Great real life information. I’m a self employed welding contractor in the eastern US. 80% of my work is mobile (on site). I work six days a week, every week and do paperwork on Sunday after church. I’ve attempted to train two sons and a son-in-law to be a part of the business and one day take over so I could at least semi-retire. So far, all of them walked away because there are easier ways to make a living.
Nice! Owning a business is a hard way to make a living and definitely not for everyone. But in my opinion it has the biggest pay offs and is the most rewarding when done right.
Keep the faith, push on. There's openings for that work all day long. You will find a young man or woman to tackle those jobs. Look at hiring from a welding school. You may see turnover but they need to tell their prospective employers "I have 1-5 uears experience ". And they will be proficient.
Nobody on their death bed says "I wish they worked more overtime"... As soon as i started my business I made the same as I did before, but work half the hours.... Glad I get to see my family, drive my kids to school, take my dogs out for lunchtime walks ect....... now im not slowly dying at some shitty shop....
This is what kids need to hear before committing to any endeavors in life from someone on the field. Several of the welders have been excellent advisors for newbys looking at the field as employment. A class no one teaches in school on how much reward you get for the direction you choose. It would save students a lot of grief from college tuiton debt the rest of one's life.
Thanks! I got a lot of good experience at a really young age and just stepped back and observed how everyone around me lived. You start noticing pretty quickly what decisions make people live better or ruin lives.
Been doing this since 2013. First 5 years was for a company at a shipyard. I told my wife imma quit after 5 years experience and we will hit the road and that’s exactly what we did. He’s right about traveling, it sux. Your best bet is work for the union or a local contractor. I prefer a contractor for the shipyard since they offer per diem and the contract lasts longer than 3 weeks. I’ve been averaging 60 year for the 1st 5 years. I’ve been averaging over 100k after deductions for the past 4 years. It all depends on what you choose. I choose the best pay while other would choose the comfortability( fab shop). Tbh I will never work for a company ever again. Good luck with y’all’s journey.
This is the kind of honestly we needed, I wanted a career change and tried an office job which I couldn't stand. I was so used to working 12 hour days on my feet all day that sitting down for 8 hours a day drove me nuts. I saw clips of welders glorifying their jobs so I hit up local schools which of course told me how amazing it will be. I spent the next few months doing research and talking to actual welders. I found that welders worked insane hours, get frequently injured on the job, develop health problems, be away from home if you want make real money. The one that did it for me was a guy who started off at $16 and after 5 years he's just now making $25. Even contractors don't make that much apparently unless they're putting in insane hours as well. I'm glad I took several months to research because I almost signed up for a school for $20k. Looking back, the office job wasn't so bad and paid pretty well. I'm currently in the process for signing up for Cyber Security.
I’m a 16 year Union Boilermaker and 18 year welder. I was in amazing shape when I first started. Now I have asthma, 3 bulged discs, neuropathy in my left leg, and overweight. I’m also getting out in a couple of years to start doing Cyber Security. Computers were my first passion. We make great money as traveling Union Boilermakers, but it has taken its toll on me mentally and physically. A year ago I got my certifications through CompTIA for A+, Network+, Security+, and Cisco CCNA. I’m going for a bachelor’s in Computer Science in the next couple of years. I’m just going to use my Boilermaker money to pay off all my bills, finish renovating our house where we are living now, and then sell it and move so I can start school where we are going to eventually build our forever home. Good luck out there and you made the right choice.
@@LeadRakFPS Wow thanks for sharing your experience and I'm sorry you're in rough shape now, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I was almost bamboozled into the welding field. I'm working at a machine shop currently. I started off in the shipping department, but took initiative to mess with the machines when it was slow. I got promoted to a machinist trained on the most difficult machine. I went from $14 to $22 an hour within that same year AND I get to work under AC. To put in 50-60 hours a week for 5 years to make the same amount is just ridiculous to me. I'm starting an online Cyber Security class in a few months and hopefully get as far as you. Computers were my original passion too, but back then you needed a degree for that field which I couldn't afford at the time. Nowadays you don't need a degree as long as you can prove that you know what you're doing and are certified from a credible source.
i have been in the welding business for 40 years , i still own a custom fab shop in south Florida , my advise to someone wanting to get into this business , get into sales , breath fresh air , you wont have to sweat your balls off.... and you will if you choose this path , this is a hard trade that takes years to learn that is so under appreciated . just my opinion from driving down this road for 40 years , if this is your dream or passion like it was mine , good luck
I agree, welding is very unappreciated and this needs to change. It’s not easy to learn all three hand welding processes, it’s even more difficult to be good at all three. On top of that, there is so much knowledge needed, it’s dangerous on multiple levels, and it very hard work.
awesome vid. My pops is a welder/fitter i ended up joining Local 183 as a formwork carpenter and its been almost 8 years now. I found out that my union actually offered a night course for welding and ended up taking it. I just took the plate test using stick and now Im just waiting on the results. This is gonna be the most delayed fathers day gift but hopefully its worth it.
I remember being at Lincoln Electric welding school in Cleveland, OH. Someone from the Boilermakers union came in to do a talk. He said they could find all kinds of guys wanting to get into the field, but none of them could pass a piss test! lol This video pretty much sums up the life. Like you said, finding the work/life balance is very important! Good job!
I’m a lead mechanic at an industrial wastewater treatment plant. I do most of the in-house welding there. Anything I can’t do, I hire out to a “good ol’ boy” that has a shop right down the street. He’s a good guy with a mobile rig. I noticed he’s always got different guys working for him so I asked him about it. He told me that he can’t keep guys because they don’t want to work or are always on their phones, on drugs, or hungover. He told me he was looking for young guys to hire that literally had no experience, and he’d teach them for $18 per hour (that’s not bad in my area for starting.) He said, basically, that out of the guys that applied 75% didn’t even have a drivers license.
@@jhitt79 that's the main reason this country is in serious trouble --- all the Boomers are retiring and the Gen X'ers are getting into their 60's --- the Millenials and Zoomers don't want to work and make a decent wage --- most of them can't pass a drug test because smokin' weed is more important than making money
At 25 years old I just enrolled in a very reputable welding school. I’ve always loved to be productive with my hands and I’ve always been fascinated by the properties of metal at 12 years old I used to melt Aluminum cans and turn them into ingots with sand molds. I’ve always loved fire and metal for some reason, I enroll in this school simply because I though that welding was a good skill to have however upon further research I see that this is actually a legit career and I’m thinking about switching careers.
hey I'm also 25 and not really sure what career path to take. really want to get a certification in somthing like welding, but I'd also have to work full time while doing it. are you able to do that? what has your process been like? does it cost alot?
@@trevor4175 Hey man I’ll gladly answer your questions, it is a bit costly I won’t lie to you, just the certification alone set me back around $950 without taking into account materials and the equipment, as for work this is a full time job with a lot of overtime so unfortunately on my case I wouldn’t have enough time to work 2 jobs but for the CERTIFICATION I was able to get it easily while working on something else since class was only on Saturdays for 4 straight hours I’m sure you can get it while still working but once you get the certification thats another story. They pay well but it really depends on where you work and the type of work you’re doing. Pipe fitters pay a lot more than structural for example. I heard stainless steel and aluminum work is very hot these days and it pays well. As for the quality of work it’s grueling very very hot and uncomfortable most of the time and if you come from an office setting it will take some adapting before you feel at home, there’s also a lot of risk of injury even when you take the appropriate precautions. I don’t mind any of that and as I said in my previous comment I’ve always loved fire and metal kinda suits me as I’m rough around the edges so it all depends. This type of job I would only recommend it if you really like it and if you’re into it otherwise I wouldn’t on the upside though there’s always work available and people always looking for welders so I don’t think you’ll have much trouble finding work as soon as you get your certification. So yeah that’s about it bro, best of wishes man.
@@trevor4175 Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs TV show was on an episode with Theo Von on his podcast called THIS PAST WEEKEND , talking about giving out scholarship money for people who want to learn the trade and that includes paying for people to get certification to be a welder . I think he talks about it at about 49 minutes in the program .
@strozierkid I've thought really hard about it and decided going the electrician route is best for me. it's simular to welding in that they give a full time job while your doing your apprenticeship. there are alot of grants and scholarships for the trades so I'm likely going to get a full ride through the kansas promise act scholarship. (I live in kansas) I'm much less stressed than I was when I first commented here because I realized alot of people don't get into their careers before 25 and it's not as unobtainable as you think. as long as you show up to work and have a good attitude and willing to learn, they will teach you and you will be great. you'll find your path bro, its there if you want it!
I’m starting out in a shop in a few weeks. Boss said I’ll be helping with shop stuff, minor work until I get practice. Kinda cool I stumbled upon this he just said I need you to show the fawk up and work! I really see myself getting into heavy equipment welding and learning with this opportunity. Like you said not many people get opportunities to get into a shop willing to work with you. 🙏🏽
I got into a shop that makes 18 wheelers or more like the beds. I was a Burn table hand for about 8 days then promoted on day 9 to a position I can’t pronounce but it’s the smaller burn table. No table hand just me and the burner and a table that does all the work. Only thing is getting use to an over head crane and controls while not plowing into the shop owners above ya! Hey nobody died, was paid 975$ my first and only week! I’m basically paid to workout and hydrate! Pay me to workout fellas!!! Easy money follow rules, show up early and ready to work. Can’t believe I’m making 17 doing this 🦾
My first job was building trailers for elite trailers I caught ALL the shit I was a self taught kid pretending to be a welder and I was only 16 but you grow two things 1. Thick skin. 2. A decent tool collection both knowledgeable and physical tools. Then you’re in your way to a career. Then I got a job for a decent sized fab company and that’s where my skill came in learned a lot fro the college kids and the old farts (respectfully) then took off. Good luck bud 🫡
@@J86_918 I bought the boys lunch yesterday. Only 3 of us worked this wknd, I run the Bystronic table. I work with Amuminum, Stainless, Food grade, and 1/4” - 3/16” A36 metal material. Learning as much as I can even when I don’t ask for the help. I been using the help button a lot on the machine it’s in Swedish. Took plenty of notes and random notes and it’s paid off. I’ve gotten better at a lot of things and now have my forklift training test tomorrow. I have a test on the small fork and the big one that carry’s the plates off. That’s awesome man I appreciate all the advice as well and yes awesome career change for me.
I’ve been a welder for a little over a year at 18 I started at 17 when I dropped out of high school my junior year I’ve worked in 2 different fab shops the first shop I worked at I built truck beds at 15 an hour (that’s really bad for welder/fitters) for about 11 months then I got in with a bigger company starting out at 16 but after my probation period I make 22 at 18 my job caps out at 25 as a welder with benefits at 18 I think that’s a decent pay I’m working 60 hours a week bringing home about 1,100 after taxes the work is hard but I started out in a grocery store and decided I wanted to pick up a trade so I made the decision to quit school to make money( I’ve seen that there are some things that diploma would have came in handy stay in school kids!) im currently about to buy a truck and my own machine so I can start running my own side jobs and potentially my own company in the next 10 years it’s a lot of work and it’s tiresome and it can be a stressful job but I’ll tell you what I have a plan for my cuter family and even my current one if you have a goal and can get into that line of work, DO IT it’s worth it in my opinion
Sounds liked it worked out pretty good for you! I like how your waiting to start your own business, that's the way to do it. So many people think they can start their own welding company after two years of experience or fresh out of welding school. All welding business owners will tell you that you need 5 years/10,000 hours in the kind of work that your going to be doing before you start your own business.
Sounds like you got it figured out. The pay increase will come with experience. You should get you GED, that’s what I did, it will just look good if/when you get tired of where your at in a few years and your experience will get you more money. Like the idea of your own business That GED will come on handy because I would definitely recommend taking a business/ accounting class so you get the tax side figured out. Good luck buddy
I wish more people would think like that. Most welders I work with barely ever wear a respirator even though the companys we work for provide them for free.
as someone who is used to working about 60 hrs a week since we only had 1 day off, only working 40 hrs a week is a dream. Also, overtime is goooooooood money
Yes it is, we are always on OT and last November December we went down to 40 because we were slow and it literally felt like a part time job. It’s was great but my wallet definitely felt the difference.
I’m 27, just graduated from college for welding and fabrication. I’ve been trying to get into the boilermaker union too. Tested in like march and nerves got the best of me so I’m testing again soon and hopefully I’ll get in this time
Keep the reason why you want the job in mind. Have faith and believe in your process. Trust God to help you through this situation. I pray for your success🙏🏽
Boiler makers and pipe fitters is where it's at if you can land a mantinance contract job at a refinery, mill, or power plant. Especially if it's a nuke plant. Luckily I live in the industrial heart of the USA so there are buttloads of 6 figure jobs out there.
I’m in the food industry doing industrial ovens and chillers and the maintenance guys at those plants like Tyson, Kraft, ect. Make really good money. Ammonia, steam, ect If I ever want to get out of the shop that’s probably where I’ll go. Definitely no shortage of work out there…
This video was about some real shit and honestly I respect you for that. I was a travel non union electrician and I did it for about a year and when I first got in people would tell me “don’t stay get out within your first year, go union” and It was like yeah that’s the goal but I didn’t understand why till I was in long enough to realize you’re never home to even just do your personal stuff like dr’s appointments etc. Things are constantly changing so it’s tough to get into a routine. Hotels are different with different things some better, some worse and the drug and alcohol use is thru the roof with the guys at all the different job sites. Not judging them. It just subconsciously affects them from progressing and I feel like some don’t even realize. Then the pay raises start happening and then you get stuck and that’s what they were talking about mostly. I’m not a very disciplined person but I reflect a lot and all of the stuff we had to go thru is tough to try and do other things like study or progress in life with out being super disciplined. Cause some days you only have those 4 hours sometimes less depending on how far you have to travel back home and to get everything you need done (if you want 7-8 hours of sleep. Or sometimes you’ll do a 10 or 12hr shift and it’s rough. Over nights then switch to mornings like it’s a lot to take on. Obviously depends on company and you personally but man that shit is no joke and I respect everyone who does it. I chose to leave once I realized that because I’d rather be in something long term and worth sacrificing all that for cause it’s actually worth it. Hope this gave insight to anyone. Great video.
Great video. Hello everyone. I am also a welder. Opened up a business post military, post Open-Heart surgery. I used most of my Seps pay on a garage setup. Multi-process Welder, some grinders, a plasma cutter, air compressor.... the list goes on. What can I say, Full send kinda guy. I Started up with youtube University and phoning a friend when I was confused. I concentrated on TIG first because word on the street was IT paid well. Mild steel, aluminum, and stainless check-mate. Enrolled in a Welding school to learn the other processes. Gain the knowledge and network with my people. Started welding school September 2023. Oxyfuel, SMAW, GMAW (85%) then moving to structural. Can I get a Heck Yeaaahhh!!!! I read the comments, all so positive. Respecting the grind. Staying in the grind. Ohhhhh and I have done some jobs already cutting steel targets for a hunting course. So!!! Things are looking Fluxing amazing. Thank you everyone for your time.
took me 1 year welding to make 25/hr. then it took 8 years after that to get to over 30/hr. I went into a leadership position and thats the only way I started making even more money. all this way in commercial construction. Just like mentioned in the video, the only way you are making alot of money welding is by traveling all the time or creating your own business
I'm a union boilermaker in Canada and the company's provide literally every tool but your work boots. Yeah you can make great money running a rig just about anywhere but the majority of welders do not run a rig.
@JTwelder I am currently a mobile rig welder but in the process of building my own shop so I can be close to home for all the people out there yes there's great money in rig or pipeline welding but you make a lot of sacrifices
My big concern was flashbacks and getting blown up. Once you start learning, you quickly discover that most of your fears are unsupported. Like @duyle25 said, adequate ventilation (natural or forced) is key, and it's mandatory in any responsible environment. After running my first GMAW stringer, I was hooked. Give it a go!
@@ShawnL-nr5nt understandable, but I'm an aircraft mechanic in the military right now and literally everything I touch to try and fix jets tries to kill me or give me aggressive cancer so that's why I'm concerned 😂 especially because it's so unavoidable for us
Welded 16yrs on bridges, was a foreman for 10yrs of it. Shoulder reconstruction, back surgery and spinal stenosis. Never missed a day of work in my life until injury. Hated every fucking moment of it. I’m only 36
Do you feel you put in extra effort in taking care of your body ? Nutrition, exercising ? Or just pushing your body and never recovering ? Sorry what you’re going through just wondering before I get into this life
It was just the constant heavy loads of angle iron while walking small beams, dragging lead. Then being crouched on these beams all day everyday, my spine pretty much pushed L4 out. The shoulder was from banging angle to fit concrete girders. Those are always shitty.
another con i would add is the additional risk of electrocution. getting shocked doesn't happen often, and when it does it's usually only a couple amps. however, all it takes is a bit of stupidity or complacency to instantly end your life from electrocution, especially during heavy rain/wet conditions, or heavy sweating
Pay is good if you’re good and versatile. Lungs and eyes are going to suffer in the long run. Be a millwright. Easily 150k plus. Basically an industrial handyman. Jack of all trades but you have to be a good jack of all trades.
I work security at Aerojet rocketdyne and seen that they were having internships for wielding. Now welding was never been my passion and didn't really understand it till then but I think this would be a great way to solidify my spot into the company, I just want to how demanding the job can really be. I'm the type of guy who wants to just go to work make his check and go home, if anybody can give me more insight on what its actually like being a welder would be greatly appreciated
You should check out your local technical college and sign up for the welding class. I never did it but it would get you some experience with different types of welding and tools we use. That little bit of experience would help. Good luck buddy
What steps would I have to take in order to get into big oil company like Shell, ExxonMobil or Chevron? Just go to welding school, get a certificate, apply directly, take their test & boom?
Subscribed, great video! All the "kids" at school think they're gonna be making 6 figures right after school. 🤣 Fact is, most welders don't make over $50k a year. The other problem is the young welders think that's all they'll be doing is welding when in fact they'll be doing lots of labor in addition to welding. Unless you happen to work in just an assembly welding shop squeezing a mig gun trigger in which case youre gonna make the least amount of $
el paso tx is acting very secretive about how much they pay. theyre paying about $17-$22per hour. then theres a company called JOBE, and they wouldnt say how much the welders are being paid.
On the road welder myself doing a sawmill rebuild up in northern Wisconsin rn. At the age of 23 I love this life but one day I'll take to the shop life more
Nice man, Thanks for watching! If it's possible try to figure out a way to get your apprenticeship hours to count towards the welders red seal. 128s psw program only gets you a cfq which is basically useless and the boilermaker apprenticeship gets you a boilermaker red seal which is also useless outside of the union. The welders redseal is recognized all over Canada and it's by far better to have over the cfq or boilermaker redseal.
Hey, Is it too late to start learning welding at 32? I've developed an interest in working with my hands, and welding seems like a useful and fascinating skill to acquire. How do you know if welding is the right fit for you? I'm exploring new paths in life that give me satisfaction and fulfillment. I don't feel like I belong in the corporate world, and I dream of building a DIY motorbike. I believe welding could be a useful tool for that and potentially help me earn an income. Any advice or thoughts on this journey would be appreciated!",
I would go out and buy a cheap multi process welder and start trying it out and learning on scrap metal. It's never too late to learn and it's a useful skill to have. If you like it then at 32 it's not to late to look into a career of welding either. I've worked with 40 year old 1st year apprentices before so it's not uncommon to get into it later in life.
It is never too late to learn. By all means, find a way to attend "Western Welding Academy " in Wyoming. Their 6 months course, "Profesional Welder," covers all aspects of welding. Recently voted #1 Welding school in the world. You can do it. At age 32, my wife and I packed up everything and moved to Tulsa Oklahoma to attend aviation school. Where there is a will, there is a way You will not regret this short-lived 6 months.
Any tips on getting an entry level job?? Literally applying to anything gives me no response back or they are asking for insane requirements. How do you get your foot in the door?
The best way to get a job in my mind is show up to the company in person with a resume and ask to talk to a manager or someone in charge for ten minutes. Don't just say your applying for a job but ask questions about the company and the type of work they do (aka don't make the conversation all about you). Also if it's possible ask for a tour of their shop, yard or fleet of work trucks. In person connection is and always will be the best way of connecting with people.
I did a install in Malaysia for a month, We use local guys for jobs out of country. We build and install industrial ovens and chillers so it’s all Stainless. Out of the 10 local guys I got only 2 guys could weld and only one was good. These guys don’t have hoods so the did blink welding, Tig blink welding. I brought my hood and taught them how to use it. I tried blink welding and could do it decent by the end, definitely need sunblock for my eyelids. I had those 2 guy’s purge welding by the end of the job. These guys were only making 1200 “ringget” = about $400 us a month. Definitely a cool experience They didn’t use lasers but a water level which was just a really long clear plastic hose with water in it so you could keep grade around corners.
#1 is correct . we put out an add for welders for our factory and got a ton of resume's . the going rate here is 26 / hr but we are a cheap to live city.
Hi , i've workerd as a carpenter and a mechanic assembler , i really like tig welding and i'm thinking of start a welding career but i'm really worried about the long term health desease , do you think that if i weld wearing respirator and using a fume extractors it can be completely safe for my health ? ( I dont want to end up with cancer cause of my work )
Definitely wear a respirator. On top of Tig welding specialize in mechanics and electrical. You won't just be welding all the time. If you want to make real money become well rounded. Also, learn how to weld pipe that's where the money's at.
Industrial construction work comes and goes in waves so there’s times when they need workers like crazy and then one year later there’s no work and a ton of trades people are unemployed. In the next 20 years there’s a lot of trades people retiring so theoretically they’re saying North America is going to be severely low on trades people in the coming years. I’ll give you a example of how up and down the hiring market can be. In 2020-2022 the boilermakers union in my area was taking in a average of 125 apprentices per year. This year they only took in about 50 apprentices which is a 60% drop in hiring. This was due to there being less work this year in my area.
@JTwelder. Gotcha! Department of labor stats says most welders are 55, so the trend will be hiring soon. Do you think it will favor hiring in about 2 years?
@@lostinthisworld1872They will definitely be hiring. How much work there will be depends on location. If your in a growing city there will be more work. There is always shop work, we have had a hiring welders sign outside for 5 years.
Welding is just a high demand job. Are there a lot of welders out there yes but there are also a lot of welding jobs out there. Welders are needed everywhere for almost everything
Genuine question..is there by chance any sexist things about welding because I’m a female, I’m from the Midwest, did Welding in AG in High school fell in love with it, my uncle did welding which also added to my love for it. However I’m quite curious to know if They’ll choose Men Over women? Could be a stupid question..
I’m a welder I do 6 x 12 or 72hrs a week. I repair steel trash containers for the waste company here in the city. Really good job and blessed to be learning. Not a lot of technical welding like reading blueprints and X-ray inspection welds lol nonetheless it’s fun to fix them and modify them to my liking.
Sometimes just fixing stuff your way and getting it done is much more fun and rewarding than doing X-ray welds! I haven’t done any X-ray welding since I started my own business and gotta say I don’t miss it.
I work for a garbage company repairing roll offs. Good pay and overtime is there. Stank ass job but hey way better than having a 22 year old engineer trying to boss me around lol. Keep up the good work Mario
I would only get a truck with a welding rig so i can take people who dont have transportation to and from the site. With their equipment in the back too. And did yall know a 2023 f650 starts at ~70,000$?!
There are lots of variables as to how much money you can make as a welder, for example, if you get on with a company and stay busy, if you don't, then you don't get a check every week.
Hi, I have a question! I am 35yrs old and I was looking to see if I can start a career in welding but honestly I have never pictured myself doing it and the only reason I’m looking in to it, is because my brother started his own welding business and because I have heard and seen that welders can make really good money, but I don’t see myself doing this for the rest of my life, specifically with all the hard work and health problems that I can get! Is this a good idea to do it or is going to be a nightmare for someone like me!? By the way, I have never done a trade job and I have only work for 2 months as a carpenter and when I was a kid, I help my dad with some construction at home but that’s all the experience I have! Hope someone can help make this decision because is a pivotal point in my life!
Find a course at a local trade school that you can see yourself truly enjoying doing. Welding is just welding it pays but it does take a long time to get good enough to make real money. Learn how to turn wrenches and wiring. You need multiple skills to succeed in this field.
So after you get highly skilled doing many kinds of work, are welders able to charge more based on their ability? I’ve seen some welders say they can make 100, 100 plus an hour doing maintenance.
Yep it’s definitely possible to make 6 figures as a welder. You just have to be in the right industry like oil&gas or nuclear energy. Sometimes skill will get you new opportunities, other times people get opportunities just because of their connections with people they know.
Glad you liked it! I was fortunate enough to gain a ton of knowledge about careers on welding at a young age. I love to pass the information on to other people because I found there’s not many sources on the internet.
I started welding school and my plan is to have a job in town in a fab shop or something but I want to see if the money would still be good , I live in Texas any advice ?
2:50 he's 100% right is have been welding for 10 years and never made more then $20 a hour. I'm aws certified in mig tig and stick. Indeed, the glass door app has all welded/fabrication job listing's if you want to make 100k up good luck that's all word of mouth you need to know someone who can put you on. And you jump from state to state. When your done with that job you go on unemployment and wait for the boss to say hey be at some random state at 4 in the morning ready to work
Modern respirators are actually pretty good now as long as you wear it all the time (welding, grinding, cutting and gouging) you can go a whole career without ever having lung issues. Most welders die from illness related to their life style opposed to the actual work. Smoking, Alcohol, hard drugs and a garbage diet is far worse than welding fumes.
apply test and plan for the rest you make it or you don’t… welding is a skill and trade but in most union trades it’s a skill to have in your belt there is much more than just welding… can you read prints can you measure and cut can you think on your feet and make decisions on the fly that work the first time (hopefully)? mechanical aptitude is a bigger or biggest plus to have for all the trades
Most realistic video about careers in welding. All these guys getting into thing theyre gonna instantly make 100k. Probably because thats what tiktok and instagram tell them. Honestly, atleast where im from welding jobs are SLIM pickings, youll be lucky if you make over 60k.
@@Spartan-bl4pq Nice! If your completely new to welding the #1 tip give everybody is to make sure your changing the clear protective lenses in you welding helmet before they start getting really hard to see through. When you’re learning to weld you really need a nice clear view of the molten puddle to understand how it moves and what its looks like when you manipulate it. If you let your lenses get scratched up/ dirty when you’re learning you can see the puddle properly and it will make it much harder to understand what’s going. This will really slow down your leaning progress and make welding much harder to learn. Once you have around 3+ years of welding under your belt you can change out your lenses a bit less often because you’ll have a understanding of what the puddle is doing without having to see it super clearly
hey good info here thanks for posting. Im 37 years old, do you think its too late to get into this field? Sounds like the good welders all started out of high school. I went to college and worked in several jobs but im looking into trades now seeing the pay is even better.
It’s 37 isn’t bad at all. I’ve worked with quite a few apprentices that were in Their 40s. Just remember that the good money in welding only comes with lots of hours and travel. Almost no welders that work 40 hours a week within commuting distance of their residence make good money.
@JTwelder. Hey thanks for the quick reply. It seems like the kind of job you don't get into unless your passionate about also because it is dangerous. You can't just half ass it. And like you said if you want to work 40 hr weeks close to home the money is t there anyway.
It's like any other career, it *can* pay. Location, union, work type, certs, etc. Plenty of welders don't make shit, plenty do very well. Just changing locations can swing you $30k/year for the same job.
I'm 22 and will be getting out of school soon. I know I'm probably going to be working like a dog for some years, but my goal is to get to a point where i can have a life apart from work. Travel, spend time with friends and family, go to church. And get good sleep. Is that a pipe dream (no pun intended lol) or a possibility?
That is totally possible!!! Work yourself to the bone for about 5-6 years live modestly and don’t buy stupid stuff like expensive trucks, cars, boats and off road toys. Save up your money and invest it as you work. You’ll end up with a really nice relief fund the you can take months of work eventually every year.
I have been thinking about going into welding so I know I will always have a job. The economy could collapse and I would still have a job. I’d love to work on aerospace. But I do want to start off in a shop for experience! If any of you guys have tips let me know!!
That is the right mentality! Once you become a skilled Tradesperson, no one can take away your knowledge! If a company does not want you, you can always still go to work and feed your family. I started out in a factory job after high school and made decent money. I always knew that the industry could collapse at any time and I could be out of a job! It paid off and I retired from my trade after 40+ years. I was never out of a job after the first couple of years as an Apprentice.
@@thebeardedstork432which trade where you in? Boiler, pipe / steam fitters, iron workers? I’ve been thinking about getting out of the shop, and joining a real union but having trouble deciding which one??? Thanks.
With out any experience you most likely have to start as a laborer in a shop, just let them know you want to learn how to weld, always take the extra OT when they need help and keep that same attitude and you’ll go far. Some places have welding school programs. I would suggest a welding class at your local Tec school, to learn the basics. That would also help you get in a shop. The apprentice programs with most welding unions would be a good way go. It’s usually a 4 to 5 year program and you will be making really good money once you make journeyman.
Just ran into your video. Good to see you wanting to give back. Good to see you stuck it threw and became a journeyman. What local ? Im from 647 MN Stay safe Brother, keep learning and applying your new skill set.
Yeah I became journeyman in local 128 Ontario. I own a rig welding company now though so I no longer take any calls from the hall but I still have my membership.
It's interesting that Local 128 allows you to keep your membership when you don't take calls from them. I guess as long as you pay your dues, you are in good standing? I never worked for what is called a "Hiring hall" union. We always worked for a contractor. We found our own jobs, but the contractor was signatory to the union. You could not work non-union or for yourself without being an Owner / Operator and paying the appropriate fees (expensive). Most guys found it too expensive when they first go on their own, so the union loses a lot of skilled workers. Your way sounds a lot better. BTW, congratulations on becoming a Journeyman!
I've worked with apprentices older that you so I wouldn't worry about it! As long as you have a open mind and are willing to learn it's never to late to start a trade.
Underwater offshore welding and high altitude, high risk toxic/hazardous material project work is where the money is but requiring extensive training and certification but it's also where your life expectancy is quite low. But yea as a self taught welder in a garage in bumfracknoware you can make a living wage but won't make any big money as a welder.
I see a weird trend here in the USA, that people go to school, learn a trade and then cant find a job and have to pay tens of thousands of dollars in student debt. What is going on? why they say is in high demand if they are not willing to train new hires anymore?
I see the exact thing you’re talking about all the time! Thanks for pointing this out, I really should make a whole video on this. Here’s some quick reason why without writing a book for a reply. 1. Students come out of colleges cocky and entitled making them extremely hard to train on the job 2. The younger generation absolutely sucks at finding work. They say they try to get jobs but in reality all they do is send out their resume by email and expect the jobs to roll in. 3. Construction comes and goes in waves. Sometimes they need hundreds of thousands of people then 8 months later companies are laying off 60% of their workforce as they wait for the next bid. 4. Construction companies are absolutely horrible at advertising job openings. 5. Unions own a lot of the work in certain areas. They prefer to train and school new members themselves opposed to taking in college graduates.
How about women in this workplace? My daughter is interested, but I , as the mom, disapprove. What are opportunities for women as welders? Money is important, but doing sth she loves is more important as long as she has a job. Thnx
@@mtanis4 It is currently the best time so far for women to get into welding. Big companies and unions are trying to diversify their workforce and hire any woman that applies. Pretty much every union has a program to get women into the trade. She could easily walk into any union hall to drop off a resume and walk out with an apprenticeship. So if she is interested there’s so much opportunity. Most of the large companies I work around offer women higher starting wages, offer more supervision opportunities, flexible about giving time off to women and in most cases will buy women welders better ppe and equipment. That being said because of the big corporate side of industry giving all these opportunities to women instead of treating everyone equally there is a lot of resentment towards women welders from the rest of the male workforce. But as long as she works hard and is good at the job she won’t have resentment towards her from other welders. The only time I see women fail in the welding industry is if they fall into a job because of a friend or family member’s connections but they actually have no interest in it and are just there for the pay check. Fortunately that sounds like the opposite of your daughter so I’m sure if she becomes a welder there’s no doubt that she’ll have a good career!
New construction is the best work in the skilled trades. Stay away from maintenance work and outages. Always last minute emergencies that you'll get roped into at the end of shift. Filthy, hot, and noisy conditions with maintenance work.
Your right new construction is always the best! The only problem with it is a lot of new projects are only 40 hour weeks so there not always huge money makers. Outages and shut downs are always big money and if you can hit enough of them in a row you can make a ton of coin! Depending on what your priorities in life are at the time either type of job could be good.
Did not hear anything about union aspects of many of the large company welding jobs, eg boilermakers will almost always be union, construction steel on large jobs ditto. If you are in the union then this will facilitate getting jobs for some projects, but not others. He mentions pipe fitters, which will also be union only. Unions can be good or so-so or bad depending......
It might be all union where you live but theres people from all over the world watching this video. So where I live there is a non union side to every trade including boilermakers and pipefitters. It would take a whole other video to explain the pros and cons of union vs non union so that's why I didn't get into it.
40 hours a week? Not sure who you guys are working for. I worked 72 hours a week for 3 years, It wasn’t worth it, plus job get dull pretty quickly. Everyone is different, but don’t get caught up in hype, job will be difficult and extremely challenging at times.
So your getting all your information from your one 3 year experience. Just because that's the way it was for you doesn't mean the rest of the world is like that. There's a ton of welding and production shops that only run 40 hour weeks. Where I live union construction is mostly all 4 ten hour shifts a week. Storage tank welders also mostly do 40 hours a week, plant maintenance welders are often on a 40 hour a week schedule. Your hours of work all depend on which company you work for and what situation you put yourself in.
Hi Jacob. I’ve been a full-time pastor for the past 12 years and am looking to leave vocational ministry and begin a new career. I’m 46 years old. I am very interested in a welding career. I currently live in Asheville, NC but am seriously considering relocating to Charleston, SC. On the coast. How would you suggest I go about learning to weld, gain experience, etc. in that area? Are there specific types of welding you would suggest I pursue in a coastal region? Thank you so much Jacob.
I would start by looking into welding courses offered by private welding schools that aren't part of a college. they'll have a variety of courses and know what type of work in in demand in the area.
Im in hendersonville,nc and been a welder/fabricator for 30 plus yrs here in fab shops and last 16 in aerospace.A good community college program,and focus on tig and stick welding.Learn mig but mainly setup of as that's the most critical part most miss.Practice every minute possible.If you learn stick properly in every position the other processes are easily learned.Know what your in for like intense heat,burns etc on most jobs.Wish you the best.I made a decent living in the mountains but the big money is on the road
My cousin went to school for 10 weeks and has been welding 5 months and made roughly 45k he’s 1 hour from his hometown. If you live in Texas chances are you can work 3-4 hours from home making 2-4k a week if you don’t want to travel the states it’s all about networking if non union
Repair automotive rust. You right away become a 1% person if you are good. You will have close to no competition & you can name your own prices. If you stray into truck & tractor rust repair, you become 0.5%er. Pay is commensurate.
I was looking into becoming a welder just cause im struggling financially, but after watching this video… i rather go be a server lol. I have a single car hauler but not enough work, so i have to alternate gigs. Is a complete fucking headache. At this point im just thinking about selling my truck n trailer and take that $$$$$ and put it in stocks.
i am considering this trade since my years as a carpenter has fucked up my knee. im thinking welder at a factory could be good for me and not very exhausting for my knee
It doesn't pay as much as it should. All the welders I know are living average but live like gypsies chasing jobs. Better off just finding something stable close to home. Remember 28/hr is the new minimum wage and that's in the poorest state in the nation, and most under paid state Arizona
Stable and close to home sounds like a poor man's game. Big time welding definitely isn't for everyone. Some guys make very good coin and still have a great work-life balance. It's all about what you do with your money and not how much you make. Welding is one rare career that can give a big payout and a lot of freedom because of the demand. It's possible to make 6 figures yearly without any college or schooling in your first years on the job . So for those who want to take the risk and be ambitious the reward is out there.
@JTwelder those days are over pal. Trust me. On the road welders gotta spend most of their paycheck on 3,000 a month motel and then food and then gotta worry about a mortgage or rent back home. And that's on the low end. Trust me I have friends and family out there working and not on the mom n pop companies. You can make a decent living working close to home you just gotta learn the game. Even at 28 an hr which is what at home pay is. You gotta make your money go to work. Becoming financially literate and learning a lil about the SP500 for starters is a good place to start along with Life insurance in an index fund and all that good stuff and not through some employer type bs.
@@navajorezathlete1202 Trust you? Your not even a welder! I have a lot of friends that are miners but I don't claim to know a thing about being a miner. Stick to what you know and try to give advice on a subject you actually are involved in lol.
@JTwelder I never mentioned anything about a mine. Welders are a dime a dozen and the jobs worth goin to are far between. I'm sorry you don't understand the facts. I don't need to lay out my resume for you. Take it or leave it. It is what it is. You can make a living living on the road like a gypsy go right ahead. Have a great day
Is Arizona a bad place for welders? I wanna go to UTI for their classes but I'm unsure if its worth the career, I'm not expecting 100k, but I'd like around 50k hopefully, and obviously I'd like to work up to 60k.
Yeah companies definitely like hiring military guys as apprentices. We have a program in Ontario Canada called "helmets to hard hats" that gets military vets into the skilled union trades.
I wish I would have seen this video 5 years ago... I was a welder for the last 5 years and it was detrimental for my health breathing that stuff in. I left making $30 an hour to become an electrician without having to breath the fumes and make the same if not more in a few years
Yeah I never recommend welding to anyone unless they already have a big interest in it. There a whole lot of job that are less dangerous and pay the same.
in europe, welders earn way more money than office workers, and there is lack of welders. But low pay will be there for first 2-3 years, and if you dont weld good enough, you wont get job, they will test you doing like a4 a5 a6 a8 a12 a16 a20 weldes both horizontal and vertical, and ultrasound test your welds when applying for companies. You can be with 10 year experience, but no employer would call you a welder, if you cant do those quality welds. EU has huge pay for welders, but 80% of people who consider themselves welders, will never be considered welders.
Basically the only way to do unique stuff that others can't do is buy the equipment required to preform specialty work like fancy benders/rollers, water jet table etc. All that stuff is a huge investment so it's not always practical. If you don't have the money or knowledge to run that equipment than it's better to just offer good quality fair priced work that's done on time and have good communication with the customer.
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Great real life information. I’m a self employed welding contractor in the eastern US. 80% of my work is mobile (on site). I work six days a week, every week and do paperwork on Sunday after church. I’ve attempted to train two sons and a son-in-law to be a part of the business and one day take over so I could at least semi-retire. So far, all of them walked away because there are easier ways to make a living.
Nice! Owning a business is a hard way to make a living and definitely not for everyone. But in my opinion it has the biggest pay offs and is the most rewarding when done right.
Well you should start a welding school cuz I WANT IN...I WANT to BE A WELDER
Hey man only thing bad about being your own boss is no one wanting to take the torch
Keep the faith, push on. There's openings for that work all day long. You will find a young man or woman to tackle those jobs. Look at hiring from a welding school. You may see turnover but they need to tell their prospective employers "I have 1-5 uears experience ". And they will be proficient.
Brother if I was your son or son in law I would like to learn I’m a first generation in my family if I had someone teach me it would be better for me
I’m 47 been welding for 20 years. Money is good but the work sucks ass! It’s very hard on your body.
I'm 46 been doing this 22 years. Made good coin but yeah my body is beat like a pinata lol
Nobody on their death bed says "I wish they worked more overtime"...
As soon as i started my business I made the same as I did before, but work half the hours.... Glad I get to see my family, drive my kids to school, take my dogs out for lunchtime walks ect....... now im not slowly dying at some shitty shop....
You got my wheels turning now.
Been at it 20 years and work all the OT. What is your most common business?
good to hear. Exactly what im looking for. currently dying in a shitty shop though lol.
@@MountainTop750 Im all over the map..... but railings seem to be a lot of it.
This is what kids need to hear before committing to any endeavors in life from someone on the field. Several of the welders have been excellent advisors for newbys looking at the field as employment. A class no one teaches in school on how much reward you get for the direction you choose. It would save students a lot of grief from college tuiton debt the rest of one's life.
Dude is so young and giving such good advice.
Thanks! I got a lot of good experience at a really young age and just stepped back and observed how everyone around me lived. You start noticing pretty quickly what decisions make people live better or ruin lives.
Been doing this since 2013. First 5 years was for a company at a shipyard. I told my wife imma quit after 5 years experience and we will hit the road and that’s exactly what we did. He’s right about traveling, it sux. Your best bet is work for the union or a local contractor. I prefer a contractor for the shipyard since they offer per diem and the contract lasts longer than 3 weeks. I’ve been averaging 60 year for the 1st 5 years. I’ve been averaging over 100k after deductions for the past 4 years. It all depends on what you choose. I choose the best pay while other would choose the comfortability( fab shop). Tbh I will never work for a company ever again. Good luck with y’all’s journey.
Newport News?
@@ericheart1198 probably is NN yep
@@ericheart1198 that's pretty much the only place in the country with active shipyards
@@BPzeropointCould have been Ingalls
This is the kind of honestly we needed,
I wanted a career change and tried an office job which I couldn't stand. I was so used to working 12 hour days on my feet all day that sitting down for 8 hours a day drove me nuts.
I saw clips of welders glorifying their jobs so I hit up local schools which of course told me how amazing it will be. I spent the next few months doing research and talking to actual welders.
I found that welders worked insane hours, get frequently injured on the job, develop health problems, be away from home if you want make real money. The one that did it for me was a guy who started off at $16 and after 5 years he's just now making $25. Even contractors don't make that much apparently unless they're putting in insane hours as well.
I'm glad I took several months to research because I almost signed up for a school for $20k. Looking back, the office job wasn't so bad and paid pretty well. I'm currently in the process for signing up for Cyber Security.
I’m a 16 year Union Boilermaker and 18 year welder. I was in amazing shape when I first started. Now I have asthma, 3 bulged discs, neuropathy in my left leg, and overweight. I’m also getting out in a couple of years to start doing Cyber Security. Computers were my first passion. We make great money as traveling Union Boilermakers, but it has taken its toll on me mentally and physically. A year ago I got my certifications through CompTIA for A+, Network+, Security+, and Cisco CCNA. I’m going for a bachelor’s in Computer Science in the next couple of years. I’m just going to use my Boilermaker money to pay off all my bills, finish renovating our house where we are living now, and then sell it and move so I can start school where we are going to eventually build our forever home. Good luck out there and you made the right choice.
@@LeadRakFPS Wow thanks for sharing your experience and I'm sorry you're in rough shape now, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I was almost bamboozled into the welding field. I'm working at a machine shop currently. I started off in the shipping department, but took initiative to mess with the machines when it was slow. I got promoted to a machinist trained on the most difficult machine. I went from $14 to $22 an hour within that same year AND I get to work under AC. To put in 50-60 hours a week for 5 years to make the same amount is just ridiculous to me.
I'm starting an online Cyber Security class in a few months and hopefully get as far as you. Computers were my original passion too, but back then you needed a degree for that field which I couldn't afford at the time. Nowadays you don't need a degree as long as you can prove that you know what you're doing and are certified from a credible source.
i have been in the welding business for 40 years , i still own a custom fab shop in south Florida , my advise to someone wanting to get into this business , get into sales , breath fresh air , you wont have to sweat your balls off.... and you will if you choose this path , this is a hard trade that takes years to learn that is so under appreciated .
just my opinion from driving down this road for 40 years , if this is your dream or passion like it was mine , good luck
I agree, welding is very unappreciated and this needs to change. It’s not easy to learn all three hand welding processes, it’s even more difficult to be good at all three. On top of that, there is so much knowledge needed, it’s dangerous on multiple levels, and it very hard work.
awesome vid. My pops is a welder/fitter i ended up joining Local 183 as a formwork carpenter and its been almost 8 years now. I found out that my union actually offered a night course for welding and ended up taking it. I just took the plate test using stick and now Im just waiting on the results. This is gonna be the most delayed fathers day gift but hopefully its worth it.
HOW DID IT GO?
Where is local 183
@@luisvilla799 toronto
I remember being at Lincoln Electric welding school in Cleveland, OH. Someone from the Boilermakers union came in to do a talk. He said they could find all kinds of guys wanting to get into the field, but none of them could pass a piss test! lol This video pretty much sums up the life. Like you said, finding the work/life balance is very important! Good job!
I’m a lead mechanic at an industrial wastewater treatment plant. I do most of the in-house welding there. Anything I can’t do, I hire out to a “good ol’ boy” that has a shop right down the street. He’s a good guy with a mobile rig. I noticed he’s always got different guys working for him so I asked him about it. He told me that he can’t keep guys because they don’t want to work or are always on their phones, on drugs, or hungover. He told me he was looking for young guys to hire that literally had no experience, and he’d teach them for $18 per hour (that’s not bad in my area for starting.) He said, basically, that out of the guys that applied 75% didn’t even have a drivers license.
@@jhitt79 that's the main reason this country is in serious trouble --- all the Boomers are retiring and the Gen X'ers are getting into their 60's --- the Millenials and Zoomers don't want to work and make a decent wage --- most of them can't pass a drug test because smokin' weed is more important than making money
At 25 years old I just enrolled in a very reputable welding school. I’ve always loved to be productive with my hands and I’ve always been fascinated by the properties of metal at 12 years old I used to melt Aluminum cans and turn them into ingots with sand molds. I’ve always loved fire and metal for some reason, I enroll in this school simply because I though that welding was a good skill to have however upon further research I see that this is actually a legit career and I’m thinking about switching careers.
hey I'm also 25 and not really sure what career path to take. really want to get a certification in somthing like welding, but I'd also have to work full time while doing it. are you able to do that? what has your process been like? does it cost alot?
@@trevor4175 Hey man I’ll gladly answer your questions, it is a bit costly I won’t lie to you, just the certification alone set me back around $950 without taking into account materials and the equipment, as for work this is a full time job with a lot of overtime so unfortunately on my case I wouldn’t have enough time to work 2 jobs but for the CERTIFICATION I was able to get it easily while working on something else since class was only on Saturdays for 4 straight hours I’m sure you can get it while still working but once you get the certification thats another story. They pay well but it really depends on where you work and the type of work you’re doing. Pipe fitters pay a lot more than structural for example. I heard stainless steel and aluminum work is very hot these days and it pays well. As for the quality of work it’s grueling very very hot and uncomfortable most of the time and if you come from an office setting it will take some adapting before you feel at home, there’s also a lot of risk of injury even when you take the appropriate precautions. I don’t mind any of that and as I said in my previous comment I’ve always loved fire and metal kinda suits me as I’m rough around the edges so it all depends. This type of job I would only recommend it if you really like it and if you’re into it otherwise I wouldn’t on the upside though there’s always work available and people always looking for welders so I don’t think you’ll have much trouble finding work as soon as you get your certification. So yeah that’s about it bro, best of wishes man.
@@trevor4175 Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs TV show was on an episode with Theo Von on his podcast called THIS PAST WEEKEND , talking about giving out scholarship money for people who want to learn the trade and that includes paying for people to get certification to be a welder .
I think he talks about it at about 49 minutes in the program .
@@trevor4175 😂I’m also 25 looking into this field tired of warehouse lmk how’s it going
@strozierkid I've thought really hard about it and decided going the electrician route is best for me. it's simular to welding in that they give a full time job while your doing your apprenticeship. there are alot of grants and scholarships for the trades so I'm likely going to get a full ride through the kansas promise act scholarship. (I live in kansas) I'm much less stressed than I was when I first commented here because I realized alot of people don't get into their careers before 25 and it's not as unobtainable as you think. as long as you show up to work and have a good attitude and willing to learn, they will teach you and you will be great. you'll find your path bro, its there if you want it!
5 mins in and this is already better than most videos ive watched about welding lmao
I’m starting out in a shop in a few weeks. Boss said I’ll be helping with shop stuff, minor work until I get practice. Kinda cool I stumbled upon this he just said I need you to show the fawk up and work! I really see myself getting into heavy equipment welding and learning with this opportunity. Like you said not many people get opportunities to get into a shop willing to work with you. 🙏🏽
Nice! That sounds like a good opportunity.
I got into a shop that makes 18 wheelers or more like the beds. I was a Burn table hand for about 8 days then promoted on day 9 to a position I can’t pronounce but it’s the smaller burn table. No table hand just me and the burner and a table that does all the work. Only thing is getting use to an over head crane and controls while not plowing into the shop owners above ya! Hey nobody died, was paid 975$ my first and only week! I’m basically paid to workout and hydrate! Pay me to workout fellas!!! Easy money follow rules, show up early and ready to work. Can’t believe I’m making 17 doing this 🦾
My first job was building trailers for elite trailers I caught ALL the shit I was a self taught kid pretending to be a welder and I was only 16 but you grow two things 1. Thick skin. 2. A decent tool collection both knowledgeable and physical tools. Then you’re in your way to a career. Then I got a job for a decent sized fab company and that’s where my skill came in learned a lot fro the college kids and the old farts (respectfully) then took off. Good luck bud 🫡
@@J86_918 I bought the boys lunch yesterday. Only 3 of us worked this wknd, I run the Bystronic table. I work with Amuminum, Stainless, Food grade, and 1/4” - 3/16” A36 metal material. Learning as much as I can even when I don’t ask for the help. I been using the help button a lot on the machine it’s in Swedish. Took plenty of notes and random notes and it’s paid off. I’ve gotten better at a lot of things and now have my forklift training test tomorrow. I have a test on the small fork and the big one that carry’s the plates off. That’s awesome man I appreciate all the advice as well and yes awesome career change for me.
I’ve been a welder for a little over a year at 18 I started at 17 when I dropped out of high school my junior year I’ve worked in 2 different fab shops the first shop I worked at I built truck beds at 15 an hour (that’s really bad for welder/fitters) for about 11 months then I got in with a bigger company starting out at 16 but after my probation period I make 22 at 18 my job caps out at 25 as a welder with benefits at 18 I think that’s a decent pay I’m working 60 hours a week bringing home about 1,100 after taxes the work is hard but I started out in a grocery store and decided I wanted to pick up a trade so I made the decision to quit school to make money( I’ve seen that there are some things that diploma would have came in handy stay in school kids!) im currently about to buy a truck and my own machine so I can start running my own side jobs and potentially my own company in the next 10 years it’s a lot of work and it’s tiresome and it can be a stressful job but I’ll tell you what I have a plan for my cuter family and even my current one if you have a goal and can get into that line of work, DO IT it’s worth it in my opinion
Sounds liked it worked out pretty good for you! I like how your waiting to start your own business, that's the way to do it. So many people think they can start their own welding company after two years of experience or fresh out of welding school. All welding business owners will tell you that you need 5 years/10,000 hours in the kind of work that your going to be doing before you start your own business.
I’m going to do the same man I’ve been thinking of running my own little side job of just welding.
I've gotten advice to also learn fitting and metallurgy, whenever possible. That, and you knowing how to weld, is the big money.
Sounds like you got it figured out.
The pay increase will come with experience.
You should get you GED, that’s what I did, it will just look good if/when you get tired of where your at in a few years and your experience will get you more money.
Like the idea of your own business
That GED will come on handy because I would definitely recommend taking a business/ accounting class so you get the tax side figured out.
Good luck buddy
respirator is a necessity, it is better to get a good respirator because you cannot get new lungs. I learned this during 11 years of work as a welder
I wish more people would think like that. Most welders I work with barely ever wear a respirator even though the companys we work for provide them for free.
@@JTwelder. this is grave mistake
rip
You gotta be super careful with nickel and chromium
@@JTwelder.it’s law in the UK now
as someone who is used to working about 60 hrs a week since we only had 1 day off, only working 40 hrs a week is a dream. Also, overtime is goooooooood money
40 hours a week doesn't even feel like a full work week to me. I love when I only have to work 40.
Yes it is, we are always on OT and last November December we went down to 40 because we were slow and it literally felt like a part time job. It’s was great but my wallet definitely felt the difference.
@@JTwelder. For real. Feels like a part time job lol. It’s great
I’m 27, just graduated from college for welding and fabrication. I’ve been trying to get into the boilermaker union too. Tested in like march and nerves got the best of me so I’m testing again soon and hopefully I’ll get in this time
Nice! Yeah it never hurts to keep trying.
Need to start as a grunt and earn your way in
What school? Would you recommend it?
Keep the reason why you want the job in mind. Have faith and believe in your process. Trust God to help you through this situation. I pray for your success🙏🏽
Boiler makers and pipe fitters is where it's at if you can land a mantinance contract job at a refinery, mill, or power plant. Especially if it's a nuke plant. Luckily I live in the industrial heart of the USA so there are buttloads of 6 figure jobs out there.
Very true! I know guys that make $200k a year working at a refinery 10 minutes from their front door.
Don't forget both of those trades have unions.
I’m in the food industry doing industrial ovens and chillers and the maintenance guys at those plants like Tyson, Kraft, ect. Make really good money. Ammonia, steam, ect
If I ever want to get out of the shop that’s probably where I’ll go.
Definitely no shortage of work out there…
This video was about some real shit and honestly I respect you for that. I was a travel non union electrician and I did it for about a year and when I first got in people would tell me “don’t stay get out within your first year, go union” and It was like yeah that’s the goal but I didn’t understand why till I was in long enough to realize you’re never home to even just do your personal stuff like dr’s appointments etc. Things are constantly changing so it’s tough to get into a routine. Hotels are different with different things some better, some worse and the drug and alcohol use is thru the roof with the guys at all the different job sites. Not judging them. It just subconsciously affects them from progressing and I feel like some don’t even realize. Then the pay raises start happening and then you get stuck and that’s what they were talking about mostly. I’m not a very disciplined person but I reflect a lot and all of the stuff we had to go thru is tough to try and do other things like study or progress in life with out being super disciplined. Cause some days you only have those 4 hours sometimes less depending on how far you have to travel back home and to get everything you need done (if you want 7-8 hours of sleep. Or sometimes you’ll do a 10 or 12hr shift and it’s rough. Over nights then switch to mornings like it’s a lot to take on. Obviously depends on company and you personally but man that shit is no joke and I respect everyone who does it. I chose to leave once I realized that because I’d rather be in something long term and worth sacrificing all that for cause it’s actually worth it. Hope this gave insight to anyone. Great video.
Travelling really is a trap and if you don’t step back and analyze what you goals are you’ll get stuck in the work life real fast. You nailed it.
This is super helpful. Really appreciate what you covered really gives me a good idea of what I'm getting into!
Great video. Hello everyone. I am also a welder. Opened up a business post military, post Open-Heart surgery. I used most of my Seps pay on a garage setup. Multi-process Welder, some grinders, a plasma cutter, air compressor.... the list goes on. What can I say, Full send kinda guy. I Started up with youtube University and phoning a friend when I was confused. I concentrated on TIG first because word on the street was IT paid well. Mild steel, aluminum, and stainless check-mate. Enrolled in a Welding school to learn the other processes. Gain the knowledge and network with my people. Started welding school September 2023. Oxyfuel, SMAW, GMAW (85%) then moving to structural. Can I get a Heck Yeaaahhh!!!! I read the comments, all so positive. Respecting the grind. Staying in the grind. Ohhhhh and I have done some jobs already cutting steel targets for a hunting course. So!!! Things are looking Fluxing amazing. Thank you everyone for your time.
Thank you for you in depth, informative introspection of this career path.
No problem!
took me 1 year welding to make 25/hr. then it took 8 years after that to get to over 30/hr. I went into a leadership position and thats the only way I started making even more money. all this way in commercial construction. Just like mentioned in the video, the only way you are making alot of money welding is by traveling all the time or creating your own business
Great speaker and great speech without giving a speech!!! ✅
holy cow, this guy is still out there making videos, cool to see
great content to boot, i dont feel bad for not making videos anymore, guys like you doing the good work
In Texas a truck and a welder will make you the big money and I've never been anywhere that provided a hood but other tools and ppe yeah mostly true
I'm a union boilermaker in Canada and the company's provide literally every tool but your work boots. Yeah you can make great money running a rig just about anywhere but the majority of welders do not run a rig.
@JTwelder I am currently a mobile rig welder but in the process of building my own shop so I can be close to home for all the people out there yes there's great money in rig or pipeline welding but you make a lot of sacrifices
ty for sharing this info with the world ! big tumbs up//sweden
Awesome, Thanks for watching!
My biggest concern with welding is the hazardous fumes and chemical exposures not down for that 😢
You should be fine if there’s adequate ventilation or wear a respirator
My big concern was flashbacks and getting blown up. Once you start learning, you quickly discover that most of your fears are unsupported. Like @duyle25 said, adequate ventilation (natural or forced) is key, and it's mandatory in any responsible environment. After running my first GMAW stringer, I was hooked. Give it a go!
@@ShawnL-nr5nt understandable, but I'm an aircraft mechanic in the military right now and literally everything I touch to try and fix jets tries to kill me or give me aggressive cancer so that's why I'm concerned 😂 especially because it's so unavoidable for us
invest proper P
PE for that
Confined space = ventilation and respiratory.
Thank u for taking ur time and sharing I give u a deserved like!
Awesome! Thanks for watching, more content coming out weekly all winter!
Welded 16yrs on bridges, was a foreman for 10yrs of it. Shoulder reconstruction, back surgery and spinal stenosis. Never missed a day of work in my life until injury. Hated every fucking moment of it. I’m only 36
Damn 36 sorry to hear that amigo
Good for you!!! Y'all stupid
Do you feel you put in extra effort in taking care of your body ? Nutrition, exercising ? Or just pushing your body and never recovering ? Sorry what you’re going through just wondering before I get into this life
It was just the constant heavy loads of angle iron while walking small beams, dragging lead. Then being crouched on these beams all day everyday, my spine pretty much pushed L4 out. The shoulder was from banging angle to fit concrete girders. Those are always shitty.
And the money?
Hey, thanks for sharing your experience.
You can be welding the same type of joint as yesterday but totally different than yesterday's task..." it's gonna be fun"
another con i would add is the additional risk of electrocution. getting shocked doesn't happen often, and when it does it's usually only a couple amps. however, all it takes is a bit of stupidity or complacency to instantly end your life from electrocution, especially during heavy rain/wet conditions, or heavy sweating
Pay is good if you’re good and versatile. Lungs and eyes are going to suffer in the long run. Be a millwright. Easily 150k plus. Basically an industrial handyman. Jack of all trades but you have to be a good jack of all trades.
Your lungs and eyes will only suffer from this trade if you don't wear a respirator and safety glasses. Wearing your PPE is always important.
What if you use all the protections
I work security at Aerojet rocketdyne and seen that they were having internships for wielding. Now welding was never been my passion and didn't really understand it till then but I think this would be a great way to solidify my spot into the company, I just want to how demanding the job can really be. I'm the type of guy who wants to just go to work make his check and go home, if anybody can give me more insight on what its actually like being a welder would be greatly appreciated
You should check out your local technical college and sign up for the welding class. I never did it but it would get you some experience with different types of welding and tools we use.
That little bit of experience would help. Good luck buddy
What steps would I have to take in order to get into big oil company like Shell, ExxonMobil or Chevron? Just go to welding school, get a certificate, apply directly, take their test & boom?
Join a trade union or get hired by a subcontractor that does work in big industry. Or you can apply to work for the plant as a welder.
Subscribed, great video!
All the "kids" at school think they're gonna be making 6 figures right after school. 🤣 Fact is, most welders don't make over $50k a year. The other problem is the young welders think that's all they'll be doing is welding when in fact they'll be doing lots of labor in addition to welding. Unless you happen to work in just an assembly welding shop squeezing a mig gun trigger in which case youre gonna make the least amount of $
Exactly! There’s a lot more to welding than just laying a bead!
el paso tx is acting very secretive about how much they pay. theyre paying about $17-$22per hour. then theres a company called JOBE, and they wouldnt say how much the welders are being paid.
@@jorgelujan5055 Is $17 - $22 for brand new entry level welders? If so that is still decent.
On the road welder myself doing a sawmill rebuild up in northern Wisconsin rn. At the age of 23 I love this life but one day I'll take to the shop life more
Being on the road definitely gets old eventually.
Since I’d be traveling all the time. Would I be able to just fly in and out or do most places require a car
Just hopped on board the PSW apprenticeship, one two eight, very excited. Your videos are awesome
Nice man, Thanks for watching! If it's possible try to figure out a way to get your apprenticeship hours to count towards the welders red seal. 128s psw program only gets you a cfq which is basically useless and the boilermaker apprenticeship gets you a boilermaker red seal which is also useless outside of the union. The welders redseal is recognized all over Canada and it's by far better to have over the cfq or boilermaker redseal.
Nothing to be excited about. You will suffer. Enjoy
Hey, Is it too late to start learning welding at 32? I've developed an interest in working with my hands, and welding seems like a useful and fascinating skill to acquire. How do you know if welding is the right fit for you? I'm exploring new paths in life that give me satisfaction and fulfillment. I don't feel like I belong in the corporate world, and I dream of building a DIY motorbike. I believe welding could be a useful tool for that and potentially help me earn an income. Any advice or thoughts on this journey would be appreciated!",
I would go out and buy a cheap multi process welder and start trying it out and learning on scrap metal. It's never too late to learn and it's a useful skill to have. If you like it then at 32 it's not to late to look into a career of welding either. I've worked with 40 year old 1st year apprentices before so it's not uncommon to get into it later in life.
It is never too late to learn. By all means, find a way to attend "Western Welding Academy " in Wyoming. Their 6 months course, "Profesional Welder," covers all aspects of welding. Recently voted #1 Welding school in the world. You can do it. At age 32, my wife and I packed up everything and moved to Tulsa Oklahoma to attend aviation school. Where there is a will, there is a way
You will not regret this short-lived 6 months.
Did you ever learn how to weld?
Any tips on getting an entry level job?? Literally applying to anything gives me no response back or they are asking for insane requirements. How do you get your foot in the door?
The best way to get a job in my mind is show up to the company in person with a resume and ask to talk to a manager or someone in charge for ten minutes. Don't just say your applying for a job but ask questions about the company and the type of work they do (aka don't make the conversation all about you). Also if it's possible ask for a tour of their shop, yard or fleet of work trucks. In person connection is and always will be the best way of connecting with people.
Check and see if there's any local welders unions around with apprenticeship programs. They'll handle getting you a job and will provide training too.
I ended up getting a spot at a pretty solid company, thanks for the advice all
@@taz200032 Congrats man and good luck!
@@taz200032what’s it like
Don't forget shipyard welders. They make good money, too. My uncle works at the NN shipyard (in Virginia), making 130K annually.
I did a install in Malaysia for a month,
We use local guys for jobs out of country. We build and install industrial ovens and chillers so it’s all Stainless.
Out of the 10 local guys I got only 2 guys could weld and only one was good. These guys don’t have hoods so the did blink welding, Tig blink welding. I brought my hood and taught them how to use it. I tried blink welding and could do it decent by the end, definitely need sunblock for my eyelids. I had those 2 guy’s purge welding by the end of the job.
These guys were only making 1200 “ringget” = about $400 us a month.
Definitely a cool experience
They didn’t use lasers but a water level which was just a really long clear plastic hose with water in it so you could keep grade around corners.
That sounds like a super cool job! A lot of boilermakers still use water levels for Building storage tanks but I didn’t know anyone else still did!
Anyone who wants to check out blink welding, just you tube it. Lol
It’s a different world out there
#1 is correct . we put out an add for welders for our factory and got a ton of resume's . the going rate here is 26 / hr but we are a cheap to live city.
am also a welder, may I apply for a job at your company because I am impressed and amazed by your company
Sorry I’m not hiring anytime soon
Hi , i've workerd as a carpenter and a mechanic assembler , i really like tig welding and i'm thinking of start a welding career but i'm really worried about the long term health desease , do you think that if i weld wearing respirator and using a fume extractors it can be completely safe for my health ? ( I dont want to end up with cancer cause of my work )
If your using a respirator or fume extractors you'll be fine. Cancer from poor eating, drugs, smoking and drinking is what kills welders the fastest.
Definitely wear a respirator. On top of Tig welding specialize in mechanics and electrical. You won't just be welding all the time. If you want to make real money become well rounded. Also, learn how to weld pipe that's where the money's at.
He said there are too many welders but Google says there's a severe shortage. Can someone tell me what's what? I'm thinking about welding as a career.
Industrial construction work comes and goes in waves so there’s times when they need workers like crazy and then one year later there’s no work and a ton of trades people are unemployed. In the next 20 years there’s a lot of trades people retiring so theoretically they’re saying North America is going to be severely low on trades people in the coming years.
I’ll give you a example of how up and down the hiring market can be. In 2020-2022 the boilermakers union in my area was taking in a average of 125 apprentices per year. This year they only took in about 50 apprentices which is a 60% drop in hiring. This was due to there being less work this year in my area.
@JTwelder. Gotcha! Department of labor stats says most welders are 55, so the trend will be hiring soon. Do you think it will favor hiring in about 2 years?
@@lostinthisworld1872They will definitely be hiring. How much work there will be depends on location. If your in a growing city there will be more work. There is always shop work, we have had a hiring welders sign outside for 5 years.
Welding is just a high demand job. Are there a lot of welders out there yes but there are also a lot of welding jobs out there. Welders are needed everywhere for almost everything
Genuine question..is there by chance any sexist things about welding because I’m a female, I’m from the Midwest, did Welding in AG in High school fell in love with it, my uncle did welding which also added to my love for it. However I’m quite curious to know if They’ll choose Men Over women? Could be a stupid question..
I’m a welder I do 6 x 12 or 72hrs a week. I repair steel trash containers for the waste company here in the city. Really good job and blessed to be learning. Not a lot of technical welding like reading blueprints and X-ray inspection welds lol nonetheless it’s fun to fix them and modify them to my liking.
Sometimes just fixing stuff your way and getting it done is much more fun and rewarding than doing X-ray welds! I haven’t done any X-ray welding since I started my own business and gotta say I don’t miss it.
@@JTwelder. 😂 dang makes me feel like I’m not missing out then
I work for a garbage company repairing roll offs. Good pay and overtime is there. Stank ass job but hey way better than having a 22 year old engineer trying to boss me around lol. Keep up the good work Mario
@@PhilipFischer-jw1kb appreciate you Phillip what city you work out of if I may Ask
@@mario6279 Buffalo NY
I would only get a truck with a welding rig so i can take people who dont have transportation to and from the site. With their equipment in the back too. And did yall know a 2023 f650 starts at ~70,000$?!
There are lots of variables as to how much money you can make as a welder, for example, if you get on with a company and stay busy, if you don't, then you don't get a check every week.
Hi, I have a question!
I am 35yrs old and I was looking to see if I can start a career in welding but honestly I have never pictured myself doing it and the only reason I’m looking in to it, is because my brother started his own welding business and because I have heard and seen that welders can make really good money, but I don’t see myself doing this for the rest of my life, specifically with all the hard work and health problems that I can get!
Is this a good idea to do it or is going to be a nightmare for someone like me!? By the way, I have never done a trade job and I have only work for 2 months as a carpenter and when I was a kid, I help my dad with some construction at home but that’s all the experience I have!
Hope someone can help make this decision because is a pivotal point in my life!
Find a course at a local trade school that you can see yourself truly enjoying doing. Welding is just welding it pays but it does take a long time to get good enough to make real money. Learn how to turn wrenches and wiring. You need multiple skills to succeed in this field.
So after you get highly skilled doing many kinds of work, are welders able to charge more based on their ability? I’ve seen some welders say they can make 100, 100 plus an hour doing maintenance.
Yep it’s definitely possible to make 6 figures as a welder. You just have to be in the right industry like oil&gas or nuclear energy. Sometimes skill will get you new opportunities, other times people get opportunities just because of their connections with people they know.
Thank you@@JTwelder.
great video. honestly i cant believe this is explained in detail from just 24 years old man.
Glad you liked it! I was fortunate enough to gain a ton of knowledge about careers on welding at a young age. I love to pass the information on to other people because I found there’s not many sources on the internet.
I’ve welded on plant Vogtle and live nukes. I think it’s pretty awesome
I started welding school and my plan is to have a job in town in a fab shop or something but I want to see if the money would still be good , I live in Texas any advice ?
Texas shops have decent pay for sure because of all the oil industry.
So for pipeline welding would you say welding on gas lines etc are the best paying?
Water and utility pays good but anything for natural gas or oil industry is definitely the highest paying.
2:50 he's 100% right is have been welding for 10 years and never made more then $20 a hour. I'm aws certified in mig tig and stick. Indeed, the glass door app has all welded/fabrication job listing's if you want to make 100k up good luck that's all word of mouth you need to know someone who can put you on. And you jump from state to state. When your done with that job you go on unemployment and wait for the boss to say hey be at some random state at 4 in the morning ready to work
How effective is PPE in regards to the long-term effects of the job?
Modern respirators are actually pretty good now as long as you wear it all the time (welding, grinding, cutting and gouging) you can go a whole career without ever having lung issues.
Most welders die from illness related to their life style opposed to the actual work. Smoking, Alcohol, hard drugs and a garbage diet is far worse than welding fumes.
@@JTwelder.I appreciate the timely reply
Do you think people over 40 can get into this trade? Also, how does someone join a Union? Do they take older people. Thank you.
apply test and plan for the rest you make it or you don’t… welding is a skill and trade but in most union trades it’s a skill to have in your belt there is much more than just welding… can you read prints can you measure and cut can you think on your feet and make decisions on the fly that work the first time (hopefully)? mechanical aptitude is a bigger or biggest plus to have for all the trades
Most realistic video about careers in welding. All these guys getting into thing theyre gonna instantly make 100k. Probably because thats what tiktok and instagram tell them. Honestly, atleast where im from welding jobs are SLIM pickings, youll be lucky if you make over 60k.
I’m about to start welding job for the shipyard In virginia they pay to teach you, any tips?
@@Spartan-bl4pq Nice! If your completely new to welding the #1 tip give everybody is to make sure your changing the clear protective lenses in you welding helmet before they start getting really hard to see through.
When you’re learning to weld you really need a nice clear view of the molten puddle to understand how it moves and what its looks like when you manipulate it. If you let your lenses get scratched up/ dirty when you’re learning you can see the puddle properly and it will make it much harder to understand what’s going. This will really slow down your leaning progress and make welding much harder to learn.
Once you have around 3+ years of welding under your belt you can change out your lenses a bit less often because you’ll have a understanding of what the puddle is doing without having to see it super clearly
@@JTwelder. will do thanks
hey good info here thanks for posting. Im 37 years old, do you think its too late to get into this field? Sounds like the good welders all started out of high school. I went to college and worked in several jobs but im looking into trades now seeing the pay is even better.
It’s 37 isn’t bad at all. I’ve worked with quite a few apprentices that were in Their 40s. Just remember that the good money in welding only comes with lots of hours and travel. Almost no welders that work 40 hours a week within commuting distance of their residence make good money.
@JTwelder.
Hey thanks for the quick reply.
It seems like the kind of job you don't get into unless your passionate about also because it is dangerous. You can't just half ass it. And like you said if you want to work 40 hr weeks close to home the money is t there anyway.
It's like any other career, it *can* pay. Location, union, work type, certs, etc. Plenty of welders don't make shit, plenty do very well. Just changing locations can swing you $30k/year for the same job.
I'm 22 and will be getting out of school soon. I know I'm probably going to be working like a dog for some years, but my goal is to get to a point where i can have a life apart from work. Travel, spend time with friends and family, go to church. And get good sleep. Is that a pipe dream (no pun intended lol) or a possibility?
That is totally possible!!! Work yourself to the bone for about 5-6 years live modestly and don’t buy stupid stuff like expensive trucks, cars, boats and off road toys. Save up your money and invest it as you work. You’ll end up with a really nice relief fund the you can take months of work eventually every year.
@@JTwelder. That would be a great goal to work towards then
I have been thinking about going into welding so I know I will always have a job. The economy could collapse and I would still have a job. I’d love to work on aerospace. But I do want to start off in a shop for experience! If any of you guys have tips let me know!!
That is the right mentality! Once you become a skilled Tradesperson, no one can take away your knowledge! If a company does not want you, you can always still go to work and feed your family. I started out in a factory job after high school and made decent money. I always knew that the industry could collapse at any time and I could be out of a job! It paid off and I retired from my trade after 40+ years. I was never out of a job after the first couple of years as an Apprentice.
@@thebeardedstork432which trade where you in? Boiler, pipe / steam fitters, iron workers?
I’ve been thinking about getting out of the shop, and joining a real union but having trouble deciding which one???
Thanks.
With out any experience you most likely have to start as a laborer in a shop, just let them know you want to learn how to weld, always take the extra OT when they need help and keep that same attitude and you’ll go far. Some places have welding school programs. I would suggest a welding class at your local Tec school, to learn the basics. That would also help you get in a shop.
The apprentice programs with most welding unions would be a good way go. It’s usually a 4 to 5 year program and you will be making really good money once you make journeyman.
@@MountainTop750 good too know!! Thanks :)))))
Just ran into your video.
Good to see you wanting to give back.
Good to see you stuck it threw and became a journeyman.
What local ?
Im from 647 MN
Stay safe Brother, keep learning and applying your new skill set.
Yeah I became journeyman in local 128 Ontario. I own a rig welding company now though so I no longer take any calls from the hall but I still have my membership.
It's interesting that Local 128 allows you to keep your membership when you don't take calls from them. I guess as long as you pay your dues, you are in good standing? I never worked for what is called a "Hiring hall" union. We always worked for a contractor. We found our own jobs, but the contractor was signatory to the union. You could not work non-union or for yourself without being an Owner / Operator and paying the appropriate fees (expensive). Most guys found it too expensive when they first go on their own, so the union loses a lot of skilled workers. Your way sounds a lot better. BTW, congratulations on becoming a Journeyman!
Great breakdown
Thanks I try to help anyone coming into the industry. Hopefully this gets to a few people that are interested and gives them some direction.
Just turned 31 thinking about pursuing this trade. I feel like I'm too old and won't be taken serious. No experience either
Same
i'm 56 and about to start a mig course
I've worked with apprentices older that you so I wouldn't worry about it! As long as you have a open mind and are willing to learn it's never to late to start a trade.
I’m 27, if you feel good get after it brother.
I"m 30 and I'm joining a local union apprenticeship program. If not now, when?
Underwater offshore welding and high altitude, high risk toxic/hazardous material project work is where the money is but requiring extensive training and certification but it's also where your life expectancy is quite low. But yea as a self taught welder in a garage in bumfracknoware you can make a living wage but won't make any big money as a welder.
I see a weird trend here in the USA, that people go to school, learn a trade and then cant find a job and have to pay tens of thousands of dollars in student debt. What is going on? why they say is in high demand if they are not willing to train new hires anymore?
I see the exact thing you’re talking about all the time! Thanks for pointing this out, I really should make a whole video on this. Here’s some quick reason why without writing a book for a reply.
1. Students come out of colleges cocky and entitled making them extremely hard to train on the job
2. The younger generation absolutely sucks at finding work. They say they try to get jobs but in reality all they do is send out their resume by email and expect the jobs to roll in.
3. Construction comes and goes in waves. Sometimes they need hundreds of thousands of people then 8 months later companies are laying off 60% of their workforce as they wait for the next bid.
4. Construction companies are absolutely horrible at advertising job openings.
5. Unions own a lot of the work in certain areas. They prefer to train and school new members themselves opposed to taking in college graduates.
Did you go to a welding school? If so would you recommend it ?
I didn’t go to welding school. But I do recommend going to an independent welding school that’s not associated with any collage.
How about women in this workplace? My daughter is interested, but I , as the mom, disapprove. What are opportunities for women as welders? Money is important, but doing sth she loves is more important as long as she has a job. Thnx
@@mtanis4 It is currently the best time so far for women to get into welding. Big companies and unions are trying to diversify their workforce and hire any woman that applies. Pretty much every union has a program to get women into the trade. She could easily walk into any union hall to drop off a resume and walk out with an apprenticeship.
So if she is interested there’s so much opportunity. Most of the large companies I work around offer women higher starting wages, offer more supervision opportunities, flexible about giving time off to women and in most cases will buy women welders better ppe and equipment.
That being said because of the big corporate side of industry giving all these opportunities to women instead of treating everyone equally there is a lot of resentment towards women welders from the rest of the male workforce. But as long as she works hard and is good at the job she won’t have resentment towards her from other welders. The only time I see women fail in the welding industry is if they fall into a job because of a friend or family member’s connections but they actually have no interest in it and are just there for the pay check. Fortunately that sounds like the opposite of your daughter so I’m sure if she becomes a welder there’s no doubt that she’ll have a good career!
New construction is the best work in the skilled trades. Stay away from maintenance work and outages. Always last minute emergencies that you'll get roped into at the end of shift. Filthy, hot, and noisy conditions with maintenance work.
Your right new construction is always the best! The only problem with it is a lot of new projects are only 40 hour weeks so there not always huge money makers. Outages and shut downs are always big money and if you can hit enough of them in a row you can make a ton of coin! Depending on what your priorities in life are at the time either type of job could be good.
I worked at bobcat. They started mig welders at $22.50 in NC
That’s pretty good!
I can make like 60 an hour bartending but no benefits so idk what to do
Great vid man! Do respirators cancel out all harmful fumes?
Depends what cartridge you using but the block up to 99%
Wow, thanks@@JTwelder.
After about 59years old the body started to fall apart, I'm 70 and its still falling apart Go become an electrician and this won't happen
People who want to be welders should watch this.
Yeah definitely!
“Guys” hey now us girls weld too 😅
Plenty of room
Did not hear anything about union aspects of many of the large company welding jobs, eg boilermakers will almost always be union, construction steel on large jobs ditto. If you are in the union then this will facilitate getting jobs for some projects, but not others. He mentions pipe fitters, which will also be union only. Unions can be good or so-so or bad depending......
It might be all union where you live but theres people from all over the world watching this video. So where I live there is a non union side to every trade including boilermakers and pipefitters. It would take a whole other video to explain the pros and cons of union vs non union so that's why I didn't get into it.
40 hours a week? Not sure who you guys are working for.
I worked 72 hours a week for 3 years, It wasn’t worth it, plus job get dull pretty quickly. Everyone is different, but don’t get caught up in hype, job will be difficult and extremely challenging at times.
So your getting all your information from your one 3 year experience. Just because that's the way it was for you doesn't mean the rest of the world is like that. There's a ton of welding and production shops that only run 40 hour weeks. Where I live union construction is mostly all 4 ten hour shifts a week. Storage tank welders also mostly do 40 hours a week, plant maintenance welders are often on a 40 hour a week schedule. Your hours of work all depend on which company you work for and what situation you put yourself in.
How do find the higher paying jobs if I’m good at welding
Hi Jacob. I’ve been a full-time pastor for the past 12 years and am looking to leave vocational ministry and begin a new career. I’m 46 years old. I am very interested in a welding career.
I currently live in Asheville, NC but am seriously considering relocating to Charleston, SC. On the coast.
How would you suggest I go about learning to weld, gain experience, etc. in that area? Are there specific types of welding you would suggest I pursue in a coastal region? Thank you so much Jacob.
I would start by looking into welding courses offered by private welding schools that aren't part of a college. they'll have a variety of courses and know what type of work in in demand in the area.
@@JTwelder. Thank you!
Im in hendersonville,nc and been a welder/fabricator for 30 plus yrs here in fab shops and last 16 in aerospace.A good community college program,and focus on tig and stick welding.Learn mig but mainly setup of as that's the most critical part most miss.Practice every minute possible.If you learn stick properly in every position the other processes are easily learned.Know what your in for like intense heat,burns etc on most jobs.Wish you the best.I made a decent living in the mountains but the big money is on the road
My cousin went to school for 10 weeks and has been welding 5 months and made roughly 45k he’s 1 hour from his hometown. If you live in Texas chances are you can work 3-4 hours from home making 2-4k a week if you don’t want to travel the states it’s all about networking if non union
Wow 4k a week are you serious that's good money
Repair automotive rust. You right away become a 1% person if you are good. You will have close to no competition & you can name your own prices. If you stray into truck & tractor rust repair, you become 0.5%er. Pay is commensurate.
I was looking into becoming a welder just cause im struggling financially, but after watching this video… i rather go be a server lol. I have a single car hauler but not enough work, so i have to alternate gigs. Is a complete fucking headache. At this point im just thinking about selling my truck n trailer and take that $$$$$ and put it in stocks.
i am considering this trade since my years as a carpenter has fucked up my knee. im thinking welder at a factory could be good for me and not very exhausting for my knee
Yeah you could work as a production welder.
Production welding blows goats. Get into cabinetry if you have woodworking experience. Far more satisfying.
It doesn't pay as much as it should. All the welders I know are living average but live like gypsies chasing jobs. Better off just finding something stable close to home. Remember 28/hr is the new minimum wage and that's in the poorest state in the nation, and most under paid state Arizona
Stable and close to home sounds like a poor man's game. Big time welding definitely isn't for everyone. Some guys make very good coin and still have a great work-life balance. It's all about what you do with your money and not how much you make. Welding is one rare career that can give a big payout and a lot of freedom because of the demand. It's possible to make 6 figures yearly without any college or schooling in your first years on the job . So for those who want to take the risk and be ambitious the reward is out there.
@JTwelder those days are over pal. Trust me. On the road welders gotta spend most of their paycheck on 3,000 a month motel and then food and then gotta worry about a mortgage or rent back home. And that's on the low end. Trust me I have friends and family out there working and not on the mom n pop companies. You can make a decent living working close to home you just gotta learn the game. Even at 28 an hr which is what at home pay is. You gotta make your money go to work. Becoming financially literate and learning a lil about the SP500 for starters is a good place to start along with Life insurance in an index fund and all that good stuff and not through some employer type bs.
@@navajorezathlete1202 Trust you? Your not even a welder! I have a lot of friends that are miners but I don't claim to know a thing about being a miner. Stick to what you know and try to give advice on a subject you actually are involved in lol.
@JTwelder I never mentioned anything about a mine. Welders are a dime a dozen and the jobs worth goin to are far between. I'm sorry you don't understand the facts. I don't need to lay out my resume for you. Take it or leave it. It is what it is. You can make a living living on the road like a gypsy go right ahead. Have a great day
Is Arizona a bad place for welders? I wanna go to UTI for their classes but I'm unsure if its worth the career, I'm not expecting 100k, but I'd like around 50k hopefully, and obviously I'd like to work up to 60k.
What about retired military ppl who become welders do they end up making a lot and being hired quickly
Yeah companies definitely like hiring military guys as apprentices. We have a program in Ontario Canada called "helmets to hard hats" that gets military vets into the skilled union trades.
Thanks.......needed that info ......like welding but don't want to spend 10 years getting to 100k q year
Big industry and unions are the best bet!
Many thanks bro
How do i work at a fab shop at 18? Gonna join a trade school after i get my diploma but want to get some experience before then
Walk in with a resume and apply for a job
I wish I would have seen this video 5 years ago... I was a welder for the last 5 years and it was detrimental for my health breathing that stuff in. I left making $30 an hour to become an electrician without having to breath the fumes and make the same if not more in a few years
Yeah I never recommend welding to anyone unless they already have a big interest in it. There a whole lot of job that are less dangerous and pay the same.
Any tips on how to advance your welding career?
Get a job at a company that does bigger more complicated jobs than where you work now.
@@JTwelder. ok thank you sir I’ll do just that
@@JTwelder. I work in a welding shop doing poles for electric companies. Any other industries I should look more into?
Thank you for this video❤
in europe, welders earn way more money than office workers, and there is lack of welders. But low pay will be there for first 2-3 years, and if you dont weld good enough, you wont get job, they will test you doing like a4 a5 a6 a8 a12 a16 a20 weldes both horizontal and vertical, and ultrasound test your welds when applying for companies. You can be with 10 year experience, but no employer would call you a welder, if you cant do those quality welds. EU has huge pay for welders, but 80% of people who consider themselves welders, will never be considered welders.
Good stuff, love you!
Con: burns in the most tender of places
Pro: Fun burn stories to tell people 😂
If you own a shop be unique make stuff others can’t do
Basically the only way to do unique stuff that others can't do is buy the equipment required to preform specialty work like fancy benders/rollers, water jet table etc. All that stuff is a huge investment so it's not always practical. If you don't have the money or knowledge to run that equipment than it's better to just offer good quality fair priced work that's done on time and have good communication with the customer.