Welding shows up in almost every trade: structural steel, pipe, HVAC, fabrication and repair. Here’s how people get started on Long Island.
What the job is
Welders use heat to join metal. The main processes are stick (SMAW), MIG (GMAW) and TIG (GTAW). Some welders work in fabrication shops; others weld in the field on buildings and pipe.
Certification
Welding certifications are usually tests of a specific kind of weld. A common one is the American Welding Society (AWS) D1.1 structural steel test. Employers often test you themselves, too. A certification shows you can make a sound weld in a given position and process.
Training on Long Island
Nassau BOCES Adult Education (1196 Prospect Avenue, Westbury) runs a welding program. According to its site:
- Welding Fundamentals and Qualification ($3,495): flat, vertical and overhead positions, stick, MIG and TIG on steel and aluminum, and torch cutting.
- AWS Qualification Test Preparation ($1,295) for the D1.1 structural steel test.
- Optional blueprint reading and OSHA-30.
- Contact: (516) 622-6954, adulted@nassauboces.org.
If cost is a barrier, ask your local career center (HempsteadWorks, Suffolk County’s One-Stop, or The Workforce Partnership) about training funds.
The union route
Steamfitters Local 638 covers New York City and all of Long Island, and its crafts include welding, HVAC-R and sprinkler fitting. It recruits only during announced windows. Check the state’s recruitment list.
Pay
The median welder in the New York metro area, which includes Long Island, earned about $29.66 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What you can do this week
- Call Nassau BOCES Adult Education to ask about the next session.
- Visit a fabrication or mechanical shop and ask if they hire helpers to learn welding.
- Start logging any hours you work in the trade.