Career Training Path › Welding schools › Iowa
Welding schools in Iowa
Iowa has 15 accredited campuses awarding welding credentials. If you finish and work as a welder in Iowa, expect to start around $45,590–$48,250 and reach a median of $55,090 with experience; the top quarter earn $60,200 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Iowa). Graduates of these Iowa programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $39,114 in their first year, against $34,154 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What welders, cutters, solderers and brazers earn in Iowa
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 9,270 employed in Iowa. National median: $53,750.
Campuses in Iowa, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AnkenyCalmarCedar RapidsCouncil BluffsCrestonDavenportEsthervilleFort DodgeMarshalltownMason CityOttumwaSheldonSioux CityWaterlooWest Burlington
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny | Public | 333 | $51,059 | $5,500 | 39% | not reported |
| Hawkeye Community College | Waterloo | Public | 41 | $44,721 | $6,800 | 43% | not reported |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | Calmar | Public | 10 | $44,545 | $5,446 | 51% | not reported |
| Indian Hills Community College | Ottumwa | Public | 89 | $40,146 | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids | Public | 51 | $39,240 | $12,000 | 43% | not reported |
| Iowa Central Community College | Fort Dodge | Public | 48 | $38,989 | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Iowa Western Community College | Council Bluffs | Public | 80 | not reported | $5,500 | 40% | not reported |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District | Davenport | Public | 79 | not reported | not reported | 45% | not reported |
| Southeastern Community College | West Burlington | Public | 71 | not reported | not reported | 44% | not reported |
| Marshalltown Community College | Marshalltown | Public | 64 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| North Iowa Area Community College | Mason City | Public | 54 | not reported | not reported | 61% | not reported |
| Southwestern Community College | Creston | Public | 41 | not reported | not reported | 59% | not reported |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College | Sioux City | Public | 39 | not reported | not reported | 50% | not reported |
| Northwest Iowa Community College | Sheldon | Public | 10 | not reported | not reported | 58% | not reported |
| Iowa Lakes Community College | Estherville | Public | 7 | not reported | not reported | 50% | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.