Welders enjoy a vocation that allows them to work with their hands and do activities that are critical to the creation of equipment and other metal-based goods and structures.
Welding, the process of joining metal components together by heating them to a high temperature, is widely employed in the industrial and construction sectors.
As a prospective welder, you’ve landed on the correct page. Welding is one of our favourite hobbies and professions, but it isn’t for everyone. You should not make a choice until you have considered both the positive and negative aspects of the situation.
A college education isn’t always worth the cost. Even President Obama agrees. Majoring in something that doesn’t lead to a high-paying profession, quitting school or taking too long to finish school might leave students with little hope of finding work.
For the last four decades, tuition at public universities has risen five times faster than inflation, according to The Economist. Meanwhile, graduation incomes have remained stagnant.
Is Welding A Good Career For You?
People frequently ponder if welding is a viable career option given the wide range of options available. To be successful in welding, you’ll need both talent and perseverance. It’s not a career for the faint of heart.
With that said, there are several advantages to welding that make it an attractive career choice for many people.
So, is a profession in welding one to pursue? Welders often sing the praises of their work and promote the many advantages of welding as a vocation.
Overall, a job in welding may be beneficial if you are able to work in hazardous situations, long hours, and are not afraid of smoke and fire. You may be one of the many welders who appreciate their profession and all it has to offer.
People who want to be welders are drawn to the profession because of the rewarding nature of the job and the high salaries that come from it.
Those who work as full-time welders are highly sought after, and many employers provide health insurance and dental care as part of their compensation packages.
Ask welders or people in sectors that employ and support welders for their perspectives on the pros and cons of pursuing a career in welding if you have any doubts. Consult with welding professors or career counsellors at local community colleges that provide welding courses and learn as much as you can from them over the phone or one-on-one.
Benefits To A Career In Welding
Welders have a high social status in the trades community because of their status as welders. Everyone has the ability to become a welder provided they work hard and are well-suited for the job.
People who work as welders receive a better than average rate of compensation in the trades, as well as a steady increase in salary as they develop experience and expertise.
Working as a welder may entitle you to a sizable salary, as well as comprehensive health, dental, and retirement plans, as well as life insurance.
As long as you’re a talented welder who is dependable and trustworthy, you’ll never be without a job provided you satisfy the needs and expectations of your employers.
Reasons Welding is a Great Career Choice
It’s Easy to Get Into
Welding takes no formal education or even experience to become a welder. More knowledge is always better, but the beautiful thing about this profession is that you can learn it all on the job, even if you have no prior experience.
It is possible to learn how to weld at home with a little aid from the internet and then establish your own home-based company with enough experience.
There’s a Huge Demand for Welders
Welders are in high demand all around the globe, sometimes in more numbers than are on hand. As a result, welding is an excellent career choice since you’ll never run out of work if you’ve got a good work ethic.
Even if World War III breaks out, welders will be able to continue welding, only in a different profession. What occurred during World War II is an example of this.
It’s Easy to Climb the Ladder
Because of the high need for welders, advancement in the welding sector is very simple. The more work there is, the more opportunities there are for advancement in your profession.
Every few welders need the presence of a manager. Having a crew working beneath you implies that you may weld at the same time. It’s not unusual to see persons who have just completed their apprenticeships assigned to supervise employees.
It Pays Well
If you continue with welding for even a short period of time, you can make a decent amount of money. Welders start off making about $40,000 a year, but their salaries rise steadily, reaching anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000 after a few years in the business.
Despite the fact that welding itself pays quite well, there are a wide variety of welding employment available because of the high demand. As your welding skills improve, you might earn a higher salary. The more welders you manage under your direction, the more money you’ll make.
You Can Travel the World as a Welder
Welding is a great career choice if you want to travel the world while making money. It is simple to get work as a welder in other countries due to the global need for trained welders and the similarity of welding procedures.
For the most part, the best way to explore a nation and get a feel for its culture is to work there for some time. If you go to a new nation to expand your welding horizons, you’ll discover a wealth of new techniques. You may be able to work on projects that you would never be able to work on in your own country when you are working overseas.
It’s Easy to Pick up Side Work if You Need Extra Income
Welding is an excellent side job if you like to remain in your area and are looking to save some money. There are several ways to supplement your full-time income with side gigs, like operating a part-time welding business, producing your own goods, and even doing contract work over the holidays.
It’s Easy to Start Your Own Business
Establishing a welding company full-time is far simpler than starting any other kind of business, just as starting a side job is. If you’re a welder, you have the opportunity to build a successful business that pays well and creates employment for others.
It’s Enjoyable to Work
To begin with, welding is a lot of fun, but there are also a lot of exciting career options. The majority of welders like their work, and we’re certain that we’re not the only ones.
It’s gratifying to take on the task of weaving a weld to produce a sturdy segment with a pleasing appearance. The joy of turning a few scraps of metal into something spectacular that looks wonderful and serves a certain function is something that never seems to wear off.
You Learn Valuable Skills to Use Outside Work
Working in a workshop may be quite rewarding, and you’ll pick up a slew of practical skills that you can use in your daily life.
It’s fantastic to be able to weld at home for personal projects or to lend a hand to friends. Welders learn a variety of technical skills that may be used to their personal lives, whether they want to work on their automobiles, fix their homes, or go fishing or hunting.
No matter what else you do with your time, the practical skills you get in a workshop will make your life more enjoyable and less stressful outside of it.
There’s Plenty of Diversity Within the Industry
There are so many facets to the welding business. Learn to weld with a wide variety of metals, as well as a wide range of tasks.
Some workshops specialise in a single kind of fabrication, while others specialise in a wide variety of various types of fabrication. The scope of the welding business as a whole is huge.
Working for only a few different firms throughout your lifetime will expose you to an astonishing range of experiences.
The familiarity of the weld itself, regardless of the metal type or welding procedure, is the same for simplicity of learning, and variety keeps things interesting.
A lot of repetition is necessary for learning, but too much of it may be tedious and monotonous. The repetition of the welds itself may help you become an expert welder while yet exposing you to a wide variety of variances in your work and surroundings.
The Disadvantages of Being a Welder
Welding Injuries
Welders have a greater injury risk than many other vocations because they operate with tremendous heat and huge chunks of metal.
In 2007, eye injuries accounted for nearly 25% of all welding accidents, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
Welders must also be aware of UV rays, burns, and falling items while welding from a height, and must take care not to slide and fall.
It is mandatory for all welders to wear protective gear and undergo safety training in order to reduce the likelihood of an accident. No matter whether the welder uses electric arc welding or oxygen-acetylene welding, certain safety measures are necessary.
Work Schedule
Welders should anticipate to work schedules that include evenings and weekends, while the details vary from company to business.
Since many industrial companies need continuous output, welders may work shifts ranging from eight to twelve hours long. Extra hours are permissible due to the industry’s strict work schedule.
Work Environment
Whatever the setting or the sort of welding required, the job of a welder is anything but a desk position. Even in inclement weather, welders may be required to work outdoors.
Proper ventilation is important to protect employees from breathing harmful particles, gases, and other contaminants that may be present in an enclosed area.
Welders may be required to operate from elevated platforms, such as scaffolding or other buildings. Boiler repair workers are often forced to work in cramped spaces.
Physically Demanding
Even while welding might need extended periods of concentrated effort, the physical demands of the job are considerable.
Standing for long periods of time and executing repeated actions need welders to pay close attention to the smallest details, making the work more taxing than it seems. In addition, welding duties need lifting heavy metal and other equipment and stooping in awkward postures.
It’s dirty
This isn’t always the case, though. Stainless steel TIG welders and underwater welders don’t have to worry about getting their hands filthy.
However, in most other welding processes, it’s a mess. Welding leaves you covered in black paint and metal dust, so you’ll need to wash your hands well before you can do anything else.
In our opinion, this is the most difficult component of welding, yet it can be done. When it comes to cleaning, your hands are the most difficult.
If this is an issue for you, however, wearing gloves is an easy solution. The gloves you wear when welding are mandatory, although it’s typically quicker to do preparatory and finishing tasks on projects without them. Keep your hands as clean as possible by wearing lightweight gloves.
It’s physical and practical
Those who want to work in an office all day may not be suited for welding. Physical exertion and practical coordination are required to perfect welding.
It’s not as physically demanding as working as a builder, but there’s still a lot of lifting and clambering involved, which might turn off some individuals. We appreciate this side of welding, but it’s not something we’d suggest to someone who isn’t into hard labour.
It Takes Persistence
As a beginner, welding might be a challenge. Once you’ve mastered the basics, the more difficult tasks generally need a little more effort to discover the most efficient method to perform them. Both phases of the process need perseverance. To be a welder, you must be able to master new skills and persevere despite obstacles.
Welding, on the other hand, intrigues us. Having the opportunity to acquire new skills and discover creative solutions to problems is a great part of welding.
It’s Looked Down Upon by Machinists
Welders tend to be looked down upon by machinists/fitters and turners in the mechanical engineering trades. We’ve spent some time in both camps, and we don’t have much respect for the machinists who hold such a view.
Welding is a skill that most machinists have, but they prefer to utilise their equipment for it since it is more difficult. Some machinists may assume they’re better than you if you work for a major company with welding and machining departments.
Some Workshops Are Tough to Work In
Many of the smaller workshops may be difficult to work in, although this is not true of all of them. Apprentices at “old school” workshops had a tough time until they rose through the ranks. This isn’t as acceptable as it once was in the workplace, but it’s especially difficult for someone just starting out.
Sending apprentices on a search for nonexistent goods like a can of gas or a left-handed screwdriver is a popular method of therapy.
Apprentices have been tied to flagpoles nude, their lunchboxes filled with paint or grinding dust, or their vehicle keys hidden. If you find yourself working in a smaller store that still adheres to the “old school” ethos, it might be difficult for you to adapt to the modern workplace.
If you’re concerned about this, you can swiftly resolve it by doing some internet research and speaking with others who have worked at the firm you’re considering. To choose the best location to work as a welder, you’ll need to do some research.
Is Welding Right for You?
The investment in welding school is apparent, but does this job route suit you? In contrast to the monotony of an office job, the busy life of a welder may be more to your taste, particularly if you love working with your hands.
Having good arithmetic skills and an eye for fine detail are a must for welders, as they examine blueprints, evaluate constructions, and calculate the size of the things they will be joining together.
Consider a career in welding if these interests and abilities match your own. Your welding training may be completed in as little as seven months, which is far faster than the traditional university approach.
Welding is only one of a number of different careers that people might pursue. For those who desire a fulfilling and interesting job that has a positive impact on their community, welding is an excellent option.
Get a welder to get an idea of if being paid for welding is something you’d be interested in pursuing professionally.
Conclusion
Welding is commonly used in both the manufacturing and building industries because it is a fast and reliable method of joining metal parts together. In order to succeed, you need a combination of natural ability and dedication, making it difficult to achieve. Welding, on the other hand, has a number of benefits, including high salaries and a satisfying work environment. When asked about the benefits of welding as a career, most welders will extol the virtues of their trade. Learn as much as you can over the phone or in person from welding instructors or career counsellors at nearby community colleges if you have any questions.
Being a welder confers a high level of respect and esteem within the trades community. They are paid more than the average tradesperson, and their wages rise steadily as they gain experience and expertise. Since becoming a welder does not necessitate prior training or education, and the pay is good, it is a popular career option. You can learn to weld on your own time with the help of the internet, and once you have enough experience, you can start your own welding business from the comfort of your own home. Even if World War III breaks out, welders will still be in demand around the world and will be able to find work in welding in some other capacity.
If you want to see the world and make a living, welding is a fantastic profession to pursue. Due to the widespread need for qualified welders and the universality of welding practises, finding work as a welder abroad is relatively simple. You’ll get to put your creative skills to use while doing something you enjoy, like weaving a weld to create a sturdy, aesthetically pleasing piece of metal. If you wish to stay in the area and are in need of a supplementary income, welding is a great option. As a result of their training, welders acquire practical technical expertise that benefits them in other areas of their lives as well.
Welders need to be cautious of UV rays, burns, and falling objects while working at heights, and the industry as a whole is quite varied. In addition to receiving safety training, they are required to wear protective clothing. As a result of the rigid work schedule of the industry, welders should be prepared to work nights, weekends, and occasionally overtime. As you can imagine, welding is not an office job. Welding work involves heavy lifting of metal and other equipment, as well as the adoption of stooping, crouching, and other unnatural positions that can cause strain on the back and other body parts.
It’s a combination of physical labour and careful coordination in the real world. Learning the fundamentals takes time, and the same can be said for mastering the more challenging tasks. Although most machinists are also capable welders, they typically prefer to use their machinery for this task because of the added difficulty it presents. Workshops can be unpleasant places to work, and machinists tend to look down on it. Ripped shirts have been tied around flagpoles, lunchboxes have been stuffed with paint or grinding dust, and car keys have been hidden from apprentices.
Welding is a great profession for people who want to make a difference in their local communities while also finding their work interesting and rewarding. If you’re good with numbers and have a keen eye for detail, you can finish it in as little as seven months. Finding the right place to work as a welder requires some legwork, including asking around and listening to the advice of those who have been there before. Invest in a welder if you’re curious about the profession’s potential earning potential.
Content Summary
- So, is a profession in welding one to pursue?
- As your welding skills improve, you might earn a higher salary.
- Welding is a great career choice if you want to travel the world while making money.
- It is simple to get work as a welder in other countries due to the global need for trained welders and the similarity of welding procedures.
- No matter what else you do with your time, the practical skills you get in a workshop will make your life more enjoyable and less stressful outside of it.
- Learn to weld with a wide variety of metals, as well as a wide range of tasks.
- The scope of the welding business as a whole is huge.
- When it comes to cleaning, your hands are the most difficult.
- Keep your hands as clean as possible by wearing lightweight gloves.
- Having the opportunity to acquire new skills and discover creative solutions to problems is a great part of welding.
- Welders tend to be looked down upon by machinists/fitters and turners in the mechanical engineering trades.
- Some machinists may assume they’re better than you if you work for a major company with welding and machining departments.
- Many of the smaller workshops may be difficult to work in, although this is not true of all of them.
- To choose the best location to work as a welder, you’ll need to do some research.
- Consider a career in welding if these interests and abilities match your own.
- Get a welder to get an idea of if being paid for welding is something you’d be interested in pursuing professionally.
FAQs About Metal
Is Welding a Bad Career Choice?
So, is welding a good career? Welding is an excellent career, and welders commonly praise their profession and extol the many benefits they get from welding as a career. Overall, if you can handle extreme conditions, long hours, and smoke and fire regularly, a career in welding can be rewarding.
Is Welding Hard on the Body?
Welding can have an impact on your body over time. This can be reduced by using proper welding supplies – without proper equipment, you run the risk of damaging your body, hands, eyesight and more. As you weld, you’ll often have to put your body in positions that will cause soreness or strained muscles.
What Is Stressful About Being a Welder?
Welders can very easily burn or seriously hurt themselves. This has a tendency to create stress. You’re also working under demanding deadlines. Often you have to work at night or outdoors (because you’re on a construction project and it’s hard to build a building indoors).
Is Welding High Risk Work?
Welding is a potentially hazardous activity and precautions are required to avoid electrocution, fire and explosion, burns, electric shock, vision damage, inhalation of poisonous gases and fumes, and exposure to intense ultraviolet radiation.
How Long Do Welders Work a Day?
Welders work full-time and often must work overtime. They can work up to 10 hours a day if needed. They primarily work outdoors and are exposed to hazardous situations on a daily basis. They may work in confined spaces, on scaffolding, or in inclement weather.
