Welding Career?

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Hello everyone! I am brand new to this forum and to the thought of totally changing career paths.  I am a 34yr old who has worked in accounting for quite sometime now and just flat worn out from the desk job.  I am the type of person that has to always be working with his hands as I love to fiddle with things and I was an ex-golf professional. I am really thinking about going to school to learn the trade of welding.  I am in the Atlanta area and would like to find out if welding is currently a great career in this area and what sort of welding I could get into? I don't like heights much more then about 5 stories up, so doing crane or multi story building welds would pretty much be out of the question for me. Any help or advice any of you could give would be great!!!  Also, what sort of money can be made in this profession? And is schooling the best way to get started? The areas of study for the program I am looking at are: Areas of Skills and Knowledge•    Welding shielded metal arc•    Gas metal arc•    Gas tungsten arc•    Oxyacetylene torch and plasma cuttingThanks so very much!!!
Reply:Any job becomes tedious after a while.  After all, its WORK.  That said, I don't blame you one bit for wanting to work with you hands and welding would be a wonderful craft to get into.Have you considered contacting some of the vocational tech schools offering welding curriculum about not only the training they offer but, placement services as well?  Good chance some of them do this by contract with large employers that offer genuine career paths.Good luck in your quest,Clay
Reply:Clay thanks so much for writing me back!! Yes, I am currently looking into the tech school just up the road from me that teaches a diploma program.  Is this all I would need to get started?  Also, what sort of money can be made in welding?Thanks again!!!
Reply:brew - You can make from $10/hr. on up to over  $200 an hour for custom fabrication work. Take a look at American Chopper and other custom bike builders. They get $60,000 + for a rather "simple" motorcycle. It doesn't even have 4 wheels!John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:So the $10 jobs would be for just starting out or what?  I like the $60K jobs, that's what I'm looking for.  Of course that would be years down the road once I got very good at the trade and people wanted my skills.  What should I expect though once I step foot out the door from this diploma program in terms of pay?? Any idea?
Reply:Production MIG welding is around the $10-15/hr. range. That is quickly zapping together tool carts, lawn & garden equipment, patio furniture, etc. Pipe fitters, boiler makers and heavy equipment repair will see $17 - $25+. Yes, level of experience and years of welding come into play. I think others will chime in and give you an idea. Hope that helps...John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Thanks so much MicroZone!! I look forward to others giving me their input as well.
Reply:Brew, I also came from a desk job to welding.  I was a Unix / Lotus Notes Admin with Microshaft Exchange Server.  I finally got tired of the headache and took time to look into what I wanted to do.  Found a tech school and went in for the day.  I also checked with my states labor department website to see what the pay scale was.  My first job paid a little over 10.00.  And in two years and a couple of moves I make 15.00.  It is no where near the 25 plus an hour I was making.  But I now have a skill that makes me money on the side.  You on the other hand have a skill that can help you make extra money on the side if you decide to take up welding.  Hotlanta is a growing area for welders, plus the south needs help left and right.  If I was you I would take time ( I took over two months) and talk it out with friends and family.  Make sure you can take the hit monetary and mentally, of starting out on the bottom of the totem pole.  What ever you do.....  God Luck and keep us informed.
Reply:Thanks so much Partagas for the reply!! Now when you talk about I have a skill that can make me extra money on the side as well, what skill exactly are you talking about?I think the monetary will be just fine for a year or two until I can work my way up!  I have seen a few jobs here and there that are paying in the $15 range right around my home with one year of experience, so that I guess is a good thing currently.
Reply:I have a welding job in Atlanta.  I work for the airlines.  We had such a difficult time finding qualified welders, due to the exotic metals, that we set up our own welding school.  We now only promote people to welding from within.  Ideally, the student will have zero welding experience.  This is so we start with a "clean slate."  I have been able to find jobs making $20/hour working for someone else and I know people who make well into the 6 digits on their own,  it's just tough getting started.  I don't know if I helped you, but the $60k jobs are hard to come by.
Reply:Xwelder, thanks for your reply!! So the Atlanta market then is pretty good for welders?  I am actually up in the Canton/Alpharetta area and would try my hardest to stay in this area for work since my wife works in Alpharetta as well.  So do you think in the upper 30's to around 40K a year is a pretty average salary for the Atlanta area after a year or two of experience?
Reply:Brewweld, if you're looking for very big money, take a look at the articles on Alberta oil in the January issue of Welding magazine (www.weldingmag.com, or click on the logo at the top of this page). There are a few areas where the paycheck is fat, but you'll have to surrender a few comforts to get there.
Reply:I own my equipment and an auto repair shop.  I do welding as part of my income.  I enjoy it.  Right now I get $60.00 per hour for me and my equipment.  I have 30 years (Oh my gosh!) expierence welding part time.  Dont' jump to your calculator yet, billing 8 hours a day is another story.    I do work for a local equipment dealer, some rusty auto and truck frame repair, and work on Cell towers.  The cell towers pay the best, but today its 15 degrees and windy.  Go work in that for 8 hours!  I do a little stainless work in resteraunt kitchens, but its hard to get paid from those people.  Commerical work gets me the most money.You will find that sometimes running the bead is the final and smallest part of the job, the rest is prep work.  Some jobs take longer to get out the leads and put them away than the job its self.Good luckWelding and fabricating are some thing I have a passion for.  I also like the "toys".DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:If you are really not sure about changing you job, then I would advise for you to take a night class at the local Community College just to see if welding is really something that you want to do long term.  That is how I originally got bit by the welding bug!
Reply:Thanks so much for all the replies so far!!! This does sound like a very fun and open career where you can make as little or as much as you want.  I am really just looking to be very proficient in what I do and make a decent living, not really too interested in working myself to death for the almighty dollar.  Been there and done that when I was a golf teaching professional.  Sun up to sun down 6-7 days a week for almost 7yrs was enough for me.  I want a steady income, enjoy what I do and also enjoy the people I work with.  If I can make an income from the range of 35-45K a year and work normal hours without weekends and nights, then I would happy and so would my wife....
Reply:I actually took the plunge and started on my own, found this site, got alot of good info, then enrolled in the local career acadamy (were doing stick right now).  I learn more stuff here, but get a lot of directed practice at the class (Im too impatient and tend to jump before I look).  It was 180 bucks and I get to use their equipment.  Hell of a deal.  Im looking to maybe suppliment my income and have a sellable skill after retirement.Various GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:Originally Posted by brewweldThanks so much Partagas for the reply!! Now when you talk about I have a skill that can make me extra money on the side as well, what skill exactly are you talking about?
Reply:right now im just starting my OYAP ( ontario youth apprenticeship program ) at local machanic shop just to see if i want to goto college for welding or a machanic..i had a techer telling me i should go to a welding school and they would help me get on the trans canada pipeline, lots of colleges have placement programs after you finish and get your get your CWB ticket
Reply:Get over your fear of heights, Boston Local 7 Ironworkers Union pays approx 50.00 per. Check your local area, the scale change from area to area._________________Chris
Reply:Huge shortage of weldors in most areas.  For that matter there is a huge shortage of trades folks in general.