Being a welder can seem like a fairly low class position, until you realize how much of the world is held together thanks to welding. Here, we’re not talking just of our pipes under the sink, or the structure of a house, but also airplanes, large buildings, monuments, space ships, and more. There’s a very high demand for welders, and a very diverse group of professionals working in this industry. As such, if you like to work with your hands, maybe you’ve thought about going into this industry as well. Here’s what you need to enter, the education you should expect, and more importantly, the welder salary you can hope to bring in.
Before talking about salary, let’s see what skills you need to possess to become a welder. The first and most obvious part is an ease to work with your hands. If you can repair things as they break in your house, and if you like taking items apart and rebuilding them, then chances are you are well on your way. Then, you also need to be comfortable in potentially dangerous situations. Welding involves using very hot equipment, and requires safety equipment like a mask and gloves. You can burn yourself easily if you aren’t careful, so an eye for safety is a must. Finally, you must also be very focused at what you’re doing. When you weld pieces of metal together, it’s to hold a structure in place. Whether it’s two pieces of piping, or the main pillar of a large building, it’s just as important for the welding to be done right, otherwise everything could come crashing down.
If you have those skills, and you think being a welder is for you, then you can start training for it. Typically, a welder will go through a professional diploma at the high school level, or a college certificate. This is enough to get into most welding jobs, such as in a factory, working on cars or pieces of steel. If you work in more specialized environments however, you may need more advanced training. And don’t forget that almost every industry needs welders. You may end up working on a house, or on a dam. This is why you must be able to adapt to new situations quickly. Who you work for, and what your work environment is, will also affect the welder salary, because you may need to be more qualified and trained for specific areas. For example, a lot of sensitive machinery needs to be put together in a very precise way, in order to function properly.
Overall, the welder salary you can expect is around $30,000 when you start up, but could go up to $50,000 or more if you work in an advanced sector, where welding is a crucial part of the overall project. It can be a very challenging work environment, and something you end up loving. So if working with your hands is something you like to do, then this may be the career for you.