Welding Tips and Tricks

Now I would really like everyone's opinion on where the most money is made in welding.

I can't speak for a properly trained/schooled certified welder, but I left the auto body field for a MIG welding job. Started at $18.60 an hour with great benefits after 30 days. Almost 90 days in to it now and I am up to $22.75 hr.

Not too exciting, but I think it is great pay for what I am doing. I weld up things like steps, battery boxes, brackets, etc for Ag equipment. I work with a couple of guys that have done pipe fitting, ship yards, etc and that sounds like a job for a young person with no family/personal life, but the pay was huge. (funny, they are all broke )

I will repeat this old adage; "Welders are a dime a dozen."

Thousands of welders that can run a bead, 1 in 10 that can do the math and layout, or that have actually served an apprenticeship, the remaining 9 who, will feel they should get the same $ as the master. With that said, there is money to be made everywhere in the industry if you are well versed in the entire spectrum and that's what it takes these days to be competitive outside of the union. I personally replace about 7 people, which makes me a bargain on most sites and the last to be laid off. Engineer, layout, troubleshooter, welder, fitter, shop foreman and floor maintenance.

Literacy and public relations skills. So many young welders think the trades as a way out of doing the school work. Most of our repeat customers come to us just for the fact that they can get educated, sensible responses to their needs across the board. From the quality of the work orders, to the concise description of what they are actually paying "more" for. I recall overhearing a CEO from a rather large company speaking to his associate about the bid sheet quotes while checking out our "humble" facility. " I don't care if it's 30% above the other bid. These guys are sharp."

I'll describe one job...

Aluminum pipe w/ backing rings (10% x-ray inspection). In a shop... no rain outs. Building from ISOs, with a computer 3-D rendering available at any time for any confusing fits.

$28/hr base. 60-72 hrs/week, with every hour over 40 at $42.

Per diem of $85 (non-taxed)

My take-home check was something like $2800/wk. I lived comfortably on $500, so I was sending $2300/wk home...

There's much better money than that to be made in the welding trade.

Steve S

My first real money job is a less than glamorous story. I was broke, the power was off in winter, and I was being evicted from a hovel not suitible for habitation. I got a phone # from a friend, for a powerplant job in Clinton, IA. Made the call.

Borrowed $1500 to make the trip and live 'til payday.

Did miserable on the weld test (that's a screwed-up story on it's own... no code, just weld this rusty crap together). They felt bad for me, and hired me in at welder III pay... as low as you get to get per diem. It was still $1500/wk take-home. I showed them the test was a fluke... within four months, I was at top-out pay for welder I, and was carried to the next job at "above" top-out.

Everything TamJeff just said is why. I paid attention, and learned more than just welding my bead...

Steve S

Well certainly there are high paying welding jobs like pipe liners and underwater welders etc. And there are low paying jobs as well like I know of some factories in my area that pay as low as $10 per hour to entry level welders. But Jeff and Otto are right in that its all what you make of it. If you go out of your way to do the job right, you work hard and you learn all you can the sky is really the limit. Having an entrepreneurial spirit will take you far as well even if you never own your own business.

W31der,

I didn't really answer your question, did I?

The three places I see the most money in welding are:

ASME code welds in nuclear power plants.

Aerospace welding, particularly in rocket engines.

Exotic metals, often in aerospace, research facilities, semiconductor industry?

Steve S