Underwater welding is quickly becoming one of the most popular and well-paid trades out there today. With more and more needs for repairs on bridges, ships, and other metal craft underwater welding is in high demand.
Here we give you a breakdown of what you can really expect from a career in underwater welding.
What Education Is Required to Begin Your Underwater Welding Journey?
While not all programs will follow a standard online curriculum vitae template, the CVs for most underwater welding training courses are similar.
You’ll need to complete an underwater welding specialist training program offered by an accredited program. You’ll also need to hold a commercial dive certification and meet at least the AWS D3.6 standard for welding skills. There are also tremendous physical demands of a position in this field.
Be aware that you should be in excellent physical condition before starting on your road to becoming an underwater welder.
Job growth is projected to continue to rise 7% over the next 8 years and should continue on that trend. You also need to consider the right equipment for the job.
How Much Money Do You Make As An Underwater Welder?
As with any career, the amount of money you make will vary a lot under different circumstances.
More experienced welders can command a higher rate. Different states will pay different types of wages. As a national average, according to the bureau of labor 2018 statistics, commercial divers can expect to make about $60,000 a year doing underwater welding. You can confirm the average welders salary by state here.
What Does an Underwater Welder Do?
As a commercial diver with an underwater welding certificate, you can do a variety of different types of jobs.
You’ll be expected to do a mixture of the following activities:
- Drafting
- Inspections
- Non-Destructive Testing
- Underwater Cutting
- Fitting and Rigging
- Underwater Photography
- Underwater Repairs
- And More
Some divers assist the managers of a given project with planning out the steps and completion of the project and creating the timeline. You’ll need to be able to talk with people easily and get along with others because you’ll be working with a lot of different kinds of people.
Why Should You Become An Underwater Welder?
This career is only going up. It’s a very rewarding career that shows tangible results. Who knows you might even have the opportunity to help out someone like the Harrison Odjegba Okene who was saved by from a near underwater calamity.
The pay is good and you’ll be able to comfortably sustain your family and household. The job is challenging and won’t ever be boring. There’s also room to grow into higher-ranking positions and to continue your certifications to up your pay grade and get the better work out there.
We Hope You’ll Look Into Becoming An Underwater Welder Today!
The underwater welding world is always looking to add a few more good men and women into its ranks. With some determination and grit, you too can be an underwater welder.
Looking for more information? Check out our course on underwater welding and continue to read our blog for more great info about this promising career path.