If you’ve considered a career in the military and like to work with your hands, being a welder could be a good fit.

In fact, there’s a term for welders that specifically work for the military — military support welder. These welders work on vehicles, weapons and gadgets that help those in the field and back on base.

As a military support welder, you would be responsible for fixing vital equipment your peers use, fusing metals to make repairs and upgrades to maintain and create military infrastructure and technologies.    

Welding is a huge part of making the military successful in its missions. Interested in learning more? Read on for information on how to become a military support welder and what working as one is like.    

Key Summary Points

• Military support welders work on vehicles, weapons and gadgets that help those in the field and back on base.
• They may work in repair or fabrication shops, in welding trailers or in the field doing maintenance and repair jobs.
• No college experience is necessary to become a military support welder, but prior welding training can be beneficial.
• Military support welders are taught to weld during advanced individual training and may learn related skills such as machining techniques.
• Serving as a military support welder allows for unique travel opportunities, provides variety in the work, and offers a sense of fulfillment in serving the country.

What Is a Military Support Welder?    

A day in the life of a military support welder varies depending on the military branch you’re in and the projects you’re assigned. For example, here are some duties you might see in each branch:

• Army: Working in repair or fabrication shops, in welding trailers or in the field doing maintenance and repair jobs. Fixing holes in tanks, repairing radiators, creating weldments on tracked vehicle hulls, constructing bridges or repairing military equipment.
• Air Force: Performing similar duties to Army welders, though some may also work on aircraft.
• Coast Guard: Working on boats, ships, shore stations and aircraft that need fabrication, repair and maintenance.
• Navy: Working on ships. Some Navy military support welders may be underwater welders who have diving certifications as well.
• Marines: Focusing on combat and amphibious operations.

Welding in support of the military can be a fast-paced and high-pressure job. For many welders, this career path is appealing exactly because of these opportunities to face dynamic, exciting challenges. Being a military support welder can also take you around the world — including above or under water.    

To top it all off? When you’re a military support welder, you’re serving your country as you do your job.    

How To Become a Military Support Welder

College experience isn’t necessary to become a military support welder. However, some individuals get welding training before entering the military to gain the skills needed to pursue their desired position. This can be done by completing a program like the Welding Technology program offered at Universal Technical Institute (UTI), where you can learn four welding techniques:

• Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
• Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
• Flux-Cored Welding (FCAW)
• Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

Completing a formal welding training program, like the one at UTI, can equip you with the skills needed to pursue careers in a variety of industries.¹ It can also prepare you to test for welding certifications.

Whether or not you pursue prior training, you’ll also need military training to learn the specifics of being a military support welder. To be admitted into the military, you’ll need to pass physical and mental exams that prove you’ve got the physical health, character and determination needed to work in the military.

In addition to learning how to weld, you’ll need to learn how to navigate combat situations, which can include going through military drills and team-building exercises. Even if you never see combat during your military career, you’ll still prepare for it through training.

Military support welders are taught to weld during advanced individual training, where military professionals become specialized in a field. In some cases, you may learn related skills in addition to welding. For example, you might learn machining techniques during welding training, which makes your training more well-rounded and comprehensive.

Benefits of Welding in the Military

There are a few advantages to serving as a military support welder.

First — serving in unique places around the world. You could be stationed in a different state or country giving you the opportunity to trot the globe as you work.

Another benefit is the variety that comes with this work. Whether you’re spending your time in a fabrication shop or rushing out to the field to do a maintenance project, no two days on the job are exactly alike, which keeps things exciting.

Finally, many welders choose this career path because of the sense of fulfillment it can provide. Welders play a crucial role in the military, and working in the field will allow you to see the impact of your technical skills and knowledge.

Attending UTI as a Military Veteran

So, what can military support welders do after they leave the military?

There are a variety of options for veterans who want to leverage their military experience while      preparing for a career. A trade school like Universal Technical Institute can be a great option for veterans looking for hands-on, civilian training that can get them career-ready.

Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits are available for vets that are pursuing postsecondary training.²¹ Through this bill, eligible veterans can receive tuition assistance to support formal welding training or certification.

Plus, if you choose to attend UTI as a military veteran, you may be eligible to receive a 10% tuition reduction through the Salute to Service Grant,²² in addition to a variety of other resources for veterans. These include:

• Assistance from Financial Aid Representatives who are well-versed to help you navigate your VA benefits (many of whom are U.S. veterans themselves)²⁰
• Military-only campus orientations
• FAFSA & financial aid support
• Veteran-specific scholarships¹⁰

Additional resources available to all students include housing assistance and career services. If you relocate with your family, UTI can work with you to find housing accommodations and to help find local job opportunities. So if you want to pursue welding once you’ve left the military, UTI can be a great place to do so.

There are several career paths you can pursue after serving as an entry-level military support welder. You might apply to become a welding instructor in the military, teaching other welding beginners how it’s done.

If you choose to leave the military after honorably serving, there are many employers that have veteran hiring programs. With the right education and certifications, you could get a welding role in a whole new industry. Some military support welders go on to become welding engineers or welding inspectors, working in leadership positions to manage other welders.⁷⁷

Job Outlook for Military Support Welders

Welders are essential to supporting the military and keeping its equipment and machinery up and running. Whether it be in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, there are opportunities in each branch if you want to become a welder. As skilled welders retire from the military, positions should continue to open for the next generation.

Your salary will depend on rank and time in service. You may also get free housing if you live on base. Or you may qualify to receive a housing allowance, which is another perk of serving in the military.    

Take a look at the 2020 Military Active & Reserve Component Pay Tables to compare payment based on years of service and rank.

There are also opportunities for those who choose to pursue welding outside of the military. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the  in the United States was $48,940 in May 2023.²⁶ This means half of welders earned more and half earned less. Keep in mind that salary depends on several factors, including experience, employer, demand and cost of living in the area.

The BLS projects more than 45,000 average annual job openings for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers, making welding a career path with a number of diverse opportunities.⁴²

Military Support Welder FAQs

1. Can I join the military as a welder?

Yes, you can join the military as a welder. While no college experience is necessary, you will need to complete military training to qualify as a military support welder, where you will learn welding along with other essential skills.

2. Do military welders get deployed?

Military welders can get deployed, depending on the needs of their unit and branch. They may work on vehicles, ships and other equipment both on base and in field conditions.

3. What military branch needs welders the most?

All military branches have a need for welders, but military support welder requirements can vary. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard all employ welders to maintain and repair their critical equipment.

4. What are the requirements to become a military support welder?

To become a military support welder, you must pass physical and mental exams and complete basic military training. Advanced individual training will then provide you with specialized welding skills and possibly related skills like machining.

5. Are there any physical fitness requirements for a military support welder?

Yes, there are physical fitness requirements to join the military, including for military support welders. You must be in good physical condition and able to handle the physically demanding aspects of both military training and welding tasks.

Interested in Training To Become a Military Support Welder?

Some people choose to get a welding education before entering the military to earn credentials that can help them pursue military positions. Other aspiring welders go back to welding school after serving in the military to learn the latest techniques and prepare to test for certification.

Whether you’re a military veteran or you want to get a welding foundation before becoming a military support welder, UTI can help. Our 36-week Welding Technology program is offered on campuses nationwide. For information, contact us online or call us at 800-834-7308.

UTI Campuses That Offer Welding Training

• Avondale, Arizona
• Long Beach, California
• Rancho Cucamonga, California
• Sacramento, California
• Miramar, Florida
• Lisle, Illinois
• Bloomfield, New Jersey
• Mooresville, North Carolina
• Exton, Pennsylvania
• Austin, Texas
• Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
• Houston, Texas