Welding Careers

A big shortage of welders in the U.S. is opening up opportunities for those that can adopt to the less than stellar working environment of welding. According to the American Welding Society, by the end of 2008 there will be a shortage of around 200,000 welders in the country. A shortage of that magnitude could be a new lifeline for people that are facing long term unemployment prospects. Welding salaries vary widely. They can range from entry level to more than the average college graduate can make. Welding pays are usually higher for field welders than for shop welders or for specialized welding process certification. Field welding usually requires more welding skill than bench welding in a shop and specialized welding requires additional training to pass the certification test.

Becoming a welding professional requires some not so obvious skills. One of the more important aspects of welding is the ability to read and interpret blueprints and welding symbols. This ability is needed because most welders are also fabricators. They actually make the pieces that they weld together from dimensions given on blueprints or sketches. A knowledge of the different forms and shapes of steel is also part of the learning process. Different cutting methods such as ban saw, oxy-fuel, chop saw, or plasma-arc are other skills to be learned. And you haven't even struck an arc yet! Don't worry, these skills can be learned at a welding school or through an apprenticeship if you're lucky enough to find one accepting new apprentices. I was lucky enough to go through an apprenticeship at a shipyard.

Manual welding is the ability to control a puddle of molten metal and make it fuse two separate pieces into one assembly. The size of this molten puddle can vary greatly depending on the actual welding process and other factors such as welding electrode size. The welding arc will actually cut into the base metal on both sides of the joint while it also melts the welding electrode or wire. The welding puddle will fill in this penetrated area when properly controlled. Proper control is where the skill comes into play. What you are controlling is the arc current, electrode or cup angle to the work, electrode or cup spacing to the work, and travel speed of the puddle--all at the same time. Any one of these that are not properly controlled can cause a defect in the weld. When you learn to concentrate your sight on the welding puddle and how it fills this crater and learn to disregard the arc, your welding skills will improve dramatically.

The average welding environment is about as far from an office job as you can get. Grinding, burning, and welding operations produce silica dust and smoke that contains moderate amounts of heavy metal--definitely not the kind you dance to. The welding arc produces high amounts of ultra-violet radiation. The electricity causes high amounts of electro-magnetic radiation. Sparks and molten metal tend to fly around frequently. Noise levels are moderate to high in shop environments. That's the bad news. The good news is that there is protective gear available. Unfortunately, few welders actually use all the protective gear available and tend to wear only what is actually required. Minimum safety gear for welding is 6" boots, welding gloves, safety glasses, long pants and shirt--preferably cotton, hearing protection, and a welding hood. Some operations require more protection such as a welding jacket. After my first lung full of welding fumes, I added a cartridge respirator to any job without good air flow. A high tolerance for occasional pain is a plus for a welder. You will get burned eventually.

Welding is definitely tough work and not for everyone, but the pay is decent if you can get used to the harsh work environment. Welding requires good eye hand coordination and lots of arc time to become proficient. It also requires lots of patience--especially while you are learning. Once welding skills are gained, it is a trade that you can fall back on even if you decide to move on to something else. I've worked with welders that had college degrees in fields that went bust during a recession. If a welding career is something that you are considering, then now is a great time to actually make a move. Usually, unionized welders make more money per hour than non-union welders. Some of the unions that hire apprentices are:

Ironworkers Union

United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters

United Steelworkers

Union Millwrights and Machine Erectors

Boilermakers Union

Machinist and Areospace Workers Union

The above unions are a good starting point for your search for an apprenticeship. Some large private companies also have their own in-house apprenticeship programs. The more you search, the more you will come up with.

Another welding career path is welding inspection. The majority of welding codes require different forms of welding inspection. You do not neccessarily need a welding background to become a welding inspector. But, when the inevitable borderline accept or reject decision needs to be made, having a solid welding background gives you the added experience and confidence that you are making the right decision. Welding inspection processes vary widely and also require training and certification.

Welding engineering is another welding career path that can be taken. Welding engineering usually involves developing welding processes and procedures on different materials. Complex assemblies, robotic welding, finding the most cost effective welding process, or dissimilar material joining are a few of the challenges that a welding engineer may face. Whatever path you decide to take, good luck with your new welding career.