By Arnab Dey
Welding is quite literally one of the most important industries that hold the world together as we know it. Fusing metals together to form structures is in high demand across several different industries in the United States and abroad.
Before diving into the nitty-gritty of the industry, including how long it takes to become a welder, what a stick welding machine is, and where a welder can make the most money, it’s important to understand the industries in which welders dominate. What do welders do? They’re needed all over the world, but who needs them the most?
Best Industries Which Need The Welders
It could help you decide if welding is a suitable career choice for you. Not every welder has the same job. In fact, the average day is likely different for every welder, depending on where they work and what industry they specialize in.
While some may be obvious, keep reading to see the most popular industries for welders.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing relies on welding, perhaps more than any other industry; maybe that’s why they employ so many welders. In fact, according to the record of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, manufacturing employees have the majority of welders, with over 400,000 jobs in the industry in 2021. These manufacturers produce many of the most commonly used materials and machines used in the world today, including:
- Cars
- Railroads
- Airplanes
- Agriculture
- Mining
- Furniture
- And much more.
Construction
Most construction projects and tasks require welding. It’s an essential skill across several different types of construction projects. Welding is critical for building schools, corporate offices, government buildings, residential buildings and neighborhoods, cold storage construction, and other projects like bridges, plants, and more.
Welding allows these structures to be foundationally sound and strong while making the building process much easier and more efficient. Construction is one of the most lucrative industries for welders, as they are always in high demand to build or repair communities and their structures.
Shipping
To make sure important materials and resources are properly and efficiently shipped all over the world, welding works and help from the welders are necessary to create the vehicles for transport and keep them moving on time. From cruise ships to aircraft carriers and cargo boats, welding makes sure they continue to be built and repaired to keep the flow of commerce running smoothly.
In fact, welding keeps a lot of the world’s economy together and is relied upon heavily in both the shipping and transportation industries.
Wholesale Trade
This may be surprising, but many wholesale retailers that sell welding equipment are looking for experienced welding professionals who know their way around that equipment.
That way, they can answer any questions or concerns their customers may have before making a big purchase. It’s also essential that these professionals know how to advise others about this equipment, as it’s dangerous and requires a great deal of expertise.
Aerospace
Airplanes and spacecraft are both built by experienced welders. Welding literally holds the plane together as you’re on the way to vacation or to a work conference. This industry requires lots of training and experience but pays among the highest salaries for a welder.
This training is required for building:
- Airplanes
- Helicopters
- Space shuttles and spacecraft
- Satellites
- And more
The new space race is upon us, and as we get more comfortable expanding our leash into the universe, welders will be looked to as stabilizers and consistent necessities for new types of spacecraft that are developed.
Maintenance
Many companies will keep a welder or two under their employ for maintenance purposes. Welders can fix necessary facilities like pipes and other essential appliances.
These welders might also have skills like electrical and plumbing skills. Maintenance welders need to be versatile and adaptable to several different industries.
Does All Welding Require a Degree?
While many companies will hire welders based on experience or a high school diploma or GED alone, having a degree in welding from a university or technical school will go a long way in getting a better welding job and making more money.
For example, an aerospace welder might make more money than one in manufacturing.
It’s like any other industry: it’s possible to make lots of money without a degree, but a degree certainly helps in reaching your specific career goals.
What’s The Most Lucrative Welding Job On Average?
The industries that rely the heaviest on welding include manufacturing, construction, aerospace, shipping, maintenance, whole trade, and more. That doesn’t even have other specializations like underwater welding, nuclear welding, and several others.
Welding is still a prominent and necessary job function in our society. It shapes some of the biggest industries that make the world go around.
According to Indeed, locations that tend to have the highest-paying welding jobs include:
- Alaska, particularly in the shipyards and on pipelines
- North Dakota’s oil businesses
- West Virginia’s aerospace, automotive, and energy industries
- Hawaii’s offshore oil rigs
- Wyoming’s manufacturing and energy-extracting industries
- Nevada’s manufacturing and mining industries
- The U.S. military
Welding jobs and the scopes for welders are increasing the range wildly from a lot to a little per hour (as much as a nearly 30 dollar difference per hour), but some of the higher-paying welding jobs include:
- Pipe welding
- Aerospace welding
- Military support welding
- Underwater welding
- Certified welding supervisor
Conclusion – Just How Important Is Welding?
Trades should continue to be looked to as consistent and reliable career choices. Welding, for example, can provide a lucrative career that allows you to specialize in a certain field, area of the country, or industry. Because of the variety of industries that rely on welding for their operations year in and year out, the opportunities for aspiring welders are extensive.
What you’ll make financially depends on where you live and what industry you wish to work in, but it’s clear that welding is an integral part of the world economy and shapes the modern world constantly. Experienced welders will always be in high demand, and finding jobs shouldn’t be too difficult if you’re willing to be mobile in both yourself and your industry.
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