Welding Career?

[MMW]

The area of the country you are in will have a big effect on if it's worth it or not.

I can only speak for my general location. Here good welding jobs are almost non-existent anymore. The majority of them has long gone as industry has moved away. What is left is low paying. Even skilled welding jobs are only offering $12-15 an hour. You can't live decently around here for that. Sure there will be the exception but few & far between.

The only way to make decent money here is to be on your own but that is no guarantee either as the rate of failed small businesses is very, very high. If I had to rely only on welding for income I would not do it. You need to be able to weld all processes, fabricate almost anything, engineer stuff & be very mechanical as well. Then of course you need to have a good business skills.

[mbcolclasure]

Welding Career?

This is all really good advice and info! I appreciate it all! I worked with my hands before I got into IT(paint and body) and I didn't think I would miss it but I truly do. I understand that IT will probably have better opportunities financially but I'm at a point where I want to do something I enjoy and take full interest in. I'm just unsure if it's possible to make a career change at the age of 30, but your advice will encourage me to at least explore the opportunities. Thanks y'all!

[wroughtnharv]

You will probably be really good at welding. After all it is following the same path mechanics and machinist trades are leading us down. The welders ten years from now will be watching welding robots do the work the same way machinists watch CNC machines do their work now.

I have an a/c issue with my 2003 C5500 and so the other day I spent most of the day in a waiting room while some mechanics tried to figure it out. After quitting time the owner of the shop took me back to the truck and apologized for not having his number one guy look at it until just now. The other guys did the old school problem solving and had as much luck as myself. The number one guy was an old dude but he had this trick laptop. He explained and demonstrated using the lap top to put the a/c unit through it's cycles by overriding this thing and the other. He estimated it would take him a half day to make it work like it should.

The biggest thing we have to deal with on everything is change. There's no reason to believe welding will be any different. Your expertise in IT might make you a better welder than the guy with Associates Degree in metal work.

[Burnt hands]

Here are my thoughts prefaced with a few questions.

1 - What type of IT work are you presently doing?
Network and firewall maintenance, updating software, or other.
A little info would be helpful here.

2 - Do you know what the welders in your company earn as a basis of comparison?

If possible, I would speak with your company welders and ask what type of welding their work involves.

If you can find a mentor or a local technical school which offers evening classes in welding, this may be an option to try before you decide.

Any job can become routine and boring - look at all the recent mess with the White House Secret Service agents.

[kerr74]

Welding Career?

I assume you never welded before...if so that's a good thing....no bad habits...find a mentor or somebody to teach you the right way to do things(welding processes)

[mbcolclasure]

Hello, I need some advice/answers from career welders out there. I'm currently working in IT and I'm bored out of my mind and I'm considering moving into the welding career. The company I work for employs welders. Any advice on learning/certification and is it possible to make a good starting pay? Thanks!