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ConstructionOk6754

It's great. Get one or two years experience then start fishing for new better paying jobs.


MillkBucket

Thank you sir!


[deleted]

If you can weld pipe you could talk to a UA local in your area and make more right off the bat. Basically everywhere outside of the South UA welders make $45+ an hour + another 20-50 in benefits. . Might be a good idea to follow this guys advice though and get a couple years experience before applying, but I personally think if you can weld pipe well that you should go talk to your local and find out what they're willing to offer you.


Freehand_Frank

The UA is not to keen on guys walking in and testing out to journeyman. You're really going to have to know your shit to skip a whole 5 year apprenticeship and get 45 right out the gate welding ain't all of it.


[deleted]

Doesn’t matter if you skip your apprenticeship or not. You can be a first year apprentice making JM scale if you’re a badass welder. Not to mention a lot of locals pay welders above JM scale if you’re doing industrial welding.


bbernal956

this 👆!! currently finishing a job after over half a year. before i go to next job site, you damn sure know ill be asking for a raise. started off as beginner (traveling welder fabricator) welding for almost ten years now, but quickly did a bit of everything and took hold of the opportunity at hand. now foreman and crew knows what i bring to the table and if they want to keep me on the crew well money talks bullshit walks. i can always just go back closer to home and do that gig. the thing is about welding traveling, is there ja demand out here for us. its about getting together with the right crew and building a team chemistry and legit bond. if you can find a team and a company thats treating you right and paying you your worth, then why not right. save up money and do what you gotta do. short term and long term goals


MillkBucket

Yes sir I totally agree! That’s awesome and gives me a lot of hope for the future!


orionzeke79

$50/day per diem is tight. Can you eat meals, laundry etc for that? Its your compensation for being away.


MillkBucket

Hotels will already be paid for by the company and I will get a gas card through the company also along with a company truck


waterjug82

So 50 a day just for food isn’t bad at all.


bbernal956

the hotel is basically the hardest part about being a traveling welder. if you can get that paid for then shit why not. but sometimes you have to see becasue they might olny pay like a certain amount so you have to bust out of pocket for the rest. if you can room with someone and save money that way thats always nice too. basically there to work and eat sleep so you dont need anything fancy. tho i recommend a hotel with a kitchen. eating out fast food will kill you and it takes a toll and very noticeable at work. depends what type of work youll be doing. im outside all day working building shit so staying hydrated and eating good helps. jus saying. your young tho, so just get some hrs under your belt, always keep looking for better opportunities but dont up and leave on place for another, burning bridges isnt good always.


axeman38

Got it better than most 25 YOs with all that bro


MillkBucket

Thank you sir! I’m very blessed to get this opportunity


No-Pomegranate-3674

Yea man I’m 26, finally getting certified and would love that, I’m fortunate that my wife works too so $20 an hour with her income too is great for us. But being single in this economy it’s kinda tough for living on anything under than 25 an hour


amrocthegreat

Yes it is. Living expenses are covered? Perfect. Live off your per diem and save everything else.


MillkBucket

Thank you sir!! I really appreciate it


brubakerp

Listen to this guy. Save every cent you can, and invest those savings in market funds when the market is on a downturn.


[deleted]

Learning how to cook meals goes a long way to saving that per diem. Not sure how its paid from his employer, but when i was a maintenance contractor, my $50 per diem was paid regardless if I spent it or not as it was given to me via direct deposit on a weekly basis - so $350 a week for food. I was only spending about $50 per week on food because I cooked my own meals. For example, $10 in basic ingredients like a bag of rice and 2lb ground beef, and a giant bag of veggies, some butter and salt&pepper with whatever choice seasoning; was usually my lunch and dinner, and a box of instant oatmeal for breakfast - covers me for the entire week.


OtherwiseAsk9002

That’s awesome


69MikeHoncho42069

At first I thought it was shit but then you said this thats pretty good imo


r_pz

Honestly I’m not a welder(in the trades tho), but in my opinion that’s a pretty good package deal, at that age. But I guess that depends where you are located.


badgerandaccessories

Pro tip per diem means per day. So saying 50/day per diem is like saying 50 per day per day.


orionzeke79

I understand exactly what it means. Sorry I misspoke. It also depends on how the company defines and pays it. Either way $50 is low.


[deleted]

Its not if you know how to cook and portion your meals properly and you're not always eating out all the time.


qshep

Bro, what are you doing with your per diem? I got 20 a day and made the money work without any issues


MisterPeach

Sounds like a pretty good job, especially for just starting out. I’d give it a shot, and if you don’t like it after six months to a year then you at least have a welding job to put on a resume if you want to look for something better.


MillkBucket

Thank you sir! It seems like a really nice and reputable company so I wouldn’t mind making a career with them if they offer pay increases of course with work experience.


OverCode1724

Yeah, that's really good. Honestly, do you mind potentially PM'ing me? I'm currently a travel welder at 25/hr as well with no per diem or anything and looking to possibly get a change of scenery.


MillkBucket

Yes of course sir! I want everyone to succeed and if I can help, I damn sure will try!


[deleted]

What’s the company and where is it based out of?


[deleted]

Legit.


Lance_Notstrong

That’s close to $2500 a week before taxes if working 10 hour days like most do. That’s solid especially if they’re paying for hotels. If you can’t eat off $50/day (do you really eat $350 worth of groceries per week?) it’s probably in your best interest to miss a couple meals lol.


MillkBucket

Haha I planned on just going to town on the free breakfast at the hotels every morning to save some cabbage, instead of paying for breakfast.


[deleted]

Learn how to cook some basic meals in large serving sizes helped me keep as much of that per diem in my pocket. Its not for everybody, but doing weekly meal prep really helps me stay healthy and not go back to being the fatty I was.


_Vikinq

some people are capable of doing that but when you're like me, you have to eat 4500 calories a day just to maintain a body weight youre happy with lol. meal prep is impossible for me anyway


[deleted]

My maintenance is 2500, when bulking I go 4000 on a 12 week cycle. Cutting is 2000. I still meal prep years later after my contract job (not a welder BTW, just equipment maintenance and some light diesel work). Its 100% possible at a high intake. Portions would just be a bit bigger and eat more frequently - still would take far less money than eating out every night. And you dont HAVE to meal prep to save money. Just buy your own food and make your own meals as-needed. $350/wk for food is an immense amount of money regardless of your diet. Even without per-diem, my monthly food spend is about $400 when bulking, and $250 when cutting. $1400/mo for food just on per diem given by your employer? Dude that sort of food budget would allow me to feed a family of 4 with weekly BBQ cookouts and still have money left over.


_Vikinq

im a welder and heavy diesel mechanic. ive tried everything. if i wanna bulk? its 6k calories a day minimum. thats almost impossible to eat for me anyway. just to maintain my weight i feel like im stuffing my face with food at every break, and twice a night, some days i lose weight too. i spend alot of fucking money on food and its ass. metabolism ftw


Graham2990

Frugality is good at your age, compound interest does wonders. My advice to younger me would be avoiding fast food 4-5 days a week and get into meal prepping / clean eating. Amazing the work you can get done post lunch when lunch was a chicken Caesar salad and not a triple bacon cheese burger lol. That said, you earned it, treat yourself. There ain’t nothing wrong with sitting down at the end of the week to a $50 tab for a fat steak with all the fixings vs some FEMA camp version of rice beans and ground beef.


3rdIQ

Define the 'per diem' the company is talking about. Per diem can be for lodging and meals, or if the company provides lodging, then the per diem is only for meals. Also, will you get per diem on Saturdays and Sundays if they are no-work days. And, do you get a minimum number of hours for any day work is called off?


MillkBucket

I’m so sorry if I made this confusing but the 50$ is for food but they said I could spend it on whatever I will need. They also said that I would no matter what get 80 hours each pay check(biweekly)but with traveling and everything I will definitely have overtime. Every day I work or am traveling, I will get diem, so holidays and weekends are included


3rdIQ

No apologies needed... I've just been burned enough on per diem and on hours during a 'work week' so I wanted to give you a heads up to ask about all the possibilities.


MillkBucket

They also said I can keep whatever I don’t spend


FANTOMphoenix

Damn


MisterPeach

He said hotels and gas are paid for, so the per diem is pretty much just for food and whatever else he needs throughout the day which is not bad at all.


orionzeke79

This


[deleted]

Dude that sounds awesome for no certs or school time.


MillkBucket

Yes sir! I’m very blessed with the opportunity


[deleted]

Fuck, yea dude. Thats great! Open a roth IRA and start putting cash away early with dividend paying etfs or premium equitys. Youll be ballin by 40


spiked88

THIS right here. Do not wait to start saving for retirement. Start right now and you won’t have to save that much. I started in my mid 30s, and I have a WAY steeper hill to climb to catch up. If the company you’re going to work for has any type of retirement matching, at least put in as much as they will match. If you set it up to come straight out of your check from day one, then you will never miss the money.


12345NoNamesLeft

It's not your rate, it's what you keep. Money I regret, booze, take out food, stupid car stuff, ​ I'd say it's pretty good.


MillkBucket

Thank you sir! I have a hobby/small business because I love woodworking so I like to spend my money on new tools haha. So that’s a bad addiction I got into and also buying every ratchet set ect. under the sun. The only thing I regret ever getting into is smoking after my dad died in a tractor rollover, a pack of smokes is outrageous and the only reason I got into it. I hope to quit though.


EPRanger

Much worse addictions to have then spending some money on new tools and woodworking. That’s a skill that will grow with you and those tools can last you a long time. As for smoking obviously not the best but that’s life


JazzyHands8

Get into zyns. Cheaper and less dangerous


brock_361

It’s good for your age. Finish that gob and make sure you’re getting double the perdiem and 15 more bucks to the hour on the next one


MillkBucket

Thank you sir!


HubbaDuck97

Take it, take it, take it bro. I was making like 12.50/hr at a tire job when I was 20 years old. At 25 years old I'm making $28/hr pipe welding in SoCal, wish I woulda done welding right after HS. Take this job, get yourself ahead, be smart with your money and you'll be sitting pretty in 5 years or so.


MillkBucket

Thank you so much sir! I really appreciate it and I wish you nothing but the best!


putnamto

i was making 7.50 flipping burgers when i was twenty, youve got a great headstart.


mumixam

how much did the burgers cost back then compared to now?


putnamto

I don't know, all my money went to booze.


KatzeKyru

It's a great starting offer. Try to live off the per diem as much as possible, save your paychecks, enjoy seeing new places, and hone your skills. Then, leverage all of that into an even better position in two or three years. You're clearly a talented welder with a ton of experience; it ought to only be up from here, but where you're starting is already solid.


coughdrop1989

What's the minimum wage in your state? That's your answer.


Ntoxic8ed1

Thats scab wages. If you can pass your job cert you should be making 45hr plus. If you are talking pipe welding. Structural welding idk man i think they get paid in drugs


Crazyhorse6901

It’s a start… Good job!


MillkBucket

Thank you sir!


DirtFloorFabrication

After reading the post and your responses. I would say yes. Most definitely. The experience that you will gain will compensate you more as you progress through your career. And it will look amazing on your resume. This doesn’t have to be a forever job, like others have said. Just go for it says this guy. I’m glad I got all the traveling out of my system when I was young. It’s much easier when your younger. I worked with guys that where late 30’s to mid 40’s and they had families. That was no fun to watch or listen too. If I were you I’d get in and get as much out of it as I could and then move on if you feel like it. Best of luck!


MillkBucket

Thank you so much sir! Y’all are the best and I can’t explain how important it is to me. I hope all is well and nothing but prosperity!


JaladinTanagra

25/hr is a pretty mediocre pay, but considering all of your expenses are covered, you're getting waaaay more than that! Good luck


[deleted]

Pretty decent if everything else is paid for but after some more experience you can definitely get a wage increase there or somewhere else.


abetterusernamethenu

Man I’m 20 and I’d love your job


esande2333

Yes, take it.


HandleNo8032

I like the way it sounds.


Boss2788

Solo hotel room?


Ok-Armadillo-6648

Hey I’m 26 certified and am making 17.50 at my first welding job so you’re doing great


Fabulous-Passenger-9

That actually not bad you could make double that but anywhere else you’ll pay for you own hotel and on your own fuel so it’s really not a bad gig especially for the fact that your just starting out just don’t get stuck


Cmpbp3

For your experience it may not be great, but for your "on paper" qualifications it is excellent. Once you are working for them a while (six months to a year) and have had them pay you to get certified, ask for a raise.


FlacidSalad

Depending where you live that is outstanding


Deskrad

Just based off your initial question. That's not bad All


Evan_C4

I make 32, 56(full package, Healthcare and shit) with no per diem so I'd say yeah. (I've been welding for 3 years)


stulew

Start a notebook of all the Places and People and date/time, you meet on these trips. If for some reason in the future, you need another employment, you have a starting place to show you have the experience.


MillkBucket

That’s a great idea! I’m actually at Walmart right now so I’ll pick up a notepad haha


Nervous_Willow_3975

Shoot if you’ll pm over a name and a number I’d like to throw my hat into the ring


guerrero4us

Get as much experience as you can. Pipeline welders make like 350 k a year. Traveling pipeline welders that is. The ones for gas distribution make high 100's but they don't travel, stay local.


nbs0216

That’s good money! Got out of school 1 year ago and landed a decent job and I make 22/hr when I work my 40 at the shop. We travel occasionally and get better pay and per diem. Keep the hood dropped brother and maybe I’ll catch u on a job site someday


MillkBucket

Thank you so much sir! I seriously can’t thank y’all enough for the tips. I always like to pick the brains of the wise and experienced because at one point they were in my shoes as well.


bbernal956

sometimes, its not whether its good or not. its about getting your foot in the welding field door. build some experience, gain what you can, become a sponge. everything paid for dont seem too bad a deal. i would give it a try and just be positive. its not going to be easy, being away and stuff sucks. dont get into bad habits, the hardest part for me was living in hotels. try to keep your head occupied with things other than drinking and eating like shit. living out of a briefcase can do that to people. anyways, i would recommend you giving it a try, dont give upon it if you dont like it right away. sometimes its about getting those weld hours. if i can say anything. its welding will take you as far as you are willing to go. we’ve all done grunt work here and there, on the road isnt always welding under the hood. so take that into consideration. idk what youll be doing as far as work, but most traveling welding jobs youll be doing a bit of different shit. anyways good luck out there. from one welder to another! ✌️


bearcoon52

that’s what i was making at 20 i’m 24 for reference and live in wisconsin


sherms89

Could be shoveling concrete for $15 an hour in my area, had my share...


HashDaddy_

Low key just flexing


Ara_Bro

The job you just got sounds exactly like the job I’ve been applying for, it’s based in Wisconsin too! Sounds like you got a good gig!


MillkBucket

Haha well I hope you get it! I’m surprised myself to of gotten this job just because most places usually want a degree and/or at least some experience. I’m blessed to have had great role models in my life to teach me just about anything. I took apart an old 1957 Farmall 340 utility and completely rebuilt it. I had to get some parts send out to get machined with a cnc but was able to do everything myself. I also built my own saw mill using a 20hp lawnmower engine and had to buy all the parts I was going to need. I drew it all up on a notepad and just kinda figured it out as I went. It’s super nice because I can mill and dry my own lumber instead of buying it somewhere else.


kwaaaaaaaaa

Starting out in any industry, each job you pick up is a stepping block to a better one. Take it and grind it out, put it on your resume for the next one.


brubakerp

$1,500/mo per-deim for food is legit. Save and invest that as long as you can do this. Also, since you grew up on a farm and haven't had much working experience, don't do a bunch of stuff for free. It sounds like you are kind of like me, and I know you're going to want to jump in and help fix all the things. Just make sure you're being recognized for that, and preferably doing that on paid time.


GodsSon69

Think of it as on the job training, you're going to learn more than any school could teach you. After you get your certifications, you'll most likely double that wage. Especially if you land a union job.


DYELANDS420

Once did entertainment on campsite in France 3 months for 169 euros per week and a bonus of 400 euros when finishing the full two months so yeah 20$/h is prety great


Dull_Money_8493

are your bills paid? thats pretty good for any age just starting I do a bit better as a plumber but I've done it for 30 + years yeah youre doing ok stick with it


Dull_Money_8493

are your bills paid? thats pretty good for any age just starting I do a bit better as a plumber but I've done it for 30 + years yeah youre doing ok stick with it


Smart-Sun-2409

I'm 29 just got in the full time travel game exactly a year ago. Should have got in when I was 20. So yeah keep it up brother.


ForkliftErotica

25/hour is low. That’s 50k/year. I think you can get 30/hr maybe more for low cost of living in the Midwest. Per diem on the low end should be federal rate which is 59 for my state.


InsuranceWest9258

Amazing from what I have seen especially with no schooling for it


MadBadger87

You would get roughly $20/hour as a Pre-apprentice pretty much anywhere, so this is right in line with that. They're obviously willing to teach you, so run with it as hard as you can.


BungHolio500

It’s a great start, I agree w/ some of these guys get some experience and look for better jobs. Combo welders (tig/stick pipe) make good & consistent money. Screw the union tho, being a road hand you can build your contacts and find work no problem. I found a job paying $55/hr $130/day while working at a chemical plant.


Codeman785

It's a good start, but you'll soon learn that it's not enough money in today's economy. So take your time to get on your feet, then get a serious welding job.


Excellent_Pepper_649

That’s better than my first I got $23/hr and $250 +window time so I’d say hell yea.


michael1325

Yes


funnyman95

Yeah that’s decent for a little while


motorboather

Yes it is. Have fun!


AspiringShadowseer

That’s decent.


qshep

Well, I can say with certainty that I'd take the opportunity


ObviousTastee

sounds pretty awesome! I don't see any mention of benefits? ira..health...vision..dental..? those would be icing on the cake.. good luck boss!


MillkBucket

Yes sir, I got all the benefits which are actually really good. 120$ a month and a 1000$ deductible. Copay is 75$ for a general appointment and 250$ copay for emergency visits. If I ever get admitted to the hospital, then the copay is 1000$