My son (junior in HS)has taken welding for the last 2 years. He thinks it might be his career choice. Any dopers out there w/ professional welding experience? Questions:
Yes he can certainly make a very nice living out of it. I happen to live near a defense plant and welders are the top paid guys…How does $30. USD to start sound in some professions.
I do know that he must apprentice first, and get lisenced but I am not sure where. Most technical colleges should have a program. Also if he is interested in the ocean or diving, I have a friend who is an industrial diver and makes over 100K a year. Underwater welding is one of his primary duties.
If you are in the US I would highly recommend he get involved with a Union. Apprenticing will set him up to make the big bucks as well…
There can be some long term risk from inhaled fumes if you work in poor conditions but I think people are more aware of it now and take steps to prevent it.
Aside from that it can be a terrific career if he builds up the skills and versatility. He’ll need to put in effort to learn technical skills beyond what he could typically learn in vo-ed in high school. There are a million joe blows out there who can run a bead with a wire feed box but he’ll want to get into a specialty like pipefitting or precision TIG work to make good money. My dad was a welder all his life but never got certified even though he had the skills. An uncle that was retired early after working on the Alaska pipeline. I chose a different career path but can do some fine TIG work myself. If your son likes the work it can be a very good career path.
Plus if he’s cute and speaks German then JarbabyJ will want to date him 
*Apologies to the lovely JarbabyJ who is not AFAIK a cradle robber.
He understands further training is called for. There’s a tech school neaby he’s considering.
As far as JarbabyJ is concerned, can email her a photo if she like tall cynical goths. Online intro, perhaps? 
I don’t have much to add, except I am amazed at the standards some welders are held to. I recently visited a non-destructive testing center where they inspect the work of welders seeking certification. They have to weld varying sizes and shapes of metal, and then each part is X-rayed and ultrasonically inspected for even the smallest flaws. They were rejecting welders on flaws that my untrained eye could barely pick out.
These guys are definitely professionals, and deserve the money they get.
Thanks for the links, I’m taking the AWS entry-level.
My sister is a welder she’s been doin it for maybe 9-10 yrs.
"2. Wages?
My sister has a welding rig,so they pay her for her time and rig time. It works out in the neighborhood of $40.oo+/hr,and thats pretty steady. Oh,also with OT she makes more in a week than I make in a month,and I’m a decent paid carpenter.
Also she takes summers off to run her charter fishing bidness up here,so its flexible also.
4. Employment outlook?
Sorry no actual figures here,but my sis is never out of work,she can pretty much work as much as she wants anywhere. They once flew her to Diego-Garcia(Indian Ocean) to weld.
Remember flashdance?
I have worked on a couple of large pipeline projects and the welders are definitely the superstars. Of course, their pipeline standards are very, very high. Every weld has to be x-rayed and they don’t get too many second chances.
In any case, these guys are like surgeons and are treated as such. Several of the welders I worked with only worked 8 months of the year and took every winter off! I work in the environmental field, have a ton of education, and will never make the kind of money these guys make.