|
What is the earning power of a welder?
by
Andre Odermatt
It
depends. A welder with over 1000 hours of post-graduate arc time
under the supervision of an experienced welding instructor has
more likely the potential to earn top dollars faster, than a
welder who graduates from a JVS and transfers to industry
directly.
Most
vocational schools teach just the fundamentals, while industry needs highly
skilled welders, knowledgeable in a variety of welding processes. Job
prospects should be excellent for skilled candidates for the 2000 – 2010
period, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. With the
continuing trends towards more automation of repetitive work, welders who
understand the technical side of welding and the use of complex welding
procedures including the use of microprocessor controlled welding equipment and
robots are in high demand. As an example, welding is considered a critical
enabling technology in the U.S. manufacturing, construction and mining
industries according to a 2002 survey. In
44 % of these industries, productivity was hindered due to lack of trained
welding personnel. 46 % of these industries indicated that welding-related
training is not meeting their needs.
The line on this chart indicates career earnings by
education level according to an analysis by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS). The two bars depict the lowest earning level
and the highest earning level of welders according to the BLS.
Clearly the return on investment for training can be phenomenal
for any individual. When riding the waves of the economy,
companies adjust their workforce’s through lay-off.
It is more likely than not, that those companies will try
to retain the skilled welders and lay-off the less skilled ones.
In summary, well-trained welders have the potential
to earn a salary similar to a person who has a bachelor degree
with less investment in training time and cash, and a
respectably short payback period.
1)
Report
“Welding-Related Expenditures, Investments & Productivity
Measurement in U.S. Manufacturing, Construction, and Mining
Industries” Survey May 2002
2)
U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
|
