Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Welding

So - quick question, is welding still a good career with the oil field slowdowns?

Long question - I will graduate with my bachelors this May. I still have some GI Bill left over. Kind of giving thought to picking up an associates in either welding or CNC machining. Mostly because I can.
Wondering which of the 2 you'd select, were you looking to pick one up for giggles with the idea of having it as a fall back?

Welding is a good skill to have.

As a career, perhaps others can be of more help.

Welding will pay more once you have the certifications.

I weld in nuke plants... id much rather work in one of them than an oil field, the money is still there, but you gotta be good.

Real world numbers?

This is my personal experience. I have been in the welding business since 1981 in South Louisiana almost exclusively related to the oilfield.

1981 to 1990 I worked as a welder and pipe fitter. The next 15 years I managed a welding business. The last 10 years I have owned my own welding business.

In the 34 years in the business I have not drawn one day of unemployment benefits.

I truly believe learning a good trade is as good or better than college education for many people.

I also believe I could have accomplished the same success had I learned to be a machinist instead of a welder.

"Welding" covers an awful lot of ground.

I've taught at community colleges, and can assure you that the "Career Counciling" pimps will be pushing whatever curricula within which there's a registry shortfall.

A two year "associate degree" does not a welder make, and the fellows who started out as helpers, riggers, and deckhands will most often eclipse the performance (and DRIVE) of the freshly graduated fella with ink drying on his ticket.

CNC or welding ?

I say BOTH !

GTC

North of $40 per hour.

Around here McDonald's pays better that someone would earn with an associates degree and no shop experience in CNC machining.

Both would be okay - I work now in logistics. Office type job and I do better than the "starting wage" advertised by the local TC for either career.

The decision to take a course/degree is basically because I have quite a bit of GI Bill left after getting my business degree.

Not interested in simply tossing everything in the truck and headed to the oil fields (see Roger talking about layoffs) - just wondering what would be best were I forced to find work outside of my current gig.

I like the idea of welding because it seems like something easier to make side money with - given I can't see setting up a Haas in the garage to do the same. The idea of machining appeals primarily due to side gunny projects.

Well, Like Mike70560, I've never been able to stay out of work.

Welder, Millwright, Machinist, H.D. Mechanic all seem to stay in demand.

GTC

Take it up, I welded before i joined the Marines in 08, Made about 38k a year with just high school welding class. Got out of USMC in Oct 13 and had a welding/Millwright job lined up before i had my dd 214 signed. Made little over 52k last year doing mostly TIG and stick welding. its a good career if you dont mind being dirty.

I hated the production part of it which is what I did the first go round. Now everything is in the field and it different everyday. enjoy going to work.

On side note use up all the G.I. Bill you can. Im Working on Electrical Engineering now then plan to get a Cert in Cnc/Milling. the more you know the better it is

David

The amount I know about welding you could carry in a thimble-

I'm good friends with 3 guys that own a stainless steel welding business, doing work in food plants, sanitary tig work mainly. Its funny to watch the two older guys put on a hood and try to hang with the 20 and 30 year olds they have working for them. Usually they end up throwing their hood across the floor and bitch about their eye site not being what it was when they first started. They blame it on old age, but I often wonder how much arc flash they've taken over the last 30 years welding on nothing but stainless.

Not bad - would think a person would need to be an active welder with a company to get those certs? What certs?

Local TC doesn't really offer what I can see as certificates beyond the 1 year welder's certificate.

This post reminded me of an add I saw in the local Craigslist for Ag Millwrights.

Teal, no hijack intended, so I'll post it on it's own.

....The outfit running the add is EXACTLY the sort I would be looking to hire on with, were I looking.

GTC

You could learn welding with a machine with CNC like capabilities.

Andrew, Greg can fill you in on the different certifications. My expertise is CNC machining.

Your real world numbers are going to depend alot on where you live.

Machinists seem to top out about 20 an hour from what I'm hearing from my friend who is a manual machinist.

College won't teach you either of those skills, especially welding. You need to be a perfectionist to be an accomplished welder. That said, some skewling will help perfect a skill you are looking towards.