A welder is a tradesperson who specializes in fusing materials together. The term welder refers to the operator, the machine is referred to as the welding power supply. The materials to be joined can be metals (such as steel, aluminum, brass, stainless steel etc.) or varieties of plastic or polymer.
Compare to a teacher who only makes $40,000/yr in South Dakota
Tools of the Trade
Welding Machine
Grinder
Welding Helmet
Welding Magnets
Chipping Hammer
Welding Gloves
What Welders Love About Their Trade
New challenges every day.
Pride in a job well done.
Creating with metal.
Characteristics
High Paying
Work Indoors
Not Customer Facing
Art and a Science
See Vision Become Real
Solo or Small Teams
Outlook
Optionality Potential
High
Many fields require welding. Many ways to specialize.
Entrepreneurship Potential
Very High
Very low startup cost and high likelihood of success.
Demand Forecast
High
Countless industries have a skilled welder shortage.
Reviews
(262)
Scott F.
It's great to work with your hands and get such great pay. This is a rewarding job with great benefits if you work hard. Show up on time, work hard, and learn all you can.
Jesse C.
Right now the welding trade needs people also so they will probably hire some with little experience as well. It's a trade to where you can support yourself and a family. There are also so many different types of welding and things to do with it that its almost endless.
It's awesome building huge metal structures.
Give it a try and see if you like it if you can. You will make good money that would allow you to have a good life and buy some cool toys.
Bert T.
It's a great reward to know that you built something and it will be used somewhere, and it's going to last a lifetime. Good welders are hard to come by nowadays, That's why you can name your price. It's always been a good choice for me, I've never been laid off, and have been able to support my family and live a good life using my skills, over the last 45 years.
Be a sponge and learn and absorb as much as you can. It pays off very well. Know your fractions and distortion of different materials. Make sure you do the highest quality you can. Always make next weld better then the last one!
$81,600
/ year *
Estimated Salary
Let schools, unions and employers start competing for you
Compare this to a teacher who only makes $40,000/yr in Northeast Sd, South Dakota