Welding Technology, A.A.S. - SUNY Niagara

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A metal sign on a tiled wall reads AWS SUNY Niagara Welding Dept. with an outline of a welder in red and black gear holding a welding torch on the right side.

Welding Technology, A.A.S.

$250 scholarship by June 4

Program Overview

Enrolled welding students can apply for a $250 scholarship by June 4 🧑‍🏭

A group of people wearing protective welding gear and helmets watch closely as one individual welds metal on a worktable—showcasing Workforce Development at SUNY Niagara: Empowering the Community Through Skilled Training and Certification Programs.

Welding technology is a highly desired degree program where the graduates are typically employed in manufacturing as certified welders in this high demand field. The associate degree assists the welder in being a well-rounded employee who desires advancement in their career whether it be in management, sales, purchasing, or procurement.

The curriculum includes coursework in welding that is designed to prepare the student for various welding certifications. In addition, the degree offers coursework in some of the soft skills and tangible areas of liberal arts. The laboratory approach provides the student with ample opportunity to develop welding skill sets that are marketable in the workforce.

The program in now housed in our State of the Art New Welding and Metal Fab shop located on the main campus in the C-Annex. The 4500 sq. ft. modern facility was dedicated/opened January 23rd 2024, that features small class sizes for the lab portions of 10 students to 1 faculty member for more individual experience.

Program Goals and Objectives

  • Graduates will become certified welders.
  • Provide students with the basic knowledge required for entry level in manufacturing welding.
Catalog Information
Curriculum Overview
BOCES Curriculum Overview
Important Contact Information

Career information and opportunities

Welding Technology, A.A.S.

SUNY Niagara’s Welding Technology A.A.S. trains you in a 4,500-square-foot welding and fabrication shop with robotic welding, CNC plasma cutting and VR simulators. You’ll prepare for welding certifications at an American Welding Society Accredited Test Facility.

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What careers does a Welding Technology A.A.S. lead to?

  • Certified welder: Joins metal parts with arc, MIG and TIG processes in manufacturing, construction and repair.
  • Pipefitter: Builds and welds piping systems for plants, buildings and energy projects.
  • Metal fabricator: Cuts, shapes and assembles metal into structures and products.
  • Welding inspector or quality control technician: Checks welds against codes and standards.
  • Welding or production manager: Leads welding crews and manages shop operations.
  • Welding sales or procurement: Sells or buys welding equipment, supplies and services.

What does it take to get certified?

Welders earn certification by passing hands-on qualification tests. SUNY Niagara is an American Welding Society (AWS) Accredited Test Facility, and certification follows the AWS D1.1 Structural Steel Welding code. Finishing the course doesn’t guarantee certification, since you must pass the tests, and there’s an extra fee for your AWS certification card.

How can I move up?

With experience and more certifications, welders can move into specialized work like pipe or structural welding, inspection, supervision, sales or purchasing.

Sources

How much can I earn in Western New York?

Yearly pay in Western New York, 2026
Job Starting pay Median pay
Production supervisors (needs experience)$56,200$78,640
Structural iron and steel workers$55,930$78,490
Industrial machinery mechanics$54,250$72,170
Sheet metal workers$45,880$66,550
Welders, cutters and brazers$43,980$55,790

Starting pay is what newer workers typically earn. Median means half of workers earn more and half earn less. Experienced welders in the region earn about $63,170, and specialized or union welding jobs can pay more.

Western New York includes Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties. Pay depends on the job, your certifications, your experience and the employer.

What is the job outlook in Western New York?

  • Industrial machinery mechanics: Jobs are expected to grow about 9% from 2022 to 2032, with about 145 openings each year.
  • Sheet metal workers: Little or no change is expected, but there are about 50 openings each year.
  • Structural iron and steel workers: Little or no change is expected, but there are about 20 openings each year.

Across all jobs in Western New York, employment is expected to grow about 9%. Most metalworking openings here come from workers who retire or change jobs, and certified welders with several processes are the most in demand.

Sources

Where do welders work?

  • Manufacturing plants
  • Metal fabrication shops
  • Construction and structural steel companies
  • Pipeline, energy and utility companies
  • Shipyards and transportation repair
  • Your own welding business

Where will I get hands-on experience?

  • A 4,500-square-foot welding and metal fabrication shop on the main campus
  • An ESAB robotic welding system, a Lincoln Electric CNC plasma cutting table and a VR welding simulator
  • Small labs with up to 10 students per instructor
  • Community projects with the local American Welding Society section
Sources

How do I get there?

  1. Learn welding safety, blueprints, arc welding and thermal cutting.
  2. Add MIG and TIG welding, metallurgy and metal fabrication.
  3. Master advanced arc welding, inspection and quality control.
  4. Take welding certification tests, complete a capstone and finish the 61-credit A.A.S.

Coming from a BOCES welding program? See the BOCES curriculum overview on the program page for your path.

Which courses prepare me?

  • WLD 110 Electrical Arc Welding Process
  • WLD 140 Gas Metal Arc Welding Processes
  • WLD 210 TIG Welding Processes
  • WLD 240 Advanced Electric Arc Welding Processes
  • WLD 120 Thermal Cutting
  • WLD 150 Welding Metallurgy
  • WLD 220 Metal Fabrication
  • WLD 230 Welding Inspections and Quality Control
  • WLD 250 Welding Certification
  • WLD 130 Welding Safety – OSHA
Sources
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AWS Accredited Test Facility logo with stylized ATF including welding tools, and the text ACCREDITED TEST FACILITY WELDER TESTING next to the AWS diamond logo.

AWS Certification and Accredited Testing Facility

The SUNUY Niagara welding technology program proudly received designation from thew American Welding Society (AWS) as an Accredited Testing Facility (ATF) site.

Certification is highly encouraged with the students and follows AWS along with D1.1 Structural Steel Welding codes. There is an additional fee for the student to earn their certification card and listing on the AWS official site. This fee comes from their application form, that they must fill out with AWS. Completion of our class does not guarantee anyone AWS certification unless the welding procedures/qualification test are passed.

SUNY Niagara Welding Department adds ESAB Robotic Welding System to its teaching and training capabilities in January 2026

A robotic arm is set up over a metal workbench with various metal pieces and welding equipment. An exhaust hood hangs above, and gas tanks stand nearby. Cables and tools are organized below the work surface.
A robotic arm operates over a metal workbench with clamps and metal pieces, in a workshop with a gas cylinder, cables, and welding equipment beneath the table.

Seth Metz ’25

When I entered the welding program at SUNY Niagara, I had recently graduated from BOCES for welding. Although I had learned incredible skills at BOCES, I was not fully confident in my ability to weld and felt that I needed more education. This program allowed me to grow my welding skills tremendously as well as my confidence. The instructors are experienced and great to work with, and they have many connections with people in the industry and the American Welding Society (AWS). The shop is well equipped, containing plenty of welders, machines, and material to work with. There is a tremendous sense of community in the program thanks to the multiple AWS events that are hosted. One example is a field trip we took to repair statues at Griffis Sculpture Park. These events also give us students a chance to network and expand our connections to others in the welding industry. One of the greatest things that I will take away from this program is the relationship I built with my instructors. I encourage you to give the program a try, whether you are brand new to welding or went to BOCES like me. 

A person wearing safety glasses and a welding helmet raised above their head stands in front of a red protective screen. They are wearing a gray T-shirt with a faded graphic and blue jeans, with their hands behind their back.
A large group of people stands together outdoors on a grassy area with trees in the background. Some are wearing work clothes, and equipment is on the ground in front of them. The group poses for a group photo in the sunlight.


Restoration Efforts at Griffis Sculpture Park

September 28th, at Griffis Sculpture Park in East Otto, where students and staff worked alongside other volunteers and professionals in collaboration with AWS, of which we are proud members. This marks our third year supporting this important event, aimed at restoring and stabilizing the artworks created under the vision of Larry Griffis. With over 60 volunteers joining us, it was a truly impactful day of community service and preservation. I am honored to serve as the Niagara Section 6 Chairman of the AWS organization.

A man in a yellow shirt and cap smiles and gestures toward a tall, abstract metal sculpture outdoors. Trees and cloudy sky are visible in the background.
A person wearing protective gear is kneeling on grass and welding a metal structure outdoors, with bright sparks visible at the weld point. Trees and greenery surround the area.
A group of people, including one wearing a welding helmet and gloves, gather around a large, rusty metal sculpture outdoors. One person points at the sculpture, while others observe and discuss. The sky is cloudy.

Gallery

Metal wall sign on light-colored tiles reads WELDER TESTING ATF ACCREDITED TEST FACILITY, with the letters ATF formed from metal, incorporating welding tool shapes.
A person in a green jacket and purple cap wears a welding helmet while using a power tool, causing bright orange sparks to fly in a workshop.
A person wearing a VR headset uses a welding simulator in front of a monitor displaying welding instructions and results in a training room with tiled walls.
Two men in blue shirts sit behind a SUNY Niagara Welding Dept. table displaying metalwork projects, tools, name tags, and brochures. A sign and metal art pieces are arranged on the table.
A Baileigh industrial metal shear machine in a workshop, with safety equipment, controls, and a foot pedal. Papers, a laptop, and a jacket are placed on the machine. Other workshop tools and machinery are nearby.
Industrial gas control panel with two Lincoln Electric logos, copper and metal pipes, pressure gauges, valves, and yellow labels marking PROPANE, ARGON, and STNCL 300 in a workshop or factory setting.
A red and black Lincoln Electric CNC plasma cutting table with a metal sheet placed on it, situated in a workshop with gas cylinders, welding equipment, and safety barriers in the background.
A row of gray metal lockers lines two walls in an industrial room. A glass cabinet with tools and equipment is on the left. The floor is concrete, and blueprints are posted on the tiled wall above the lockers.
A group of twelve people stand indoors, posing and smiling behind a blue and white American Welding Society Niagara Frontier Section banner in a large, modern building.
A storage room with several orange gas cylinders on green carts, metal sheets stacked upright against the wall, and a coiled chain on the floor. The room has a concrete floor and cinderblock walls.
A metal workbench with various hand tools hanging on a pegboard, each outlined and labeled for organization. The bench surface is scratched, and there is a large drawer underneath. A paper reference sheet is pinned nearby.
A metal-framed outdoor sculpture decorated with blue string lights and topped with a glowing white orb stands in front of a building at night, with windows and walkways visible in the background.
A metal sign on a tiled wall reads AWS SUNY Niagara Welding Dept. with an illustration of a person in a welding helmet using a torch.
A curved metal plaque features an etched portrait of a smiling man and partially visible engraved text. SUNY Niagara brochures and welding gloves are displayed on a table beside the plaque.
A spacious industrial workshop with various machines, metalworking equipment, tool cabinets, and storage shelves. The area is well-lit with overhead lights and has concrete floors and exposed pipes on the ceiling.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

Effective July 1, 2024, federal regulation requires institutions of higher education to make a  determination whether a Title IV eligible academic program that leads to professional licensure or certification meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the U.S. State where the institution is located and the U.S. States where “distance education” students are located at the time of initial enrollment in the program, as well as U.S. States where the program is advertised as meeting such requirements, and if applicable, the U.S. State where students attest they intend to be licensed/certified.

The Welding Technology A.A.S.    program at SUNY Niagara is registered by the New York State Education Department and thus meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification for New York State.

Through a good faith effort, and for the purpose of complying with the federal regulation, we have determined that Welding Technology A.A.S. program at SUNY Niagara, if successfully completed, is sufficient to meet the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the following U.S. States:

New York – https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/structures/engineering/approved-field-welder-list

It is important to note that SUNY Niagara is not the licensure/certification authority in these U.S. States and cannot assess whether an individual candidate will be issued a license/certificate in these U.S. States and instead it is incumbent on each individual candidate to contact the licensure/certification authority in the applicable U.S. State for any further guidance on the requirements for licensure/certification requirements and application processes.