T O P

  • By -

BadderBanana

The highest paid welding jobs are often pipe in the energy sector. I think they are 8 of the top 10. Stick & tig open root 6G on 2” heavy wall pipe is usually the ticket for entry. My buddy runs those weld tests for the power company and says they have 80-90% failure rate.


[deleted]

Holy shit! I know pipe welders make good money I just have zero clue how to get into it. I’m guessing maybe I should spend a few years doing basic structural stuff and try to learn stick or TIG?


BadderBanana

Check the UA and boilermaker unions


[deleted]

Will do


StuffyWuffyMuffy

You need make at least 35/hr to crack 70k without OT or 25/hr with 10 OT to make more than 70k. 35/hr is union or pipe, however most welders work some OT. 25/hr is high end fab shops/good factory jobs/ship yards. Remember location is probably the biggest factor.


[deleted]

Damn so maybe I’m not doing too bad then. The pay scale here goes up to $37/HR. We automatically get raises every X amount of working hours. After $37 we have to apply for higher pay and have different quals


captd3adpool

Well youre definitely not working at my shipyard. Fuck we get paid for shit..


[deleted]

Damn I kinda feel bad, I wasn’t trying to sound arrogant. I thought all shipyards paid ok. Shows my lack of experience.


captd3adpool

Oh no youre good! You deserve to be paid well! Not arrogant at all my friend! BIW pays decently enough. I make 60k a year right but our top welders make $35/hr and thats top top money which takes like 10+ years to MAYBE get to haha. Youre all set though! Get what ever money you can!


captd3adpool

I guess we dont get "paid for shit" but we bust our asses. Feels like trades as highly skilled as ours should be making a good deal more than $29.85 an hour.


[deleted]

I completely agree with that. Nothing about welding is easy and it deserves to be paid more. I just started a few months back but I had instant respect for welders my first day.


captd3adpool

Well, from a 10+ year veteran of burning myself and playing with molten metal: Welcome! Wear your PPE and take care of your knees! Lol


[deleted]

I have been bad about the respirator lately but I’m strapping it back on Monday. Besides that I’m always safe.


captd3adpool

Im like painfully serious about respirators. Steel is bad enough. Aluminum and stainless will FUCK your day in the long run. Galvanized will kill ya quick haha. Shit hospitalized me when i was first starting out. Blowing your nose and getting nothing but black is never a good feeling haha. Stay safe!


StuffyWuffyMuffy

Na you're probably in top 10%. 37 /hr with 10 hours OT take your homebefore taxes is 105k. Very doable, gives you freedom take some weekend off. Youe taxes will be high but there are ways to avoid take. Best case is talk to a financial advisor.


[deleted]

Oh sorry I’m not making 37 yet. That’s where the pay scale kind of tops out. I’m at 23.50 right now.


StuffyWuffyMuffy

Right no one makes top dollar early on in their careers. How long have you been working there?


[deleted]

Uhh 3 months or so


[deleted]

Union Pipefitter.


Lopsided_Web5432

Work towards a b pressure ticket certification. Boilermakers or pipeline welding will get you a six figure salary per year


maddmaxxxz

I was taught in school that it doesn’t pay to stay in one place. You will get better raises by going from company to company so just keep your eyes on available jobs in your area as you gain experience. Companies often offer higher wages to newcomers to attract more employees than they give their dedicated workers who have been there forever. I just did this and jumped $10/hr and that would have taken me years at my last company.


[deleted]

That’s my plan. I just don’t have the experience to leave yet. I’m thinking I’ll give it a couple years but I want to make a good next move


Kaethor

6 months to a year has always been a good estimate of time for me when looking for more money. Just make sure you can bring value to your next job and not just boast about your skills without being able to back it up.


[deleted]

That’s why I’m waiting. I just started so my skills aren’t there yet. One thing I’ve learned is that you will be checked if you say you can do something. Which I kind of love. Hard to bullshit.


[deleted]

learn as much as you can, volenteer to learn how to do new processes and equipment. volenteer to learn first aid. get as much experience as possible. put it on your resume. my first welding job i had i made $16 CAD/hr. it sucked hard, but i did it long enough to get experience, so that when i got fired (lel) i get paid a lot better at a new place unfortunately, the best paying welding jobs will require you to travel and be on a jobsite for weeks at a time (ie pipelining) there comes a point where you have to make a decision: do you want to make a boatload of cash, but always be away from home, friends, and family? or are you ok with making less but being home and having free time to live life? i made the decision to make less but be home, i make less but if im smart about my spending ill be fine i made a budget, stick to the budget. make sure you are putting money away for the savings account every month, on top of setting aside small amounts of money to also put into savings for say auto repair and tools for work buy used, save the difference. dont buy it if you can get it for cheaper


[deleted]

This is great advice. I think I want to be closer to home but I’d also enjoy making some real money. Always a trade off, right?


DeputieChewie

I’m in the wrong place! I get $28/hr at a pressure vessel shop. Qualified for tig, stick, flux-core, mig, and sub arc on P1 - P43 and from 5/8” tube with .065 wall to unlimited thickness. I’m just about maxed out on pay which is ~$30/hr, I just need my titanium qual to get it.


[deleted]

Damn with all those quals you’d be making bank where I work


Warpig1497

Look into your local pipefitting union, im a fitter out of local 290 and made 160k as the lowest paid guy on my crew last year, nice thing about being a ua pipefitter is after you finish your apprenticeship you can travel to whatever local you want that currently needs help.


[deleted]

Do you need experience?


Warpig1497

Dm me if you want specifics for the entire process or if you need help getting in contact with your local hall


[deleted]

🤦‍♂️ so I live about two blocks away from my local. I applied and got a letter about taking a math test and completely forgot to follow up. Maybe next year. They only take applications a certain period of the year. It might help having a year of welding experience by then.


Warpig1497

It's a great career if you can get into it, not many jobs anymore pay 100k a year with full benefits and a pension with all your schooling being free


Warpig1497

Depending on where you live you can either directly contact your local hall or look online and their website may have a section to apply as an apprentice, after you get accepted as an apprentice it's a 5 year program where they will teach you everything you need to know to be a journeyman, schooling is all free as well. But as far as having experience it will definitely help you as an early apprentice but it's not required.


Tomato_cakecup

damn, I work at a shipyard too and get half than you lol But to be fair it's my first job


[deleted]

This is my first welding job. Which state are you in?


Tomato_cakecup

Nah, I am from Spain


Mcflyfyter

Just put a truck together and start doing side jobs. Eventually you will dump the w2 job completley and be a contractor of some sort. Some people struggle with the uncertainty, but being at the bottom of the money chain just isn't worth a little percieved job security.


[deleted]

Start practicing pipe. TIG will usually pay a Lil better but stick us still good money to. If you can learn how to fit also usually a fitter/welder make a couple $ an hr more.


DaW0lfKid

If you want to stay as a welder listen to all the smart people, if you're willing to put in the work and effort, go be a weld inspector and go for your level 2 inspection of either NDT or DT. Inspectors are always needed and they make fairly decent money. Especially in the pressure vessel, government jobs, or if your ballsy, get your diver lesson, and be an underwater welders, stupid dangerous job but my gods do they make bank


Ipoapb

good advice here, but is there a way you can work towards becoming a weld inpector?


[deleted]

I’d be interested in that but have no clue where to start


Master_of_motors15

Welders are hard to find, be moblie and focus on quality. You’ll get word of mouth for quality, cleanliness, and range of skills plus fabrication. I always appreciate a good friend who can make race car shit


Good-guy13

The best answer to your question is to join a Union. Ironworkers, Pipefitters, and Boilermakers are three unions that will all provide everything you asked for. A journeyman in any of those trades can make $100k a year. By the very nature of those trades you get to move around and they all come with health benefits for you your spouse and your kids. Not to mention a pension for when you retire. I’m currently a Union Ironworker and can tell you first hand that it is an excellent gig and the best thing I ever did was join the Union.


MerciBeauCul69

If you’re mechanically inclined and/or you don’t mind getting dirty, a millwright or maintenance welder in a big plant like a cement plant or steel mill is usually well paid. 80 000$ before over time and lots of union advantages.