Hire a welding instructor who can weld across processes and positions, read blueprints and weld symbols, and keep beginners safe around arcs, fumes, heat, and gas cylinders. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 counts the role within Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary: 114,110 jobs and a $63,820 national median. Set pay from those figures, then test teaching and weld skill before you offer.
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National employment | 114,110 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual median wage | $63,820 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual 10th percentile | $41,960 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual 90th percentile | $108,620 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Hourly median wage | $30.68 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
How to hire a welding instructor: the short answer
Write the job around the career pathway you actually run: the welding processes and positions in the program of study, day or evening blocks, dual-credit or adult students, and any work-based learning with industry partners. Use the BLS range for SOC 25-1194 as the market reference. Screen with a live weld plus a short coaching demo. Call references who have seen the candidate's beads and safety habits.
This is not a generic teaching hire. The instructor must produce sound welds across processes and positions, read prints and weld symbols, inspect student work, and supervise a room of novices around open arcs, fumes, heat, and gas cylinders. Name those duties in the posting so applicants self-select. If the lab runs shielded metal arc, gas metal arc, flux-cored, and gas tungsten arc welding, say so. If the instructor also stocks rod and wire, services machines, and sits on the advisory committee, say so.
What a welding instructor does
O*NET OnLine lists Welding Instructor among sample titles for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1194.00), accessed September 24, 2026. The occupation covers vocational courses below the baccalaureate level. Tasks that map straight onto a welding lab include observing and evaluating student work, supervising use of tools and equipment, giving lectures and demonstrations, administering oral, written, and performance tests, providing individualized and remedial instruction, developing curricula, selecting supplies and equipment, acquiring and repairing laboratory tools, keeping grades and attendance, and advising students on courses and careers.
In a welding program of study that work looks like this: teach shielded metal arc, gas metal arc, flux-cored, and gas tungsten arc welding; teach blueprint reading, weld symbols, and layout; inspect and grade student welds and give correction; and keep booths, machines, ventilation, and consumables in working order. Typical employers are technical and community colleges, high school career centers, and employer training programs.
O*NET work context for the occupation is heavy on people and precision. Among respondents, 68% reported constant contact with others, 66% public speaking every day, 44% said being exact or accurate is extremely important, and 32% reported very high responsibility for the health and safety of other workers. Put the lab, the processes, the student mix, and extra duties (advisory committee, student organization, work-based learning) in the posting so the job matches the shop you run. The same sequence used to hire a technical college instructor applies, with the weld booth as the classroom.
Skills, knowledge and tools to look for
O*NET skills that show up every day in a welding lab are Instructing, Monitoring (assessing student and process performance), Coaching and Developing Others, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, and Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials. Knowledge areas that matter on this hire are Education and Training, Mechanical, Design (blueprints, drawings, and models), Mathematics, and Public Safety and Security.
O*NET technology includes learning management systems, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. In the shop, screen directly for the welding, cutting, inspection, and hand tools used in the program, plus safe handling of ventilation, cylinders, and consumables.
Screen for sound welds in the processes and positions taught, print and symbol reading, safe supervision of beginners, and honest inspection of student work. Train the hire on local systems, grading, scheduling, and committee routines. O*NET places the occupation in Job Zone Three; education respondents reported an associate's or other two-year degree at 42%, a bachelor's at 20%, and a post-secondary certificate at 16%.
Setting the pay range
Use BLS figures as the market reference for your range. For Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary, BLS reports an annual median of $63,820, an annual mean of $72,060, and this percentile spread: $41,960 (10th), $50,320 (25th), $63,820 (median), $82,360 (75th), and $108,620 (90th). Hourly median is $30.68; hourly mean is $34.64. Treat those numbers as a reference point for the broader occupation, not an exact rate for welding instruction.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $41,960 |
| 25th | $50,320 |
| Median | $63,820 |
| 75th | $82,360 |
| 90th | $108,620 |
Place the offer using the state row for your campus. A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that area's employment than nationally. Alaska's location quotient is 4.7; Oklahoma's is 2.43; North Carolina's is 1.8. Employment counts are largest in Texas (12,620) and California (11,040). Match pay to the scope you need: full lab load, who orders consumables, evening sections, and whether the instructor also coaches a student organization.
| Rank | State | Employment | Annual median | Hourly median | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | 2,000 | $82,620 | $39.72 | 0.93 |
| 2 | South Carolina | 1,980 | $79,610 | $38.27 | 1.17 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 1,660 | $78,780 | $37.88 | 0.62 |
| 4 | Washington | 3,610 | $77,530 | $37.27 | 1.39 |
| 5 | Alaska | 1,120 | $77,310 | $37.17 | 4.7 |
Writing the posting and finding candidates
Use a title that matches the program: Welding Instructor, Welding Technology Instructor, or the local course sequence name. Start from a welding instructor job description template and rewrite every duty so it matches your lab, schedule, and extra assignments. State the setting (career center, technical college, employer training shop), the student mix, day or evening blocks, and whether the instructor maintains machines, orders wire and gas, visits worksites, or advises a student organization.
Post the opening on ACTE Job Bank. Name the processes, positions, and shop conditions so applicants can see the work.
Screening and interviewing
Paper screening is not enough. Run a shop-floor protocol like the one in screening welding instructor candidates: a live weld in relevant positions, then a short demonstration of how the candidate would coach a student whose bead shows a common defect (undercut, porosity, poor tie-in, or travel-speed problems). Score the weld and the coaching separately. You are hiring someone who can produce a sound bead and explain the correction without shaming a beginner.
Keep the interview on job-related themes: welding range across processes and positions; shop safety and supervision of beginners; weld inspection and feedback; and program operation (booths, consumables, and equipment). Use a structured set of welding instructor interview questions so every candidate hears the same prompts. Ask about a time they stopped a student from an unsafe setup, how they grade a fillet against a print, and how they keep wire, gas, and spare tips stocked during a full lab section.
Ask only job-related questions. Under the laws enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accessed September 24, 2026, it is illegal to discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex (including transgender status, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. Do not ask about age, family or pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, or other protected characteristics. If you use a work sample, it must be necessary and related to the job. This guide is general information as of September 24, 2026, not legal advice.
References, verification and the offer
Call people who have watched the candidate weld and train others: a shop lead, a program chair, or a supervisor of apprentices. Ask about weld quality across processes, safety habits around beginners, and how the person gives correction. Listen for whether they leave a booth cleaner than they found it and whether they will stop a class when ventilation, PPE, or cylinder setup is wrong.
Verify any degree, license, or credential directly with the body that issued it. Follow your district's or college's own clearance process. Put duties, schedule, lab assignment, and pay in writing so the first week is about the program of study, not about what the posting left out.
FAQ
What does a welding instructor do?
A welding instructor teaches welding processes, blueprint reading, and weld symbols; inspects and grades student welds; supervises beginners around arcs, fumes, heat, and gas cylinders; and keeps booths, machines, and consumables running. O*NET also lists evaluating student work, giving demonstrations, keeping grades and attendance, and advising students on courses and careers.
How much should I pay a welding instructor?
BLS OEWS, May 2025, reports a $63,820 national median for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary, with a 10th-to-90th percentile spread of $41,960 to $108,620. Use the state median for your campus as the reference and set the offer by experience and the scope of lab duties.
Can an experienced welder be an instructor candidate?
Consider experienced welders who can perform the processes and positions taught, read prints, and supervise beginners safely. O*NET Job Zone Three emphasizes vocational training and related on-the-job experience; 42% of respondents said an associate's or other 2-year degree is required. Plan to teach your LMS, records, and program routines in the first weeks.
How do I test a welding instructor candidate before hiring?
Require a live weld in relevant positions and a short coaching demo on a student bead with a common defect. Score the weld and the instruction separately. That work sample matches the job: produce a sound bead and help a beginner fix theirs.
What should I ask a welding instructor in an interview?
Ask the same job-related questions of every candidate: process and position range, how they keep beginners safe in the shop, how they inspect welds and give feedback, and how they run booths, consumables, and equipment. Do not ask about age, family, religion, national origin, disability, or other protected characteristics.
