has been accredited since 1975. They provide welding certificates. So does the Lincoln College of Technology–Denver.
- Far to the east of the state in Fort Morgan, CO, Morgan Community College specifically offers certification in Shielded Metal Arc (Stick) welding. Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, CO offers both a degree and a certificate in welding.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Colorado does not issue a single statewide "welder’s license" because the variety of welding jobs would overwhelm the state bureaucracy. Instead, employers rely on their own hiring standards, which typically require professional experience or nationally recognized certifications.
To impress employers in Colorado, candidates should ideally hold certifications from the American Welding Society (AWS) or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), which validate skills in structural or pressure-related applications.
Prominent training programs include the Community College of Denver (offering a two-year Fabrication Welder Certificate) and Front Range Community College in Westminster (offering an associate’s degree and a Welding Fundamentals Certificate).
Other notable training hubs include Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, Emily Griffith Technical College and Lincoln Tech in Denver, Morgan Community College in Fort Morgan, and Northeastern Junior College in Sterling.
Colorado welders are among the higher-paid professionals in the U.S., but wages don't reach the heights of costly coastal areas. Median wages for welders in the Denver metro area sit around $51,000 (about $23 to $24 per hour), compared to higher averages in places like San Francisco.
Denver is home to the highest-earning welding positions in the state, with starting salaries ranging from $40,000 up to $62,000 per year. Fort Collins also offers competitive high-earning wages for qualified professionals.
Employers seeking to hire the highest-earning and most versatile welders should look for candidates certified in advanced techniques, including MIG (Gas Metal Arc Welding), TIG (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding), and arc welding.
Beyond traditional schooling, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers offers online courses for practical welding techniques and applications, such as arc welding, TIG welding, and spot welding.
While it is technically possible to hire a welder straight out of high school, most employers require previous hands-on work experience, structured technical training, or formal certifications before bringing them onto job sites.
Given that Colorado leaves standards largely up to the industry, employers can effectively vet candidates by assessing whether they have completed rigorous local college programs (like those offering AWS/ASME curricula) and by administering hands-on weld testing during the interview process.
