How To Become A Welding Foreman: What It Is and Career Path

What is a welding foreman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average welding foreman salary is $52,863. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an precision metal working major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a welding foreman. Welding foremen with a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 2% and produce 6,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreWelding ForemanUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,863

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%

Asian 4.68%

Black or African American 12.68%

Hispanic or Latino 17.46%

Unknown 4.09%

White 60.39%

Gender

female 4.06%

male 95.94%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a welding foreman

Explore welding foreman education requirements

Most common welding foreman degrees

High School Diploma

45.5 %

Associate

24.8 %

Bachelor's

9.6 %

Start to develop specific welding foreman skills

Skills	Percentages
MIG	12.41%
FCAW	5.98%
Structural Steel	4.98%
SMAW	4.77%
Plasma Arc	4.71%

Complete relevant welding foreman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New welding foremen learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a welding foreman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real welding foreman resumes.

Gain additional welding foreman certifications

Welding foreman certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific welding foreman certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for welding foremen include Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and Certified Welder.

More About Certifications

Research welding foreman duties and responsibilities

Manage weld process controls of GMAW-P, CV both robotic and semi-automatic; to include GTAW both robotic and semi-automatic.
Improve robot weld process through robot and PLC programming.
Apply flux ti work pie ce before soldering or brazing.
Use MIG gun arc to melt and deposit metal from electrode to work pieces.

Prepare your welding foreman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your welding foreman resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a welding foreman resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable welding foreman resume templates

Build a professional welding foreman resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your welding foreman resume.