1. My background is welding but I branched out and learned more trade skills. I make $45 an hour with pretty much unlimited overtime. I know I’m far above average in pay. I was making $50k for a couple years. That’s pretty normal for average welders doing shop and fab work.
Unless you are willing to endanger your life or be moving around constantly with no job security you probably won’t be making 100k a year.
2. I’m a lead fabricator w/15+ years exp. at a high-end, custom architectural metals shop (doors,stairs, railings, furniture, light fixtures, etc) serving Seattle and Vancouver, BC, located near the Canadian border, so no big metro cost-of-living and make 60-70k (depending on overtime availability).
I’ve made upwards of 100k as a welder/repairman in mining, but the hours were miserable and the atmosphere here is 1000x better.
3. Sanitary TIG welder here. I started at 23/hr first tig job outta school with a 6G cert. The place I work at tops at 36 for welder fitters. You gotta work for a bunch of years there first though.
The guy I work With used to work on the road doing small jobs at lasted 4 months to 6 months each. Some even shorter term than that. he made incredibly good money though. 100+k a year working in nuclear facilities and power plants.shut down work.
You don’t have to put in as much time to make that much either. Gotta be good though. Critical welds. They xray your welds there. If you’re trying to make a lifelong career out of it go union. You’ll learn the most and after you’re a journeyman, a decent amount of time you’ll earn the most.
4. $25/hour is pretty average overall. $100k per year is possible, but probably only the top few % of welders. It’d require overtime and probably not be sustainable.
5. I’m a shop welder doing coded ASME work making 60k year. Pipeliners average around 100k to 120k, just depends on the lifestyle you want to live I love being home every night with my kid so I chose to work in shops.
6. Like they’ve said before Union pays very well, I’ve gotten offered $53/hr up in the Pennsylvania area.
I’ve combo welding doing mainly new construction work and most of these big companies have all leveled off paying the same down here in Texas ($37-$42/hr) plus perdiem..been breaking $110k every year with decent hours.
7. I’m a union journeyman steamfitter/welder, in Washington DC metro area, the most I’ve made is 135k. Currently I make about 110k-115k, with just a few OT hours a week, depending on the year. $48hr plus benefits, paid holidays, 2 weeks PTO, and company vehicle/gas card.
8. PNW, Local 104 Boilermaker. I work in ship repair as a structural welder/fitter, $36.39 hourly, this year I’ll clear just about $100k. But I’m a loser and work a fairish amount of overtime.
9. It took me roughly 4 years to get good money. Right now I’m a pipefitter/pressure vessel welder and I’m making $60k yearly on a 40hr week. I know guys making less hourly but more weekly because they work double the hours. There’s no black and white answer unfortunately.
10. I work in California, our company does spiral stairs, railings and other random odds and ends. Mostly fabricating and welding, the occasional structural job. I make 25$ an hour, started 6 months ago at 20$. Seems like people at the company top out around 45-55 an hour
11. I work as a welder in a factory setting. The entire factory is welding / fabrication. I was hired at $25 an hour with full benefits. I think that factories are a great start bc they hire with little to no experience in the specific field (knowledge of welding is required) but are willing to train. Steady schedule and work load is pretty much guaranteed. I couldn’t land a job anywhere else as I only had done schooling (no job experience) but these guys hired me with full confidence and trained me well. I can now take what I know onto my next job, with the expectation of making more money
12. I work for a aerospace company started at 18.50 in 2007 and I’m currently making 31
13. If you’re a union field welder you’ll make as much as you want to work. You can have a lazy 60k year or bust your ass and make 125-150k depends on how much you want to travel and availability of work. Nuclear industry pays more for less work on average but you’ll barely weld. Shops pay half field wages.
14. 44.74 an hour, county worker and union local 587
15. In north Alabama I was making $25 as a structural welder and the top paid pipe welders were in the mid 30s. Also worked tons of overtime and did some travel jobs. So a pipe welder making $35 an hour on the road plus $100 a day travel pay (per diem) who rooms with other people and pockets the money is making pretty damn good money especially if the travel job has a lot of overtime.
16. Local Unions pay a lot. Journeyman fitters out of chicago make 52 an hour. Certain pipeline companies pay their welders 60-70 per hour.
17. Kansas City area. I make $24 an hour. Sometimes the checks will be $3000+ sometimes they are only $1500. Depends on how much overtime I’m feeling. Overtime really changes things quick.