What type of welder makes the most money

Why is welding still one of the most difficult skills for fabricators to hire? What can fabricators do to find the best welding talent? In survey after survey, fabricators say welding remains one of the most sought-after skills in metal fabrication. Why are they having such difficulty finding people who know the trade? Modern helmets and fume extraction technologies mean that many welders need not spend their days in dark, smoky environs.

Some young welders who gain the right certifications find themselves making livable, family-supporting wages just a few years into their careers.

Those who move to follow the money and gain some experience in the field, be it to the Bakken oilfields or on an offshore rig, may be raking in six figures. Then again, some leave the welding profession for jobs in retail—because it may be easier, and the entry-level pay may be about the same. Low starting wages have industry watchers befuddled.

In one New York Times article published in November , reporter Adam Davidson quoted The Boston Consulting Group.

This same consultancy that predicted a manufacturing renaissance also wrote a report that called into question the skilled-labor crisis. Why is it still one of the most difficult skills for fabricators to hire? And perhaps most important, what can fabricators do to find the best welding talent? Dan Turner, welding professor at Yuba College, Marysville, Calif.

Turner relayed a typical situation that helps explain the entry-level talent glut. Small shops dominate metal fabrication.

The company may have just a handful of welders, and the most experienced and often best may be getting ready to retire. Tim Baber, professor and chair of welding technology at College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, Calif. These not only give welders college credit, they give them a taste of life in a welding shop.

Dubbed the Cooperative Work Experience Education, or CWEE, the semester-long internships—some paid, some unpaid—give students 10 hours a week of experience with a journey-level individual at a local company. It also gives employers a chance to test the waters with new talent. Some of the best students find a job offer waiting for them at the end of their internship. Baber added that such real-world experience can be a real eye-opener for some students, mainly because popular perception of welding is a bit different than reality.

Cable TV and other mass media outlets show renegade welders rebuilding hot rods in record time. The exposure on reality TV, he said, is a mixed blessing.

It has drawn attention to the welding craft. There may be substance abuse, or it may be recreational. Regardless, if they smoke a joint on the weekend, that makes them unemployable.

Ryan Blythe has seen this too. He previously worked as an administrator at a now shuttered technical school in Georgia. There were many reasons the school closed, but he did say the school taught many people who got into welding as a second career.

Some were previously incarcerated, and many had serious financial challenges. Welding can be a great second career for people trying to get back on their feet.

No matter how good a welder is, he has to show up for work consistently, be on time, be engaged, and pass a drug test. In Blythe decided to take a new approach when launching the Georgia Trade School in Kennesaw, Ga.

The school does not accept financial aid or government grants. The students we teach have a passion for welding.

What type of welding makes the most money

Blythe markets the school to students in surrounding Cobb County, an Atlanta suburb. The local school district is one of the top rated in the state, with a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math STEM.

The student welders at Georgia Trade School have done well enough in high school that they could go on to get a four-year degree. They just happen to choose welding.

The $,a-Year Welding Job - WSJ

He added that now is an opportune time to change an unfortunate perception about vocational, trade-based education. This makes welding and other trade-based skills attractive career options.

Data buttresses this perception. And nearly all respondents were from job shops and contract fabricators. True, starting pay can be on the low end. But pay can rise significantly over time.

This in turn helps overcome the stereotype. In many cases, vocational education is the better option, even for the best, brightest, and most engaged students.

And this, ultimately, is the kind of people fabricators are looking for. Since launching last year, Georgia Trade School has expanded its schedule to meet increasing demand. Still, regardless of how bright those students are, Blythe emphasized that the school still produces entry-level welders.

7 Incredible Facts About a Career in Welding

It works closely with various companies in the Southeast, including Huntington Ingalls Industries, the Mississippi shipyard, on how to prepare people. And companies, of course, have their own welding test that all job applicants must pass—but again, it remains that: Fabricators point fingers at schools for not supplying enough welding graduates.

Teachers point at manufacturers for not providing sufficient on-the-job training. All, however, agree that the talent pipeline is broken.

What type of welding pays the best?

How can it be fixed? Many fabricators have stepped up their in-house training programs. After all, a shop can have the fanciest laser and most intuitive press brakes, but if its welders continually leave, a fabricator will find it hard to stay competitive. Fabricators like DeWys Manufacturing near Grand Rapids, Mich. On the education side, Baber recently returned from a conference in the northwestern U.

Currently most employers are looking for welders who can pass certain tests and certifications. Students may need to know how to weld 6G around pipe, weld out-of-position, or know which welding wire or rod works best with which weld settings and shielding gas—and why. At the conference, Baber said he learned that some major employers are changing job requirements. This may change the welding education landscape and draw more people into the technical fields.

The best welding talent wants a career path, and not all employers offer a good one. Baber recalled one local employer that continually pays welders near minimum wage, wants welders with numerous qualifications, but has yet to invest in proper fume extraction or ventilation equipment.

Few of its welders last more than a year. On the other hand, Turner recalled one engaged student who graduated and started work at a local fabricator. After a few days on the job, he saw that the company had a pulse wire welding machine sitting in the corner, gathering dust. He asked what kind of shielding gas was being used—the wrong one for the application, as it turned out. He approached the problem with subtlety and respect. He made a difference, and now that student is in charge of an entire division.

Turner added that this story pretty much sums up what many of the best welders coming out of school today want. They want the ability to make suggestions. The magazine delivers the news, technical articles, and case histories that enable fabricators to do their jobs more efficiently.

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