Harper College offers a hands-on training program in welding technology, designed
for students seeking immediate employment as a welder, solderer, cutter, brazer, sheet
metal worker, structural metal fabricator or fitter, and other metal-working careers.
The program emphasizes welding theory and practical application of the major forms
of welding. Students learn to interpret welding blueprints and develop the skills
necessary to pass welder qualification tests. This program offers an entirely 8-Week Course format option. Learn more.
rfi_lightbox
5
Request Information
Planning for your future begins here.
It only takes 20 seconds to get started!
✖
Planning for your future begins here.
It only takes 20 seconds to get started!
Earn a career-ready degree
The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree is designed to prepare you for immediate entry into this career field. Coursework
in the AAS may also prepare you to transfer to a four-year college or university.
To learn more, visit our Transfer Information page or see your advisor.
Jumpstart your career by learning new skills through a certificate program. Many of Harper's certificates are stackable to a degree program through
additional coursework.
Learn more about career outcomes for Harper's Welding degree/certificate programs.
Each career profile offers a complete picture on the local job market, including salaries,
open positions, top local employers and more. To learn more, visit our Welding Careers page.
Sheet Metal Workers
Sheet Metal Workers
* Data sampled April 2025. Visit the Sheet Metal Workers career profile for most current data.
$90,307 Median Salary
-2.4% Projected Job Growth (2025-2032)
2 Job Postings
Description:
Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such
as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of
the following: setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten
sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operating soldering
and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; or inspecting, assembling, and smoothing
seams and joints of burred surfaces. Includes sheet metal duct installers who install
prefabricated sheet metal ducts used for heating, air conditioning, or other purposes.
Core tasks:
Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary.
Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC)
systems to maximize efficiency of systems.
Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts,
furnace casings, rain gutters, or downspouts in supportive frameworks.
Fasten seams or joints together with welds, bolts, cement, rivets, solder, caulks,
metal drive clips, or bonds to assemble components into products or to repair sheet
metal items.
Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.
Core tasks:
Verify conformance of workpieces to specifications, using squares, rulers, and measuring
tapes.
Position, align, fit, and weld parts to form complete units or subunits, following
blueprints and layout specifications, and using jigs, welding torches, and hand tools.
Study engineering drawings and blueprints to determine materials requirements and
task sequences.
Lay out and examine metal stock or workpieces to be processed to ensure that specifications
are met.
Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join
metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
Core tasks:
Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates
to ensure conformance with specifications.
Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
Quick facts:
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Set up, operate, or tend welding, soldering, or brazing machines or robots that weld,
braze, solder, or heat treat metal products, components, or assemblies. Includes workers
who operate laser cutters or laser-beam machines.
Core tasks:
Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job
instructions or specifications.
Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications,
using measuring and testing devices.
Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate
metal products or assemblies.
Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding
devices.
For more information about starting your college education at Harper, please contact
Admissions Outreach at 847.925.6700 or fill out our request information form.
