RetrainMap / Training costs by state / Wisconsin / Welding
Free · the federal list, by published cost · Wisconsin
Welding programs in Wisconsin on the federal training list, by published cost
59 programs in Wisconsin’s Training Provider Results index carry one of the occupation codes for Welding (51-4121, 51-4122). Published costs run from $948 to $25,000; 0 programs report no cost and sit at the end. Sorted by the cost each provider reported — “cheapest” here means the lowest published figure on the federal list on the snapshot date, not a verdict on quality, and never a price you are promised. Snapshot taken 2026-09-02.
| # | Published cost basis | Program (provider’s page) · credential · code | Provider · city | Length | Exited | Completed | Employed Q2 after exit | Median earnings, Q2 (one quarter) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $948 | Flux Core Arc Welding | Northwood Technical College | 32 wk · 7 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $1,023 | Shielded Metal Arc Welding Certificate | Moraine Park Technical College | competency-based | 95 | 100% | 93% | $16,576 |
| 3 | $1,106 | Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) | Northwood Technical College | 16 wk · 13 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $1,106 | Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) | Northwood Technical College | 16 wk · 13 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $1,169 | Gas Metal Arc Welding Certificate | Moraine Park Technical College | competency-based | 93 | 100% | 93% | $16,476 |
| 6 | $1,169 | Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Certificate | Moraine Park Technical College | competency-based | 93 | 100% | 92% | $16,546 |
| 7 | $1,226 | Gas Metal Arc Welding | Madison Area Technical College | 16 wk · 40 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | $1,264 | Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) | Northwood Technical College | 16 wk · 11 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | $1,287 | Welding Fundamentals | Madison Area Technical College - Local Programs | 16 wk · 7 hrs | 3 | — | 100% | $3,544 |
| 10 | $1,431 | Stainless Steel Welding Technical Diploma | Mid-State Technical College | 16 wk · 6 hrs | 111 | 83% | 74% | $9,715 |
| 11 | $1,542 | Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) | Northcentral Technical College | 16 wk · 15 hrs | 92 | 91% | 87% | $10,708 |
| 12 | $1,686 | Shielded Metal Arc Welding | Nicolet College | competency-based | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | $1,713 | Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW) | Northcentral Technical College | 16 wk · 18 hrs | 90 | 93% | 88% | $10,846 |
| 14 | $1,762 | Welding Apprentice | Waukesha County Technical College | 128 wk · 30 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | $1,970 | Metal Fabricator Apprenticeship | Western Technical College | 90 wk · 8 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | $2,046 | Entry Level Welding Certificate (Boot Camp) | Moraine Park Technical College | competency-based | 32 | — | — | — |
| 17 | $2,055 | Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) | Northcentral Technical College | 16 wk · 19 hrs | 88 | 97% | 88% | $11,262 |
| 18 | $2,089 | Intro to Industrial Welding | Lakeshore Technical College | competency-based | 247 | 100% | 81% | $10,882 |
| 19 | $2,141 | Gas Metal Arc Welding | Nicolet College | competency-based | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | $2,212 | Welding / Maintenance & Fabrication | Northwood Technical College | 16 wk · 27 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | $2,227 | Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) | Northcentral Technical College | 16 wk · 20 hrs | 194 | 91% | 77% | $10,162 |
| 22 | $2,275 | Career Pathways Bridge Mig Welding | Northeast Wisconsin Technical College | 52 wk · 8 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | $2,462 | Welding Technician | Western Technical College | 15 wk · 30 hrs | 14 | 100% | — | — |
| 24 | $2,500 | Basic Welding | Western Technical College | 15 wk · 28 hrs | 37 | 95% | 48% | $8,786 |
| 25 | $2,569 | Welding Robotic Operation | Northcentral Technical College | 16 wk · 20 hrs | 16 | 88% | 84% | $12,702 |
| 26 | $2,790 | Welding Technician | Waukesha County Technical College | 32 wk · 30 hrs | 333 | 82% | 65% | $11,505 |
| 27 | $3,601 | Welding/Maintenance and Fabrication | Nicolet College | competency-based | 43 | 77% | 77% | $7,227 |
| 28 | $3,681 | Welding Production | Fox Valley Technical College | competency-based | 251 | 92% | 78% | $7,838 |
| 29 | $3,894 | Welding/Maintenance & Fabrication | Gateway Technical College | 15 wk · 38 hrs | 635 | 73% | 54% | $7,937 |
| 30 | $3,971 | Welding Fundamentals Certificate | Milwaukee Area Technical College | 16 wk · 30 hrs | 137 | 100% | 71% | $9,935 |
| 31 | $5,089 | Welding & Fabrication | Western Technical College | 30 wk · 30 hrs | 152 | 68% | 69% | $10,786 |
| 32 | $5,230 | Entry Level Manufacturing Skills – Machining Certificate | Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership, Inc | competency-based | 55 | 58% | 61% | $9,413 |
| 33 | $5,530 | Welding | Madison Area Technical College | 32 wk · 20 hrs | 235 | 66% | 76% | $11,653 |
| 34 | $5,730 | Welding | Southwest Wisconsin Technical College | 32 wk · 40 hrs | 140 | 84% | 72% | $10,841 |
| 35 | $5,900 | Accelerated Entry-Level Welding | Cutting Edge Staffing LLC | 6 wk · 40 hrs | 26 | 58% | 75% | $3,593 |
| 36 | $5,939 | Welding | Moraine Park Technical College | competency-based | 169 | 67% | 77% | $10,355 |
| 37 | $5,995 | Welding | Northcentral Technical College | 32 wk · 24 hrs | 118 | 56% | 86% | $9,624 |
| 38 | $6,574 | Welding Technical Diploma | Mid-State Technical College | 32 wk · 17 hrs | 108 | 40% | 77% | $7,271 |
| 39 | $6,663 | Welding-Industrial | Lakeshore Technical College | competency-based | 125 | 31% | 79% | $10,345 |
| 40 | $6,708 | Welding | Milwaukee Area Technical College | 32 wk · 30 hrs | 399 | 32% | 66% | $9,042 |
| 41 | $6,854 | Welding Metal Fabrication | Fox Valley Technical College | competency-based | 213 | 70% | 82% | $8,690 |
| 42 | $7,416 | Welding | Nicolet College | competency-based | 70 | 61% | 79% | $9,225 |
| 43 | $7,657 | Welding | Blackhawk Technical College | competency-based | 183 | 23% | 59% | $10,371 |
| 44 | $7,735 | Welding | Northwood Technical College | 32 wk · 34 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 45 | $7,768 | Welding | Northeast Wisconsin Technical College | 32 wk · 17 hrs | 359 | 77% | 69% | $10,888 |
| 46 | $7,933 | Metal Fabrication | Northeast Wisconsin Technical College | 32 wk · 16 hrs | 44 | 61% | 75% | $11,505 |
| 47 | $8,810 | Metal Fabrication/Welding-Advanced | Waukesha County Technical College | 64 wk · 30 hrs | 123 | 66% | 80% | $12,145 |
| 48 | $9,973 | Welding | Chippewa Valley Technical College | 42 wk · 28 hrs | 166 | 61% | 73% | $9,934 |
| 49 | $10,249 | Welding | Gateway Technical College | 45 wk · 38 hrs | 323 | 47% | 65% | $10,174 |
| 50 | $10,963 | Welding Fabrication & Robotics | Northcentral Technical College | 64 wk · 18 hrs | 42 | 55% | 80% | $12,040 |
| 51 | $11,861 | Welding Metal Fab Technician | Fox Valley Technical College | competency-based | 104 | 75% | 89% | $11,434 |
| 52 | $12,051 | Welding Technology | Milwaukee Area Technical College | 64 wk · 30 hrs | 128 | 23% | 73% | $10,081 |
| 53 | $13,189 | Welding Fabrication Technician | Lakeshore Technical College | competency-based | 55 | 13% | 84% | $9,647 |
| 54 | $13,640 | Welding Technology Industrial | Fox Valley Technical College | competency-based | 146 | 64% | 84% | $11,737 |
| 55 | $17,064 | Welding Fabrication | Chippewa Valley Technical College | competency-based | 26 | 85% | 69% | $11,908 |
| 56 | $22,000 | Structural Welding Program | Advanced Welding Institute | 15 wk · 40 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 57 | $22,710 | Structural Welding | Advanced Welding Institute LLC | 15 wk · 40 hrs | 12 | 92% | 58% | $6,312 |
| 58 | $23,710 | Combination Structural and Pipe Welding | Advanced Welding Institute LLC | 24 wk · 40 hrs | 166 | 89% | 70% | $13,494 |
| 59 | $25,000 | Combination Structural and Pipe Welding Program | Advanced Welding Institute | 24 wk · 40 hrs | 64 | 92% | 6% | $10,237 |
Source and date: U.S. Department of Labor, Training Provider Results — the open program index behind trainingproviderresults.gov, snapshot taken 2026-09-02 (2,170 programs for Wisconsin in the index that day); the site states the data cover programs approved as of June 30, 2025 and outcomes for July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2025. Cost is Out-of-Pocket Cost for a Non-WIOA Participant: Tuition and Requested Fees (DE111) where the provider reported it, otherwise Average number of dollars the training program received from each WIOA participant Individual Training Account (ITA) during the time period (DE138/DE135) — the basis is printed under each figure; books and supplies are added only when reported separately. “Completed” = Percent of All Students who completed the program (DE122/DE121); “Employed Q2” = Percent of All Students Exiters who were employed in the 2nd Quarter after Exit (DE123/DE129); “Median earnings” = Median Earnings in the 2nd Quarter after Exit of All Students that are Employed in the 2nd Quarter after Exit (DE125) — one calendar quarter, not a year. A dash means the federal file prints −1: Values displayed as "-1" indicate data that have been suppressed to protect confidentiality. Your local job center decides eligibility — this shows what is on the list and what it cost and produced, not whether you will be approved.
The list is free. The ranking by what each program produced is $39.
This page sorts welding programs in Wisconsin by the cost their providers published. The Retraining ROI report takes one target occupation and one state, ranks every listed program by the employment its completers reported, and — if you give your current pay — prints a payback estimate per program with its basis. Built on order from the same federal record; free sample on that page.
The $39 ROI report Free funding finder The $19 Directions plan
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