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What are work schedules like for welders? What kind of benefits are offered? How long have you worked in the industry, and have you enjoyed it?
I've been curious about welding due to friends and family, and are trying to see if its a vocation I'd like to train and adopt as a potential career.
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4 answers
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John’s Answer
Join a union of your skill liking. An apprenticeship is your best path to learn a trade. Decent pay and benefits. Normal time is 7am to start and 7hr days. Anything over that is time and a half pay. Welding is a niche in my industry that keeps me employed. More tools in your bag more likely to stay employed. Kept me going for 20 plus years now.
Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Juan
I'm definitely going to agree with that so way to get paid properly and to get the best skill set is to join a union you have to deal with some politics but in the end if you keep your head up your head down you'll do great you'll provide a decent very decent livable situation for you and your family just remember that the more things you learn and the more time you put in the more valuable you are and the more you'll work and be value to a company once a company sees that they will keep you and they will want you around and you just have to make that value
James Daniels
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Michael John’s Answer
I have always worked in a shop environment that came with a 40 hour week minimum and lots of overtime. For most of my career I was the only welder supporting a sheet metal fabrication shop . I was lucky enough to be able to also learn sheet metal fabrication and machining along the way .I was able to run my shop with my managers blessings without being micromanaged. A lot of my work was through verbal communication that allowed me to modify or design tooling to make other employees jobs easier. I really enjoyed my welding career in my everyday work and my ability to always have a paycheck coming in .
Thank you so much for the advice.
Juan
You’re welcome !
Michael John Fedin
Updated
James’s Answer
Work hours can be very demanding depends on what kind of welding you're pursuing if you're pursuing an ornamental welding job which is morally art it pays less maybe somewhere depends on where you live anywhere from 15 to $20 an hour I'll say and it's not as demanding if you go to structural and get some more demanding you might work 60 hours a week average to pay is better and say anywhere from 18 to 35 an hour and benefits are decent now if you're doing something even better pipe welding more dangerous way more hours can be very demanding at times you might be working 16 hours a day to 20 hours a day a couple days and you might work 7:13 for a month or two but the pay is very well I've made up to $108 an hour total package I brought home around 6,000 a week easy taxes are involved in that so you can easily make a hundred to $200,000 a year being a pipe welder you have travel the benefits are amazing especially if your union union is the best way to go but like I said the hours are very demanding and I enjoy the hell out of it for one year doing things that bring people energy and that are very important you feel important you are important people treat you with respect especially being a pipe water because for one it's very hard to master that art and if you can do that and you have the skills I would recommend it it can provide a very very good life for you and your family but like I said the hours are demanding but once you are a great welder at pipe you can make your own hours you make your own pay you can do a lot you're very in demand and you are the man they are not so remember that, I think that if you join the union and your pipe older you can make just as much as a doctor or a lawyer so I don't think there's any other opportunities they're going to offer you a chance to do that and work with your hands
Thank you, this is amazing! I really needed it.
Juan
Updated
John’s Answer
I started my welding career as a pipefitter welder out a local in Cheyenne, Wyo. Things were booming then and there was a lot of money to be made. The one thing about a welding career is there are many avenues one can venture down. After nine years in the trades things got slow across the country. I worked in some job-shops here and there just to makes ends meet and not spend my savings. I got to weld in some really cool places because of my skills, I was always in demand. I welded in Jackson Hole, Wyo., All over Oregon and Nevada and then I found a welding instructor position in Nevada and spent 31 years teaching welding. I taught technical welding, weld failure analysis, I became a certified welding inspector, a certified welding educator, I did inspection on F-4 fight jets in the summers at the air guard in Reno, NV. So many avenues as I said before. There's no limit to the direction welding can take you. Money is great but don't let that be the key to a career. My son is now a Journeyman pipefitter and has been able to work all over three states in the West. He makes killer money and is now running jobs for the company he has only been with for months. Remember, there's more to welding the just running roots, fillers and covers. Strong in math and layout, especially in the piping industry will keep you working. Go for it, you won't regret it.
Thank you for giving me advice.
Juan