Life As A Welder
 

I have a friend of mine that is thinking about going to school to be a welder. There's a ton of jobs up here everyday for welders. He asked me what I thought and I don't really know what welding for a career is like so...

What's everyone's input on working as a welder.

It ain't no fun. Your workin in the hottest, dirtiest most cramped spaces and you can't even turn a fan on cause it interferes with the process. Your breathin ozone all day, even with the sheilds it takes toll on your eyes over the years, your breakin your back musclin heavy material around, If your a shop welder the pay is typically not very high and if your a construction or pipe welder you typically end up havin to drive all over hell and back to job sites. I do temporary work in a tank fabrication shop when they run behind and just the few days at a time I do it I have to come home and cool my eyes down just from all the welding goin on around me in the shop. Everytime you raise your hood to see what your doin there's 20 more arcs in a circle around you. Its a good weight loss program, no such thing as a fat welder.

Now there are some jobs out there that are the exception to some of these rules but they are far and few between. I got several good friends who are lifetime welders that are now in their mid fifties and doin good to crawl out a bed and be able to walk in the mornings. Pain meds become good friends and a part of your life at an early age. But the schools make it look cool in the pictures.

Thanks. That is kind of what I was thinking it to be like.

depends what main industries are around you. around me there's a lot of dairies and food processing plants, so if you can do on-site food grade stainless, it's pretty easy stuff to do and all of that is light weight, thin wall.

I would never want to work in a welding shop full time...shoot, just my boss and I welding on a chromoly aircaft frame at the same time for a day gave us both a bit of welders flash, wouldn't want to be in a shop doing that stuff all day.

if you get your structural cert arc welding and get in with putting up steel buildings/construction work, then it's a fair amount of outside work, not as cramped up...depending on the area, outside work could be good or bad.

I have a small Welding and Fabrication Company in Brisbane Australia with 2 Worshops. All we do is structural Steel (Mainly Large Industrial Buildings) I have about 20 Boilermakers and Welders give or take a few. Its a good paying job out here. Most of my men work 50-60 hours a week, some more. Most take home 2,000 - 3,000 a week. We make every effort to prevent things like Welding Flashes and have Cranes etc as most of our stuff is too big to manhandle. I know what you're saying about some shops though and also about site work. We don't do site work anymore for alot of those mentioned reasons. As far as the trade goes though, any good man will never be out of work (out here anyway, not sure about over there) Ive been welding all my life and although I dont do any on the floor these days I still enjoy it and still do all my work on my trucks. I still think there are alot of positive things about the trade and a good man will always get good job satisfaction out of it. Most of those working for me are long timers who have been around it a long time. One of my best is 63 yo and he will run rings aroud most others. Heres a couple of pics FWIW.

tell him to be a pipeline welder, he can join a union. pipeline welders makes some serious money but he will be moving alot.

ya pipelinin is the way to go im a 3rd genaration 798 pipeline welder u do have to travel but right now in this boom the money is worth it

and i know what you make and its worth it for that pay.......

actually a guy that's worked for us for a while almost went to work welding pipelines but decided to go be an ag pilot instead...how's that for trying to decide what to do??

welding isnt bad it has its ups and downs.. definately hot and dirty... been doin it for 10 years.. just tell your buddy to respect the older guys they know the secrets and shortcuts...