Blue-collar welding yields white-collar pay

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http://www.ajc.com/search/content/sh..._1103_COX.htmlHere is an article I thought might perk folks up.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Thanks..i needed that... ...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I would like to check out more information about the under water welding gig. Not because of the money., it seems pretty cool. The money does help though....lol
Reply:thats an awsome artical Becuase well im going to get my AA in welding by next fall so hopefully I will be making more then $50,000 a year..right on
Reply:Originally Posted by Weldingyota92thats an awsome artical Becuase well im going to get my AA in welding by next fall so hopefully I will be making more then $50,000 a year..right on
Reply:Originally Posted by MustangousI would like to check out more information about the under water welding gig. Not because of the money., it seems pretty cool. The money does help though....lol
Reply:Apparently in australia working in the mines in western australia, the northern territory and northern queensland you can earn $100,000- 150,000 a year for just being a normal trades man, herd this from three seperate sources and one was even talking about a mate of his (3rd year apprentice) earning $1200 a week! I know were im going.Last edited by mat; 11-05-2006 at 01:01 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by matApparently in Australia working in the mines in western Australia, the northern territory and northern Queensland you can earn $100,000- 150,000 a year for just being a normal trades man, herd this from three separate sources and one was even talking about a mate of his (3rd year apprentice) earning $1200 a week! I know were im going.
Reply:sounds like a "man camp" type of job...where you have nothing there to eat but what they provide.  No nothing that they don't provide...except for the stuff you take when you go.
Reply:Part of the article that I thought was interesting is the demographics of weldors.  The average age is pretty high.  I was reading a similar article that was talking about linemen (electrical).  Their average pay has been outpacing inflation because of the steady rise in demand and the steady decline in the share of the population entering the trade combined with increasing retirements.  The same appears to be true for some welding occupations.  You can't outsource a pipeline built in Texas to Asia.  Now, obviously, this article was written for the fab show in Atlanta, so their target audience is pretty clear, but here is what I do know about GA.  The number of welding programs here has dropped drastically over the past 20 years.  Used to be, almost every public highschool had some sort of industrial arts program that included welding (at least a little welding).  Now, most of those are gone.  Similarly, most of our VoTech post secondary schools had welding degree progams.  Now, those welding programs are located at a few schools across the state and folks that want to learn must travel a pretty long distance for the training.  Up north, trade unions and apprenticeship programs provide a lot of the training, but we don't have much of that here.  I guess the way I see it is the supply of weldors is eventually going to become a serious factor in wages for weldors.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:In our shop there are nine over thirty years, one tradesman at 27 and two apprentices in their early twenties.  This is quite typical.  A serious shortage of qualified tradesman is happening.  I am seeing companies increasing their investment in labour saving devices such as more cranes, forklifts and positioners.   Also more semiautomatic and fully automatic welding equipment will be needed.  The Boomers are retiring.
Reply:Originally Posted by matApparently in australia working in the mines in western australia, the northern territory and northern queensland you can earn $100,000- 150,000 a year for just being a normal trades man, herd this from three seperate sources and one was even talking about a mate of his (3rd year apprentice) earning $1200 a week! I know were im going.
Reply:Originally Posted by KRS$1200 a week is only $62,400 per year... gross.
Reply:Wow, I guess the east coast is the place to be welding.   Here in coastal southern California, 30-40K a year is peanuts and even 50-60K isn't much if you're trying to raise a family on one income, considering a house out here cost 500K and up and gas hardly ever goes below 2.50 a gallon...  On top of that, we have an overabundance of cheap Mexican labor (both legal and illegal) available here that keeps both skilled and unskilled blue collar wages down in the dumps.  Oh and dont get all bent outta shape about the Mexican comment... I'm hispanic myself.   Up around Los Angeles there are more manufacturing jobs, but down here around San Diego, manufacturing is not a big industry.   The people making the money down here are in management, law, medecine, engineering and computer-related tech jobs.  Light manufacturing jobs start around $8 an hour and top out around $15.  That would probly be good money in Alabama or Oklahoma or Arkansas where the cost of living is so low, but here in California the cost of living is sky high and that money just doesn't go very far.   A non-union welding manufacturing position only brings in 2 or 3 more bucks an hour than comparable non-welding positions.   I work in welding because I like it, certainly not because I'm making big bucks at it!
Reply:Here in TN, you can start at McDonalds as a cashier, at $7.10..and the cost of living isn't bad at all.  Gas is now just under $2/gallon.
Reply:I think smithboy has it. It's no wonder there's fewer American kids in the trades. In many places we've eliminated shop classes and cut back on vo-tech programs. Suburban kids like myself, with office worker parents, were never even exposed to experience in the trades. We get pushed into college instead. I never had a shop class. Thank God for grandpa (electrician and woodworker),my uncle (mechanic) and eventually my father in law (welding and woodworking). Without those guys,I never would have gotten any trade experience at all. College education is great, but if everyone learns how to be a programmer or gets a business administration degree,and no one learns how to be a plumber,electrician or welder,guess who gets to charge more per hour? I make a fine salary as an accountant,but I have friends in the trades who make quite a bit more on an hourly basis.
Reply:In Des moines, Iowa I make $18/hr plus bonuses ($45-$50,000/yr)and benefits (union shop). Been welding for 5 yrs. Just wondered if thats in the ball park with the rest of the country.Last edited by jdwelder; 11-06-2006 at 07:41 PM.
Reply:That's a little higher than average here in TN.  Granted, a certified pipe welder will get about $19, nonunion wages, with benefits...but the average welder isn't certified to weld pipe.
Reply:here in oz the award rate for a 1st class welder is 15.74ahour  I don't make that I make  a lot more that it .I wouldn't get out of bed for the award rate I'm lucky in my section of the trade i work in as its a specialise area the work we do we chassis on trucks and trailers (been doing 20 odd yrs now )takes a while to learn for someone who has never done it before  so you can't just get anyone in we have alot trouble finding new welders as must don't like the idea of bending and straighting  200k truck chassis with 25-50 rams like some have said I weld because I enjoy the work its surely not for the money  one of my fav saying's is I'm so poor I can't pay attention  Creative metal Creative metal Facebook
Reply:Originally Posted by KRS$1200 a week is only $62,400 per year... gross.
Reply:Originally Posted by matI guess you didn't hear the part before it. 3rd year apprentice earning 1200 a week.
Reply:Originally Posted by jdwelderIn Des moines, Iowa I make $18/hr plus bonuses ($45-$50,000/yr)and benefits (union shop).
Reply:Not much over time, maybe an hour a week at most. We get good bonuses though.    I belong to UAW so it's a little diferent, no apprenticeships, we are trained at full pay.
Reply:Originally Posted by jdwelderIn Des moines, Iowa I make $18/hr plus bonuses ($45-$50,000/yr)and benefits (union shop). Been welding for 5 yrs. Just wondered if thats in the ball park with the rest of the country.