Welder at Swenson Welding & Fabrication, LLC

Time-BasedRegistered ApprenticeshipPaid Training

at Swenson Welding & Fabrication, LLC in Egg Harbor City, NJ

About This Program

Swenson Welding & Fabrication, LLC sponsors a registered welder apprenticeship in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey. This non-union program provides a structured, paid training opportunity for individuals who want to enter the welding and fabrication trade through direct, practical shop experience.

The apprenticeship spans three years and includes 6,000 hours of on-the-job training along with 432 hours of related technical instruction. Apprentices learn MIG, TIG, and stick welding processes, metal cutting and fitting, layout and blueprint interpretation, and quality inspection practices. Working in a fabrication shop setting, apprentices develop hands-on proficiency with the tools, materials, and methods used daily in professional welding and metalwork.

Graduates earn journey-level welder credentials upon completing the program and are prepared to enter the workforce with practical, employer-verified skills. New Jersey's industrial and construction sectors provide a broad job market for skilled welders, and this apprenticeship offers a debt-free, hands-on route to a sustainable skilled trades career.

Wage & Training

Journeyman Wage

$24

BLS 2023

OJT Hours

6,000

Apprenticeship.gov 2025

RTI Hours

432

Apprenticeship.gov 2025

Duration

3 years

Apprenticeship.gov 2025

Wage data is the national median for this occupation (BLS, May 2023), not specific to this program.

Welder Career Outlook

National Median

$23.81/hr

~$49,524.8/yr

Apprentice Start

$15.5/hr

Earn while you learn

Job Outlook

Employment for welders is projected to remain steady with consistent demand driven by infrastructure spending, manufacturing, and energy sector projects. Aging infrastructure across the U.S. requires ongoing repair and replacement, creating sustained need for skilled welders. Retirements in the current workforce are expected to generate additional openings over the next decade.

What to Expect as a Welder Apprentice

Duration

3 years of combined on-the-job training and classroom instruction

On-the-Job Training

~40 hours/week of hands-on work under journeyman supervision (6,000 total hours)

Classroom Instruction

432 hours of related technical instruction (~144 hours/year)

Paid Training

You earn a wage from day one, starting at a percentage of the journeyman rate and increasing as you progress

Time-based program: You'll progress through the program based on completing a set number of hours in both on-the-job training and classroom instruction.

Trade School vs. Apprenticeship for Welder

Apprenticeship

Cost$0 (earn while you learn)
Duration3 years
Starting wage$15.50/hr
Journeyman wage$23.81/hr
CredentialJourneyman card

Trade School

Cost$5,000–$20,000+
Duration6–24 months
Starting wageEntry-level
ExperienceHands-on labs
CredentialCertificate / diploma

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