Welding for a living?

Anyone on here do it?

I am curious about it. I've read that there is a pretty good demand for welders and I am seriously considering getting out of the sh*tty industry I'm in. Welding has always been something I wanted to get into, but never did. I did some very rudimentary welding years ago, but I wouldn't even claim to know how to do it now. All of the projects I wanted to do....just personal welding skills would be killer.

So if you do it for a living, please give me your thoughts. Some questions I have are:

• Is there really a demand for welders?
• What would a starting wage rage be? (I know there are many different types of welders out there, so this can vary big-time)
• Is some sort of certification required?
• How long is welding school?
• To get steady work, do you almost "have to" be in a union?
• Obviously, welding involves METAL, so are you busting your back all day? (I'm not exactly "young" anymore, but not too old to start something new...IMHO anyway)
• Anything else that can be helpful.

Thanks for any info!

I weld daily... but I am not a welder. We are always hiring people who can weld. I am very skeptical of anyone calling themselves a welder in a the fab industry.
I work in a fab and repair... steel, stainless and aluminum

Is there really a demand for welders?
Yes there is a demand for welders. Specifically in the oil shale and oil pipelines. I know people in these fields. Pay and demand is awesome. Conditions and hours are crappy. Most burn out within a year or two and go somewhere else.
Another great demand for welders is in the Gulf. Oil platforms and underwater welding. Platform pay is ok, again conditions are not. Underwater has some of the best pay and good conditions when not working, but is very hazardous.

For your questions directly:
What would a starting wage rage be? (I know there are many different types of welders out there, so this can vary big-time)
Non-certified welding pay could start at minimum wage. Certified welding of Titanium going into space pay is in the six figures.
Average pay for a welder is $17/hr or about $35k a year
Is some sort of certification required?
Yes and no. To weld you don't need to be certified. There is some confusion to certified welding because a certification is also for a job, not a person. Some employers want you have been certified before.
How long is welding school?
Most community colleges offer welding programs. They start with entry level in a semester and have more complex level courses. So, one semester or more.
To get steady work, do you almost "have to" be in a union?
No, good welders can get work.. they are sought after. I'm also NOT saying that only bad welders are in unions. Many a good welders is in a union.
Obviously, welding involves METAL, so are you busting your back all day? (I'm not exactly "young" anymore, but not too old to start something new...IMHO anyway)
Yes, I need two new shoulders and knees.... I have also had my ear drum burned out... and been flash blinded too many times to count.(late night burn)

The welders at Carson working on the same project as me are making 45 an hour

Welding isn't exactly some sort of gift, but it's also not something you can just wake up one day and decide to go make a living off of. Although it isn't a primary description of my job, I've been welding daily for the past decade as well and I consider myself to be just okay at it. I know a couple of welders I would call great and those guys have been at it for a long...long time. And yes...with experience/certs come the money.

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Originally Posted by cofi

The welders at Carson working on the same project as me are making 45 an hour

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Davis–Bacon....Not the norm. But nice just the same...:)

Been at it for 40 Years.
It's an art if you are good, it's a job if you are not.

https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/...92715929_n.jpg

TIG'd tank, time consuming, gotta move around to keep from warping.

Then of course you could be HERE,
https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/...59996954_n.jpg

I thought I would like this but after a few eeks NO.

https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/...39621658_n.jpg

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Originally Posted by Mtn.man

Been at it for 40 Years.It's an art if you are good, it's a job if you are not.https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/...92715929_n.jpgTIG'd tank, time consuming, gotta move around to keep from warping.

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SWEET welds! Those sure are pretty.

One item to consider. Unless you secure an onsite / indoors job, be prepared to travel, and travel. Up here everyone and their brother, who welds in the patch (oil field) is on the road, out of state, long hours, all weather.
Like construction if the work is there, you're working sun up to sundown, longer as needed. The indoor jobs / factory as i call them have somewhat normal hours, lower pay, still all of them are under the gun to have a job completed on time, if not before.

The money / pay is great as witnessed by all the newer diesel pickemup trucks on the road. You need to see if you're capable of lifting 100lbs (minimum) continually, standing, walking, bending, squatting, for 12 hours. ALL companies will have you perform a physical aptitude test, prior to hiring. As already mentioned the industry while wide open, is geared more to younger folks who still have an 18 hour day in them. 18 hard, long, inclement weather hours.
IF you want to commute and have skill/experience behind you, i have an in at a very large O&G support fab plant.

I GTAW for a living, I went to FRCC in Fort Collins to learn. Then spent the last 5 years actually learning this business.

CO Ospray is right, lots of people out there calling themselves welders couldn't tell their wiener from a chunk of 4043 rod. The kids coming out of the machining programs arnt much better.

Yes their is a demand, we turn away work on a regular basis.
Starting wage depends on what your burning
AWS Certs (after welding school) and are extra $$. More certs you have the more marketable you are.
If you want to run the full gambit at a community college your looking at about 1.5/2yrs
Unions? Nah.
Welding is physical work, even GTAW. Get ready to get down, as we say around here.

Hope this helps.

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Originally Posted by Colorado Osprey

I weld daily... but I am not a welder. We are always hiring people who can weld. I am very skeptical of anyone calling themselves a welder in a the fab industry.
I work in a fab and repair... steel, stainless and aluminum

Is there really a demand for welders?
Yes there is a demand for welders. Specifically in the oil shale and oil pipelines. I know people in these fields. Pay and demand is awesome. Conditions and hours are crappy. Most burn out within a year or two and go somewhere else.
Another great demand for welders is in the Gulf. Oil platforms and underwater welding. Platform pay is ok, again conditions are not. Underwater has some of the best pay and good conditions when not working, but is very hazardous.

For your questions directly:
What would a starting wage rage be? (I know there are many different types of welders out there, so this can vary big-time)
Non-certified welding pay could start at minimum wage. Certified welding of Titanium going into space pay is in the six figures.
Average pay for a welder is $17/hr or about $35k a year
Is some sort of certification required?
Yes and no. To weld you don't need to be certified. There is some confusion to certified welding because a certification is also for a job, not a person. Some employers want you have been certified before.
How long is welding school?
Most community colleges offer welding programs. They start with entry level in a semester and have more complex level courses. So, one semester or more.
To get steady work, do you almost "have to" be in a union?
No, good welders can get work.. they are sought after. I'm also NOT saying that only bad welders are in unions. Many a good welders is in a union.
Obviously, welding involves METAL, so are you busting your back all day? (I'm not exactly "young" anymore, but not too old to start something new...IMHO anyway)
Yes, I need two new shoulders and knees.... I have also had my ear drum burned out... and been flash blinded too many times to count.(late night burn)

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Lays it out very well.
I have fabbed/welded since high school and one thing I will say, I have always been able to find work.

Osprey-dont you just love the sound of your ear sizzling?

Oh, and never weld in frayed jeans.


Very nice stacks o nickels MtnMan

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Originally Posted by BPTactical

Oh, and never weld in frayed jeans.

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What are they frayed of?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mtn.man

Been at it for 40 Years.
It's an art if you are good, it's a job if you are not.

https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/...92715929_n.jpg

TIG'd tank, time consuming, gotta move around to keep from warping.

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Very nice "stack o' dimes". I grew up with my father welding. I can do it but not at this level or his. If you have been in Bass Pro you have seen his metal work in things like the chandeliers and the fireplace. He has also done a lot of work at places like Disney, etc. He is a true artist featured in places like Architectural Digest, that being said, he is the exception and not the rule. It is possible to make good money. It is never an easy life, even at the top. I remember coming from a meeting with my Dad with him in a suit, bidding on a marque for a historic theater and an hour later being in the back of a garbage truck pushing maggots out of the way (and them popping like popcorn) so he could do an emergency fix on a rip it got somehow. I can also recommend "Jim" over at Pickens tech. I took a refesher TIG course a bit ago from him and he is old school. Great guy to learn from and the guys over there were great also. Welding really comes down to time and persistance. You have to put in the time to get dimes like above and that comes with persistance.

A good friend of mine is a welder working on power plants and other large industrial buildings, all welds must be x-rayed to verify their quality, higher end stuff. He is on the road all the time. Does some work locally in sterling but a majority is out of state in very crappy motels or sleeping in the truck.

Something to think about

Yup^^^.
I certified at Nuclear Installations Company Way Way back and they even had Xray capability then. We had to account for our rods going out and the stubs coming back.

However the wages I see now are not as good as they were say 25/30 years ago. I mean look at some of the job offers, wanting you to read prints, weld symbol knowledge, all position tests, gmaw, smaw, tig, mig experience,,, $8.00 to $10.00 starting???
Gimme a break. And as for the oil fields, if you have your own equipment then you can make good $$$ but if you are on their dime, $25, 26, 28 is about it.

I have a very good friend who's a welding instructor at the Lincoln school off of I-70. I could get you in contact with him if you'd like.

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Originally Posted by Mtn.man

However the wages I see now are not as good as they were say 25/30 years ago. I mean look at some of the job offers, wanting you to read prints, weld symbol knowledge, all position tests, gmaw, smaw, tig, mig experience,,, $8.00 to $10.00 starting???

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I'm seeing this trend for most skilled trades nowadays.

I will weigh in briefly. I don't believe everyone has the ability to weld, kind of like wood working. And there is lots of money to be made as a welder. I used to be multi certified and knocked down some big boy money. I was laid off a couple week a year but I used those as well needed vacations. You will make 1/2-1/3 in a shop than you will in the field.

We have lots of welders where I work. I'm pretty sure starting pay is about $55K to $60K a year but you wouldn't even get hired on unless you were experienced and certified. Most of their welds have to pass UT and X-ray inspections.

Here is a true story about what it's like to weld for a living....

Imagine you are in a six foot deep trench at about 2:00 am. It's about 14 degrees out and it's starting to snow. You are ankle deep in water and every time you strike an arc you shock yourself. You are doing a hot tap on a 24" natural gas pipe that is loaded with gas and under pressure. You have been working for about 12 hours that day and still have about four to go before you can head back to the hotel for a few hours sleep before you have to get up and get back to work. Oh, and your last performance review didn't go as well as you thought because you really didn't "go above and beyond". You only did what what asked of you.

Sounds like fun, huh?

Plus, every welder I know is a little goofy from breathing the fumes all day, everyday, for years.

Yup,, in the 80's All the murder flicks and scary movies were WELDERS

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Originally Posted by ray1970

We have lots of welders where I work. I'm pretty sure starting pay is about $55K to $60K a year but you wouldn't even get hired on unless you were experienced and certified. Most of their welds have to pass UT and X-ray inspections.

Here is a true story about what it's like to weld for a living....

Imagine you are in a six foot deep trench at about 2:00 am. It's about 14 degrees out and it's starting to snow. You are ankle deep in water and every time you strike an arc you shock yourself. You are doing a hot tap on a 24" natural gas pipe that is loaded with gas and under pressure. You have been working for about 12 hours that day and still have about four to go before you can head back to the hotel for a few hours sleep before you have to get up and get back to work. Oh, and your last performance review didn't go as well as you thought because you really didn't "go above and beyond". You only did what what asked of you.

Sounds like fun, huh?

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Aaannnnddd that's why I don't weld pipe in a hole. lol

Hey try welding at 300+' underwater,,, then you ascend to a little bomb shelter where you hang for 6+ hours, then finally get to top if you and your helper's blood test is OK. Talk about a bullshit day.

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Originally Posted by Mtn.man

Hey try welding at 300+' underwater,,, then you ascend to a little bomb shelter where you hang for 6+ hours, then finally get to top if you and your helper's blood test is OK. Talk about a bullshit day.

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I saw your pic, that's hardcore welding for sure. Being a single dad has kept me off the road, luckily I got in with a good shop here in town.

Years ago.
Offshore rigs, you and a helper that was more of a watch person.
It was a job, paid good but after thinking about the time spent,,, shoulda been a Rock Star, learned Drums or guitar or a singer.

I weld only when I have to. Not a job, but another spot on the record if needed. It's what bonds us!! [Coffee]

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Originally Posted by DSB OUTDOORS

I weld only when I have to. Not a job, but another spot on the record if needed. It's what bonds us!! [Coffee]

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The BrotherHood of the Metal... Let it be known across the land that those who melt the metal, meld the bond of the Brotherhood of The Metal...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mtn.man

Years ago.
Offshore rigs, you and helper that was more of a watch person.
It was a job, paid good but after thinking about the time spent,,, shoulda been a Rock Star, learned Drums or guitar or a singer.

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Haha, I'm not good looking enough to be a rock star and don't even have enough rhythm to be the drummer. Electricity and water scare the crap outa me personally but that's the best thing about learning a trade like welding. Every new job you get into and every time you run that torch your building muscle memory, experience and what I call "the vision" You just start to get an eye for it.

Put in some time ripping beads in school to get those skills going and take the advice of guys like Mt Man and you will be set to make some $$.

I'm 5 years out of school and didnt do any Tig until I got into this gig 2 years ago.

Only photos I have handy
Attachment 36867

Attachment 36869

Attachment 36871

Saw this pop-up in my email, if anyone is interested:

http://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing...m?jl=871712547

Welder at Emerson Process Management

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mtn.man

Hey try welding at 300+' underwater,,, then you ascend to a little bomb shelter where you hang for 6+ hours, then finally get to top if you and your helper's blood test is OK. Talk about a bullshit day.

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I very seriously considered that route. I personally knew a lot of commercial divers, went down and talked to the folks at some of the best schools for it on the West Coast at the time (1985), decided it wasn't for me: many years recreationally breathing air underwater in SE Asia didn't, for me, equal wanting what commercial diving entails.

Hey, don't get me wrong. It was a life experience. I learned and found out that it was a high paying job, but wasn't something I wanted to persue, as it was stressful as all for me.
Ther was NO fun in decompression, etc.
I am glad I did it, did alot of other underwater stuff, and learned, expereinced the job. But I would not want to be an underwater welder for a lving. It is mostly BORING

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mtn.man

Hey, don't get me wrong. It was a life experience. I learned and found out that it was a high paying job, but wasn't something I wanted to persue, as it was stressful as all for me.
Ther was NO fun in decompression, etc.
I am glad I did it, did alot of other underwater stuff, and learned, expereinced the job. But I would not want to be an underwater welder for a lving. It is mostly BORING

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It also gives you a different perspective of lobsters, shrimp and crabs.

I can stick metal together with heat if necessary, and even make pretty joints, but I'm not really a welder. Anything beyond fairly basic stuff, I farm it out to those that have the Talent...

My brother is a diesel mechanic and welder. Most jobs he's landed, were because he can weld. It appears most diesel shops lack anyone who can weld stuff.

At his current job, they purchased a new $60k truck of some sorts, but nobody could weld to make the new bed for it. So the truck sat unused for many months. They hired my brother and he spent a lot of time welding up the custom bed for this truck. It wasn't much about his experience or skills doing mechanic work.

Note: my brother finally has figured out why there are no OLD Diesel mechanics and welders. Everyone is wore out before 50. Bad knees, backs etc.

I worked part time a couple years back for a company that was developing stirling engines for recovering waste heat and converting it to electricity. They had some type of microscopic welding done to some of their parts where the work was literally done under a microscope. That guy was making about $125/hr as a contractor. They use some of this same stuff in the aerospace industry.

I think there is plenty of opportunity for making big money in welding but like anything else you have to specialize and find a niche market.. you will not make big money as a run of the mill stick welder.

sent from a soup can and some string..

I took every welding class offered in High School, and a few at Warren Tech. My shop teacher kept trying to get me to go get certified, at 17, but it was more $ than I could afford and I wanted to race. Unfortunately, "shop" is no longer taught in High schools unless you are on a trades track and almost impossible if you are on a college track. Anyway, I ended up welding race car sub-frames, rear assemblies and front clips after a while, that was indoors and good money. One of the guys that I worked under was an ex-Navy and then 12 year commercial deep sea welder. He had some physical problems and was missing the tips of some fingers, but considered himself lucky as he had 12 co-workers that were killed or worse...but in his mid-30s, he still had a GI bill, disability pay and $800K in the bank. Learned a lot between him and my HS shop teacher, but I also learned that the really good welding jobs in defense, racing and other high paid "cool" fields were largely awarded by nepotism, not skill. The other high paid ones were skill and danger or backbreaking work.

I've done a lot of weld certifications, mostly for structural, as well as field inspections of welds. I'd say that field structural welding positions are available and the skill level is not difficult to attain if you get a decent instructor. Oil patch is a whole different story and I don't know many of those chapters at all.

My whole senior year of high school consisted of welding class. Fabbed up some pretty cool stuff for my pickup at the time.