Shielded Metal Arc Welding Certificate
- Cost
- $5,193*
Learn Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
Gain the technical knowledge and skills to do Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW). Also known as stick welding, SMAW is one of the simplest and most popular techniques, especially for repair and maintenance work.
This is 1 of 7 credentials you can earn in welding at CLC. They all start with the same basic welding and safety skills. Each specialized certificate is designed around common occupations. Add them together for advanced skills or an associate degree.
What can you do with a Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) Certificate?
You're ready for an entry-level position where SMAW is the most common welding process. As you gain experience, and more education, your career opportunities and rewards grow.
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Choose from one of our 7 credentials in welding—we designed them to work together for you, so you can stack them into more advanced certificates or your associate degree. Start where you want, add skills to meet a different job need and if you want, keep going.
The foundation is 1 semester that covers basic skills and safety. That semester counts as the General Welding Certificate (9 credits, 1 semester). From that foundation, you can learn additional skills, in different combinations (the first 9 credits of each certificate are the same across all programs):
- Welding Fabrication (19 credits)—add 9 credits of metalworking and metallurgy to the common base
- Gas Metal Arc Welding (23 credits)—add 12 credits of gas welding and brazing to the common base
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding (23 credits)—add 3 credits of shielded metal arc welding (aka “stick welding”) to the Gas Metal Arc Welding Certificate
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (23 credits)—add 12 credits of gas tungsten welding and brazing to the common base
- Welding (45 credits)—All the welding and fabrication courses from all the certificates, plus a math class and a certification class.
- Associate in Applied Science (61 credits)—Everything in the Welding Certificate, plus a couple specialized welding courses and a handful of classes in business, communications, fine art or science.
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CLC has the largest welding and fabrication laboratory in Illinois located at the Advanced Technology Center (ATC). At 28,000 square feet, we are a true snapshot of what you will find in real-world facilities. The ATC features an extensive variety of arc welding equipment, laser welders and orbital welders. Other equipment include:
- 4 welding robots for tungsten inert gas (TIG) and metal inert gas (MIG) welding
- laser and plasma CNC cutters
- CNC press brakes
- lathes, mills, drill presses, iron workers and various saws
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CLC students won first through third place trophies in speed cutting and multiple categories of welding during the American Welding Society's "Behind the Mask" welding competition.
Recent graduate of CLC, Ethan Klisch, used his Welding and Fabrication A.A.S. degree to fabricate a design that matched a client's needs. Using SolidWorks and a CNC plasma cutter, Klisch designed, shaped and welded the components for the National Loon Center's outdoor exhibits. Maybe they'll come back as a client for his future business!
See what students love about the welding and fabrication technology program at CLC. Picture yourself here:
Highlights
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Metallica Scholarships
Heavy metal scholarships available. -
Advanced Technology Center (ATC)
State-of-the-art facilities to build career-ready skills -
Stackable Credentials
Earn and learn as you go with stackable credentials. -
WIOA Program
Eligible for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)-awarded vouchers. -
Credit for Prior Learning
Receive college credit for what you already know. -
Financial Aid/Scholarships Available
Based on need and/or achievement. Explore ways to pay for college. -
Career Certificate
Earn a career certificate in 1 year or less to refine your skills into an in-demand career. -
Program Length: 1 Year
Full-time students finish in 1 year.
Career Outlook
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Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
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Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $54,668
- Median
- $97,786
- Senior-Level
- $135,442
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $26.28
- Median
- $47.00
- Senior-Level
- $65.11
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
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Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- High school diploma or less
- 42.74%
- Certificate
- 27.04%
- Some college
- 7.84%
- Associate Degree
- 11.88%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 10.49%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
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Perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of a building in repair. Duties may involve pipe fitting; HVAC maintenance; insulating; welding; machining; carpentry; repairing electrical or mechanical equipment; installing, aligning, and balancing new equipment; and repairing buildings, floors, or stairs.
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Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $35,618
- Median
- $53,313
- Senior-Level
- $84,347
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $17.12
- Median
- $25.63
- Senior-Level
- $40.55
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
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Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- High school diploma or less
- 26.02%
- Certificate
- 62.97%
- Some college
- 6.62%
- Associate Degree
- 2.85%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 0.35%
- Master's Degree
- 1.17%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
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Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems. Includes sprinkler fitters.
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Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $44,653
- Median
- $90,825
- Senior-Level
- $119,997
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $21.46
- Median
- $43.66
- Senior-Level
- $57.69
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
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Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- High school diploma or less
- 42.78%
- Certificate
- 43.26%
- Some college
- 4.63%
- Associate Degree
- 9.34%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
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Position and secure steel bars or mesh in concrete forms in order to reinforce concrete. Use a variety of fasteners, rod-bending machines, blowtorches, and hand tools. Includes rod busters.
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Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $40,579
- Median
- $78,530
- Senior-Level
- $122,965
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $19.50
- Median
- $37.75
- Senior-Level
- $59.11
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
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Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- High school diploma or less
- 70.42%
- Certificate
- 29.58%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
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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.
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Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $37,629
- Median
- $87,404
- Senior-Level
- $118,679
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $18.09
- Median
- $42.02
- Senior-Level
- $57.05
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
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Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- High school diploma or less
- 56.2%
- Certificate
- 43.81%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
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Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings.
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Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $63,753
- Median
- $101,043
- Senior-Level
- $127,044
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $30.64
- Median
- $48.58
- Senior-Level
- $61.07
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
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Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- High school diploma or less
- 75.77%
- Certificate
- 19.21%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 5.03%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
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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.
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Salary Levels
Take a look at the average annual or hourly earnings for this career in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Entry-Level
- $35,202
- Median
- $48,420
- Senior-Level
- $70,410
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- Entry-Level
- $16.92
- Median
- $23.27
- Senior-Level
- $33.85
Lightcast earnings figures are based on OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) data from the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
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Top entry-level education
Here’s a quick look at the most common degree levels people have in this career.
- High school diploma or less
- 74.38%
- Certificate
- 11.64%
- Some college
- 11.28%
- Associate Degree
- 1.75%
- Bachelor's Degree
- 0.94%
Lightcast educational attainment levels are the educational attainment percentage breakdown for a career (e.g. the percentage of people in the career who hold a bachelor degree vs. an associate degree).
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Need help?
Your College & Career Navigator (CCN) helps you
- complete the admission process
- choose an academic program
- enroll in first-semester classes
- get access to helpful resources
Recommended Pathway
This pathway serves as a guide for students to complete the degree or certificate assuming full-time enrollment (registered in 12 or more credit hours per semester) with Semester 1 typically representing a Fall term. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their College and Career Navigator (CCN) to identify coursework that will meet degree requirements based on individual academic goals. For a more inclusive list of course options, see the college catalog.
*Cost is estimated based on recommended pathway credit hours. This includes in-district tuition and other fees, such as books and materials before financial aid is applied, as well as grants, loans or scholarships. There are many opportunities for financial assistance at CLC. Learn more about Cost of Attendance.
Welding & Fabrication Technology at CLC: Get the bigger picture
A Shielded Metal Arc Welding Certificate is just one possible way to study Welding & Fabrication Technology. Get the bigger picture-degrees, credentials and extra options.
Learn about courses, faculty, related programs and more.
View the Welding and Fabrication Technology program overview
Frequently asked questions
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Some of the skills you need to be successful in this program are:
- ability to work with your hands
- work both independently and as a team player
- ability to prioritize
- organizational skills
- attention to detail
- self-motivated
- critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- comfortable using technology and hand tools
- ability to write clearly
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You qualify to take the following exams:
- AWS SENSE Level 1
- AWS SENSE Level 2
- Fundamentals of Metal Fabrication
You may earn industry credentials through the American Welding Society (AWS) and the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA) You may also compete in SkillsUSA.
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With a Shielded Metal Arc Welding Certificate, you gain the following skills.
General knowledge:
- basic math: adding and subtracting fractions and decimals, geometry
- material knowledge: types of materials, material properties, material recognition, metal limits
- measure using the metric system
- basic metallurgy
- safety requirements
- blueprint reading
- reading a tape measure
- welding terminology and symbols
- industry codes
- finishes
- basic layout
- tolerances
- machine knowledge
- safety certifications
- welding certifications
Safety regulations and requirements:
- inspect personal protective equipment
- wear personal protective equipment
- maintain safe work area
- provide for work area ventilation
- identify a confined space
- apply confined space safety practices
- follow Hot Work safety requirements
- monitor environment for safety hazards
- participate in safety briefing
- inspect equipment for safety hazards
Prepare welding materials:
- interpret prints, drawings, sketches and welding procedure specifications (WPS)
- gather welding materials
- select welding equipment
- certify welding equipment per job specifications
- perform minor repairs on welding equipment and accessories
- measure welding parts and materials
- drill or bore holes in parts and materials
- shear metal parts and materials
- bend or form metal parts and materials
- cut, bevel, deburr or pierce metal parts and materials
- de-scale welding materials
- fit up parts or assemblies
- confirm materials according to the welding procedure specifications
- set up jigs and fixtures
Perform cutting, brazing and gouging:
- prepare job layout
- cut and bend with oxy-fuel equipment
- cut metal with arc-air equipment
- cut metal with plasma arc welding equipment
- cut metal using hand tools
- cut metal using power tools
- select material preparation method
- clean thermal affected area (remove slag)
Perform oxy-fuel cutting, brazing and welding:
- prepare job layout for oxy-fuel process
- setup oxy-fuel equipment
- confirm filler material and oxy-fuel
- verify flux for brazing
- check annealing requirements for brazing
- weld using oxy-fuel process (all positions) on common carbon steel, low alloy steel, sheet metal
- cut using oxy-fuel process (all positions) on common carbon steel, low alloy steel, sheet metal
- braze using oxy-fuel process in flat, inclined, or horizontal position on common carbon steel, low alloy steel, sheet metal
- clean oxy-fuel welds, cuts and brazes
- measure oxy-fuel welds, cuts and brazes for conformance to acceptance criteria
- perform required finish operations
- store oxy-fuel welding materials
Perform sub-arc welding:
- prepare job layout for sub-arc welding
- setup sub-arc equipment
- confirm filler material and flux
- preheat base metal to required temperature
- weld using sub-arc process on common carbon steel, low alloy steel, sheet metal
- clean sub-arc welds (remove slag)
- measure sub-arc welds for conformance to acceptance criteria
- perform finishing operations
- store sub-arc welding material
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Employers who offer these types of jobs in Lake County include:
- AbbVie Inc.
- Geremarie Corporation
- JST
- Larsen Manufacturing LLC
- Ludlow Manufacturing
- S & C Electric Company
- Sargent & Lundy
- Wabtec Corporation
- MacLean-Fogg Company
- Waukegan Steel
- William M. Meyer & Sons
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The estimated cost of this program appears at the top of this web page, under the program title.
The cost is based on recommended pathway credit hours. It includes in-district tuition and fees, such as for books and materials. It does not factor in financial aid (grants, loans, scholarships) that you may receive.
Some courses in this program are subject to variable tuition and course fees because they provide specialized experiences, instruction or technology/equipment.
View courses with variable tuition and fees
Many opportunities exist at CLC to get financial assistance. Learn more about Cost of Attendance.
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Kyle Thorne
Graduate
"While I love the space and equipment, it was the instructors that kept me at CLC. They helped make sure I learned the right way, and I had fun doing it."
Kyle took welding and fabrication classes at the CLC Grayslake campus and Advanced Technology Center in Gurnee. He then started his own mobile welding business. Kyle is one of many CLC graduates bringing their skills to the world of manufacturing.
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