7 Reasons Why Welding Is A Good Career To Consider

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There are many different types of careers out there in the world. With each possibility, you need to do a little self-assessing. Pursuing welding as a profession can be incredibly rewarding, but there is something that needs a bit of asking about said career choice:

Is welding a good career? If so, why is it a good career? With welding, there is to be a steady increase by about 3-4% in terms of job outlook due to the high demand for their services. This, in turn, allows for many welders to earn high, increasing salaries averaging about 80,000$ a year.

7 reasons why welding is a good career

It all depends on the understanding and the knowledge behind what welding is and what it deals with in order to reach a good paying salary. Another thing to understand is more or less the qualification of getting the welding certificate and how to start branding yourself as a welder from that point forward.

Why Is Welding A Good Career?

Welding, in short, is much like any other career in terms of performance and handling yourself in the workplace and efforts. With that said, welding is a good career to get into and is currently in high demand. That means the industry is booming and paying well to the experienced welders, allowing nice cash flow to pour out for their services. Of course, here are a few additional reasons as well as to why welding is a good career.

No Need For College Degrees

no need for a college degree for a welding career

What makes welding a good career choice to make and perform well on is that the time to study and train for welding is minimal. There is no need to go and take college-level courses and pursue a degree in welding, much like every other career path requires.

Instead, with welding, all you need is to enter a vocational school that has welding programs and starts from there. Once you pass the vocational school, there are tons of entry-level jobs to choose from afterward.

Some do go into apprenticeships, but for the most part, they can last up to two years. A benefit for that, however, is that you work on the spot, allowing for more experience than those who went to a vocational school.

There Is A High Demand

7 reasons why welding is a good career: mig welding a pipe
Weldscientist, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

According to the American Welding Society, there is to be a shortage of welders by the time 2024 arrives by about 400,000. A reason for this shortage is due to the lack of knowledge on the welding career as well as educators persuading students to pursue college degrees with the notion that welding will get you “nowhere” or to a “dead-end job.” This is all biased opinions as many of these educators want their students to enter university rather than honing their skills in labor-type works such as welding.

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However, despite this shortage, according to the Bureau of Labor, back in 2018, there is an expected growth of about 3-4% of welders due to the high demand by many big business/companies. Though it may seem small compared to other career choices, this is still a major development for many entering the welding career path moving forward.

This high demand also allows many people in the welding business to boom significantly and earn major opportunities to work with well-known companies all so that they can perform their welding services. Because of this high demand as well, there is also an increase in salary for many welders, increasing their pay from about 20$ an hour to about 35 to even 45$ an hour.

Pretty neat if you ask me, no?

Unique Skills & Experience

Unlike any other type of career path, welding is one that is hands-on, almost similar to a woodman at his woodwork shop. Using that analogy, welding utilizes major important skills such as attention to detail, precision, decision-making, and critical thinking that enables a person to see the job through to the end and get it done right.

The tools are also something that is important to understand and use carefully and with precise accuracy as it is also a dangerous job. Another thing about welding is that the experience is something that is well rewarded and accomplished.

It Is Easier To Reach The Top

Since welding is something that is on high demand, that also means that the career isn’t as competitive as many others, such as legal services, real estate, or even insurance. Welding careers are easier to get into and climb the competitive ladder, making you a big brand for companies to request in just a few years.

You Can Be Your Own Boss

With welding, you can easily become the boss of your own business. As there is continuously high demand, welders can establish themselves to become big business owners and provided their services to those who require them. That also means that you determine the time you get to go to work and what time you get to leave and enjoy the rest of the day with your family or friends.

Sense Of Accomplishment

Again like all career paths, nothing is more satisfying than seeing a project be sought through to the end. Likewise, welding has this overwhelming sensation of accomplishment when a project has been dealt with precisely and perfectly. Considering that this is a work that is handed out, the gratification that you were able to create something long-lasting and perfectly built is truly something to be proud of. In reality, not many careers have this sense of achievement.

The Productivity

productivity is one reason welding is a great career
via Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images

Welding requires a lot of a productive attitude. That means that you are constantly going through the motions of the project, and you are always hands-on even if you assign specific tasks to your peers involved. The amount of skills needed for welding too is something to consider, as stated above, and it is something to keep you on your toes until the project is done.

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So that means you’re not always stuck behind a desk and an office space all the time- you are living in it as you are handling the project!

Do Welders Make Good Money?

Welders do have a nice paying salary considering the high demand for the services. Many who start their own business or work as freelancers can earn roughly up to 50,000$ a year, if not more, depending on the experience and time they’ve been in the career. Some make about 100,000$ and have worked with many other companies as well, but these case do seem rare for the most part despite there being a demand for the services.

Of course, like any other career path starting out, it is also important to have a few side jobs along the way while you are establishing yourself as a well-known welder. Aside from that, the opportunities to make good money are endless with welding services.

You can even get paid as an apprentice. Although a position as a welders apprentice is paid, it won’t make you wealthy. It’s just a sweet side benefit to learning the trade. Learn more at our article on paid welding apprenticeships here.

What Was The Highest Paying Welding Job?

While we are on the subject of the salary earnings of welding, the highest paid job for welding was about 43.50$ an hour in areas in the U.S such as Alaska. There are other areas in the U.S like North Dakota and even Hawaii, who have paid welders for roughly 39.50$ an hour. These states alone average a welder’s salary of about 100,000$ a year. However, keep in mind that the option to own your own business is always there. This gives you the option to make as much as you want to earn potentially.

Benjamin

Hello, I'm Ben and welding has been a great outlet for me creatively for over 5 years now.

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