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!