If you’re interested in a welding career, you may be wondering how to become a certified welder. Certification can help demonstrate your welding skills to employers, but understanding the process is an important first step.
Becoming certified involves demonstrating your welding ability through a performance test. Training and practice can help you prepare for that test.
Rockford Career College’s 10-month Welding Diploma provides hands-on instruction in several welding processes and safety practices. Keep reading to learn more about welding certifications and how you can become certified.
What Do You Need to Become an AWS Certified Welder?
The American Welding Society (AWS) Certified Welder program has no formal education or prior certification prerequisites. Candidates qualify by passing a practical welding test.
To prepare for certification, you can:
- Build welding skills through technical education, an apprenticeship, or supervised workplace experience.
- Practice the welding process, material, and position required for your selected qualification.
- Learn proper safety practices, including the use of welding helmets, protective clothing, gloves, and appropriate ventilation.
- Pass a performance qualification test at an AWS Accredited Test Facility.
Some qualifications involve positions such as 3G (vertical) or 4G (overhead), but not every certification requires both.
A high school diploma or GED may be relevant to school admission or employment, but it is not an AWS Certified Welder eligibility requirement.
RCC’s Welding Diploma offers hands-on training in Stick, MIG, Flux-Core, and TIG welding, helping students develop skills relevant to welding work and qualification testing.
Types of Welding Certifications
The AWS Certified Welder (CW) is an industry-recognized credential that demonstrates welding performance under a specific procedure.
For those looking to advance, specialized credentials include:
- Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), which focuses on welding inspection.
- Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW), which addresses robotic welding applications.
These credentials have separate eligibility and assessment requirements.
Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all certification. Choose based on the welding code, process, materials, and qualifications relevant to your career goals.
How to Get AWS Welding Certification
Becoming certified demonstrates your skills to employers across Rockford and beyond. For the AWS Certified Welder program, the process generally involves these steps:
- Identify the welding qualification that fits your goals.
- Develop and practice the required welding skills.
- Contact an AWS Accredited Test Facility to arrange testing.
- Successfully complete the hands-on performance qualification test.
- Have the testing facility submit the required certification documentation to AWS.
- Maintain certification continuity by documenting qualifying welding activity every six months.
The AWS Certified Welder performance test does not require a separate written examination.
At Rockford Career College, the Welding Diploma covers several welding processes and helps students prepare for relevant welding skill assessments. Ask admissions which testing opportunities and credentials are currently available through the program.
A welding diploma documents program completion; AWS Certified Welder certification is earned through a separate qualifying performance test.
Is Becoming a Certified Welder Worth It?
Becoming a certified welder can help demonstrate practical qualifications when pursuing welding opportunities in the Rockford region and beyond.
A four-year degree is not typically required to enter welding. RCC’s Welding Diploma takes approximately 10 months, although certification testing and employment requirements are separate.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers was $53,750 in May 2025. Actual earnings vary by experience, employer, location, and type of work.
Welding can be physically demanding and requires attention to safety. BLS projects 2% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, with additional openings expected as workers change occupations or retire.
Explore Welding Training at Rockford Career College
Interested in developing your welding skills? Rockford Career College’s Welding Diploma offers hands-on training in several welding processes over approximately 10 months.
Explore RCC’s Welding Diploma program to learn more about the curriculum, training environment, and admissions requirements.
