Certified Welder (Recession Proof)

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The only welders most cats know is the guy who attaches your muffler to the back of your car at Midas. No, maybe you know seen some guys who are welding at a construction site. But, did you know there are underwater welders for ships, welders that are needed at shipyards, aerospace, bridge and building construction, farm equipment manufacturing and at just about all oil and pipelines sites and realistically if you can weld you can damn near run your own business. So many people informally learn how to weld that they are disqualified from actually making the big money because they never got the proper certification.

Depending on the type of Welding the starting median hourly wage at $13 and those with five years experience earning $15.50, although those working on contract or who are self-employed are paid about $18 to $20 an hour. Welders working for the federal government, a university, or a hospital earn about $20 an hour on average. Gas metal arc welding earning between $49,000 to $56,000 a year on average, fitter welders at $50,000, and robotic welder programmers at $59,000. Welders working in metal fabrication who go through an apprenticeship process earn even higher wages, with journeymen welder fabricators at an average annual salary of about $65,000. Experienced welders willing to work on contract and travel can make over $25 an hour working on oil and gas pipelines.

How to Become a Certified Welder:

1. Find a technical school that offers a welding program by clicking HERE
2. Must be 16 years of age
3. Completion of high school diploma or GED and submission of official transcript required to apply
4. Achievement of minimum program admission scores in Reading, English, and Math
5. Transfer of previous post secondary credits will be determined by the registrar.
6. Student Performance/Graduation Requirements: Students must maintain a 2.0 grade point average and complete all required courses to graduate.
7. Usually to finish the whole program it will cost you about $4200 bucks and most likely they will give you financial aid.
8. The whole schooling to get the certificate will take you about 1 year to complete.
9. Most schools will teach you both types of welding so you can be certified for all welding opportunities.

Welding is recession proof as even when one industry lays off workers, another is typically encountering a shortage, although this might require a welder to relocate. For instance, while the United States automobile industry sags, the oil and gas industry is thriving. Welding is recession proof because the work is hot and requires full safety gear including goggles and hoods to protect the face. Construction sometimes involves working at great heights on a scaffold. Overtime is common, with about 20 percent of welders working over 40 hours a week. Many factories operate in two 12-hour shifts. Because the payment is on an hourly basis, welders working overtime can make a good deal of extra money.

ReTool, ReEducate & Realize that you need to move on and get the skills to survive!

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