Whether you’re just curious or you’re actually serious about finding a new career path, getting a job in the welding industry can be an incredibly smart move. To begin with, good welding schools are relatively cheaper compared to schooling for other careers with the same income.
Besides affordable schooling, welders are also paid extremely well. The median in 2018 for welders was a whopping $41,00, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With this information, it’s no wonder more people are turning towards welding as a future. We took the time to gather a list of the highest paying welding jobs in the world so you can see for yourself why a welding career is the right choice.
(Sources: www.payscale.com, www.bls.gov)
UNDERWATER WELDER SALARY & INFORMATION
Commercial Diving, or as its more commonly known, Underwater Welding, is a very unique and adventurous career when it comes to the welding industry. Your job as an underwater welder is essentially what it sounds like. While submerged underwater you’ll be spending your time inspecting, installing, and repairing pipelines and/or rigs. Usually, most underwater welders end up in the gas or oil industry.
Getting a job as a commercial diver can be very rewarding financially even if you’re just starting out in the industry. In 2018 the mean salary was $59,470 with the mean hourly wage being $28.59. Like with most jobs, the more experience you have the higher your salary would be. The top paid underwater welders earn around $108,000 with an hourly wage of $52.00. Even though underwater welders earn a high salary, they usually have to spend months at a time away from home.
If you want to pursue a career as an underwater welder you’ll need the appropriate education and certifications. You’ll need to be trained in not just welding but diving as well. Thankfully there are a lot of good underwater welding schools to obtain these specialized certificates and training.
PIPELINE WELDER SALARY & INFORMATION
Pipeline welders are some of the top paid welders in the industry. With job responsibilities being numerous, this job can also be quite demanding. You’ll most likely be away from home for weeks or months at a time since job locations can vary. Often times you may even be required to travel to other countries.
Even though this job can be quite demanding it pays very well. Pipeline Welders can earn on average between $64,000 and $70,000. Even with high pay, you won’t need as much school as an underwater welder would need. You’ll just need the appropriate training and the ability to travel abroad or to more remote areas.
WELDING SUPERVISOR SALARY & INFORMATION
The next job on our list is a Welding Supervisor. A welding supervisor is pretty much what you would expect it to be. They are basically in charge of overlooking the welding performance on the job they are at. Welding Supervisors are also responsible for supervising the overall project’s completion for their company.
With a lot of responsibilities, comes a high salary. The average Welding Supervisor can expect to have a salary of around $61,000 with an average hourly rate of $22.15. Welding Supervisors on the high end can also expect to have a salary of around $83,000 with an average hourly rate of $30 an hour. How much money you earn will depend on your experience, education, and the job you are working.
Getting a job as a Welding Supervisor can be a little difficult. You’ll need a lot of experience and knowledge if you want to pursue this as a career. You will need all the welding techniques, have the ability to oversee and hire staff, and the ability to handle big or small projects.
WELDING ENGINEER SALARY & INFORMATION
Welding Engineers are essentially trained welders with extra knowledge in science and math. They are the ones behind the scenes developing procedures for welders. As a Welding Engineer, you will be spending your time mostly training other welders instead of actually welding yourself. You will be training welders on new techniques, processes, improvements on their projects, and much more.
If you decide to become a Welding Engineer you can expect to be paid extremely well. In 2018 Welding Engineers had an average salary of $76,000 with an hourly rate of $27.44. The highest salary for welding engineers in 2018 was about $118,000 with an hourly rate of $57.76. As you can tell already, becoming a Welding Engineer can be a very smart career choice.
Since Welding Engineers are some of the highest-paid welders, it should be no surprise they require more education than a regular welder would. Entry-level positions will require a Bachelor’s Degree. You will also need a good bit of on the field training and experience. Welding Engineers will need to know the ins and outs of all the different welding processes, along with needing excellent problem-solving skills.
Joe Stephens
Joey has over 20 years of experience working in the welding industry and now works with providing readers with intensive reviews. Joey has also self-published an e-book and has written countless articles regarding welding information and safety.
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