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HOUSTON—Justin Friend’s parents have doctoral degrees and have worked as university lecturers and researchers. So Mr. Friend might have been expected to head for a university after graduating from high school in Bryan, Texas, five years ago.
Instead, he attended Texas State Technical College in Waco, and received a two-year degree in welding. In 2013, his first full year as a welder, his income was about $130,000, more than triple the average annual wages for welders in the U.S. In 2014, Mr. Friend’s income rose to about $140,000.
"That has allowed the 24-year-old to buy a $53,000 Ford F-250 pickup truck"
One thing i don't understand is why these guys buy such expensive vehicles. Can they write them off?
I grew up on the eastern side of ND on the MN border and about six guys I went to high school with work in Williston including one of my cousins and another who was a pretty good friend. They all have $50K+ trucks, so it seems like they are substituting student loan payments for car payments. The guys I know do not need trucks at all, as their job is usually driving other trucks. Maybe a welder needs a truck, though.
He is making 25 dollars an hour. If you read the article he is making the big bucks because he is working 72 hours per week.
In my area I see welding jobs pay roughly 15 dollars per hour although they are factory jobs. Mr. Friend (the subject of the article) is in Texas and it appears he works in the oil industry. He may be making 25 dollars an hour currently but with the drop in oil prices it may be a different story this year.
How long can he keep working an extra 32 hours per week? At some point one of three things will happen. 1) He gets burnt out on the work and reduces his overtime. Seriously? Weld for 72 hours a week? 2) His employer decides to hire more welders to reduce overtime costs. 3) The price of oil goes to 40 dollars and production is cut which might result in his losing his job.
Most welding stories involve mutilation, death, and unsurprisingly, heat. ... I have had many a hot spark set me ablaze, and being in the dark and unaware of your surroundings, you could be on fire for several moments until you smell the smoke. After the smoke comes the unmistakable sensation of heat spreading up your body, and flames actually “lick” your skin... America needs its welders to put our ships together, to build our skyscrapers and our bridges. But I must say that if there is ever any occupation most deserving of replacing its workers with robots, it has to be welding.
This young man should put away as much money as he can, while he can. Welding is tough on the back and knees and your lucky to do it for enough years to retire. My brother-in-law retired from Navistar as a welder and he has a tough time just getting out of bed in the mornings. You always have to give up something to get something.
I hope that anyone considering welding as a job takes the time to read your link. It is not a "career" position; it is a job that chews you up and spits you out.
I hope that anyone considering welding as a job takes the time to read your link. It is not a "career" position; it is a job that chews you up and spits you out.
I have some pals that are steamfitters and though their jobs are often physically challenging they say that number of times that they have personally seen a welder blow themselves up, get electrocuted or similar nightmarish accidents strongly suggests something about inhaling molten metallic vapors all day long kills brain cells / damages lungs faster than crystal meth...
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Literally pages and pages of horror stories...
