You might have considered a career in welding. But at the same time, you might have wondered how significant the industry actually is. In the following piece, you will learn the reasons why welding is an important industry. Hopefully, it will motivate you further.
Welding seems like a cool and fun activity. Which it is. And welders can work on all kinds of projects, ranging from smartphones to skyscrapers and cars to spacecraft. So, it can be a very exciting career for someone creative and passionate. And the discussion will rid you of any doubt you have about the industry.
Top Reasons Why Welding Is An Important Industry
There are so many reasons why welding is an important industry. Increased demand, a possible shortage of welders in the future, great diversity, and good payment are just some of the major ones. The following discussion presents them in more detail.
1. Welding Work Is An Everyday Need
We can’t imagine the modern world without welding. Cars, buildings, satellites in space, factory machines, and all the major structures that attest to the superiority of human civilization had many hours of welding work put into them.
Therefore, welders are always sought after by companies. And their work demands incredible respect. Because the welder puts himself through a lot of stress and hard work to achieve his results.
Just imagine working closely with heat and flying droplets of molten metal. You are at risk of being burned or even going blind at any time.
So, welders are never out of work. And their demand will be ever-increasing with the progress of human civilization.
2. The Industry Gives Comparatively Easy Access
Compared to other industries, welding is easier for beginners to get into and make a successful career in. Most of the other modern industries also require a lot of formal bookish education, exam scores, and years of training.
In other words, these industries are more expensive and time-consuming.
Whereas, obtaining the required formal education, training, and certification to be a welder takes much less time. Plus, it costs almost nothing compared to degrees that land you a job at a desk in front of a keyboard and screen.
Welding is a very demanding job, both physically and mentally. Plus, there is always the risk of injury. However, it is still a relatively easy skill to learn if you compare it with neurosurgery or designing bridges.
Someone can complete a short certification course in welding before even finishing high school. For more qualifications, you can enroll in a technical college, which is more welcoming and costs less time and money.
Another great thing about this industry is that you can advance along the career path quicker than in other professions. Plus, as the field is diversifying, many new and powerful positions are being created for expert welders in the industry.
3. Welding Industry Pays Its Workers Well
The average income of an American is around $35,000 a year. In comparison, a typical welder earns more than $4000 in the same amount of time. This is pretty good considering the fact that your job is joining pieces of melted metal together.
Even the hourly rate for novice welders seems legit. A young or novice welder who is just starting can make more than seventeen dollars an hour. In comparison, the average salary earner earns about sixteen dollars per hour. This is pretty neat when you are just out of school and need work.
The above-mentioned yearly salary is only an estimate for a typical welder. An advanced worker, meaning someone who has been welding for a few years, can make much more than that. After finishing a couple of projects and building up a nice portfolio, a young welder can start making more than the figure mentioned.
Make sure you check our article 6 Clear Signs Welding Is The Right Career For You
4. The Industry Offers Versatile Working Positions
When you think about welding, what is the first image that comes to mind? It’s probably a guy in a heavy suit and a helmet leaning dangerously close towards heat and sparks.
Well, that’s only a stereotype. These days, a “welder” can mean more than someone who directly works on a piece of metal with welding tools.
If you have an education in welding, you might be a manager who oversees the work of other fellow welders who work manually. Or you might be a quality inspector who evaluates the results of finished work.
Moreover, robotic arm welding is becoming more widespread every day. So, you can take over such projects too.
People with all kinds of passion can find something in this industry that piques their interest. For example, if you are into cars, then you can work in the automobile sector.
You can even work on spacecraft and satellites if you want to, although that might require some additional qualifications.
Plus, the field of welding itself is becoming more diversified with time. Because every day, new technological products are coming onto the market.
Even the small, sensitive machinery inside a smartphone requires some form of welding. But that’s quite different from the welding work on a bridge.
So, if you get into this industry, you have a variety of options. You can easily find a field of welding that excites you and build up a nice career in it.
5. Growing And Global Demand
Welding is one of those industries in the world that is growing and will keep continuing that way. The reason is simple. The world is advancing in technology and industrialization every day.
More and more people are making their transition towards urban life. And that means more infrastructure, factories, and transport.
Plus, the underdeveloped countries are also catching up. They are also building bridges, cars, skyscrapers, etc.
This means there are shortages of educated and experienced welders in these countries. As a result, welders are in increasing global demand, and they can lend their expertise to develop the whole world.
And in the distant future, welders might even find work in outer space. Because the colonization of space is not science fiction anymore, some of the top businessmen are investing in this sector.
So, maybe it is safe to say that in the future, welders will be in universal demand.
The global demand for welders also presents many travel opportunities for welders. If you hold a job as a welder, you will get the chance to travel the world.
Plus, there’s the honor of working on important historical projects for different nations.
6. A Potential Solution For Unemployment
Unemployment is essentially an imbalance between two things. The number of available jobs and the number of qualified people to do them.
There are plenty of unemployed people who are willing to work. But due to a lack of education and formal training, they are unable to get into those.
This is where the welding industry can provide an excellent solution. As mentioned before, the process of becoming a welder doesn’t require as much time and money as traditional degrees do.
So, people who can’t afford those or simply aren’t interested in pursuing desk jobs can consider welding. There are many young people with immense potential who are jobless and frustrated simply because they don’t like spending hours on books and in classrooms. The welding industry could be the ultimate solution for them.
And not to mention, the welding industry creates a lot of businessmen who open up their shops (discussed later on). These shops or businesses become a source of jobs for unemployed people in their localities.
7. Can Increase Total Income Of Families
Increasing the total income of average households translates into the prosperity of a nation. And the most effective way to supplement a family’s income is to provide them with side jobs. If families can do part-time work beside their full-time profession, it will help grow their income.
However, a part-time job has to be fun, easy, and something people can do from their comfort zone. Otherwise, it is too difficult to work on a second job.
And welding has all those qualities. Anyone can learn it and do some welding work in their garage, basement, or backyard. It can be a nice way to relax after a day’s work.
8. The Welding Industry Creates Lots of Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship is one of the major solutions to a country’s economic and unemployment problems. When people start their own businesses, they become financially more stable and confident. Plus, they can create plenty of other jobs for society.
The welding industry provides a very large field for entrepreneurship. After working on a couple of projects, the young welder gets an idea of how the industry works. When you figure out that initial part, the rest becomes very easy.
There isn’t any limit to what kind of business you might start with your welding expertise. You can open a shop for repairs. Or, you can help the homes in your locality with welding requirements around their houses. Making furniture or art pieces is also something you can consider.
One of the major advantages of starting a welding business is that you can start small and grow fast. The primary setup for your business requires little to no space, a few tools, and mainly your expertise.
Plus, there is so much demand and room for growth that it is highly unlikely for your welding business to not be a success.
9. Creates A Breed Of Workers With Unique and Specific Skill Sets
Welding is a unique and specific skill. Without skilled welders, big projects would never see the light of day. No matter how many expert engineers and architects you have on the team.
The industry plays an important role in providing these skilled workers to society. Due to the existence of the welding industry, people can focus on just this one skill and master it well.
Otherwise, we would have no choice but to hire welders from overseas to complete various projects. Besides, welding isn’t just a skill you learn to make money. Someone can master a skill as a hobby and greatly benefit from it.
Because welding requires tremendous focus, attention, and the ability to make instant calculations, predictions, and decisions, welding can help keep your senses sharp.
Needless to say, welding makes you efficient. You can do many of the much-needed repairs to your house, your car, furniture, etc. without the help of a professional.
This saves you money. Plus, being self-sufficient is always a matter of satisfaction and pride.
10. It’s Also An Art Industry
Being a part of the welding industry doesn’t necessarily mean you have to only work at construction sites and factories. You might be entirely on the far side of the spectrum and be an artist. Welding art is some of the most beautiful art in the world.
Welding artists can build small pieces like figurines or sculptures and sell them in their online shops or offline. They can also work on bigger projects like life-size statues or something like the Eiffel Tower.
If you have a good portfolio (which in the case of welding means only one or two notable projects), you will have no problem finding work. A welding artist can also make items that are not essentially art pieces but close to it, such as Zippo style lighters, jewelry, decorative knives, plates, and others.
If you can market properly and build a brand, your welding art can bring you unimaginable rewards. Not to mention, the process of creation itself is rewarding.
11. Endless Future Possibilities
The future possibilities of the welding industry are beyond most people’s comprehension. Firstly, more fields are opening up in the industry each day as technology advances. Secondly, many third-world countries are joining the race of industrialization and they don’t have many expert welders in their locality.
It is estimated that America will be short of more than four hundred thousand welders by the year 2025. This prediction alone makes participating in the welding industry a smart career move.
Plus, other studies confirm that welders will be in high demand across the globe with the progress of the economy.
How Can You Become A Welder?
Now that you know the reasons why welding is an important industry, you might be wondering how to make a career here.
Well, you already know it is not that hard. With minimal discipline and dedication, you too can become a successful welder. Let’s see how that can become possible.
The requirements to be a Welder
Before getting into the process of getting official recognition, ask yourself if you have what it takes to be a welder because it is a strenuous activity. If you are impatient and cannot pay attention for even a minimum amount of time, then being a welder can be tough for you. So, start working on those.
A successful welder is someone who pays optimum attention to details. They need to have excellent hand-eye coordination, which you can improve with practice and exercise.
You also need to be disciplined and organized. Because you have to sort out machines, tools, and the metals you are working with. And needless to say, as, with most other professions, you need to have good time-management skills to hit the deadlines.
Being uncomfortable with the flames and sparks is natural when you are a beginner. However, if you have some kind of phobia regarding fire, heat, melting metal, or risky tools, then this might not be a suitable career for you.
Becoming A Welder
First, you might want to research the job sector. You know you want to become a welder. But what do you work on? Cars, planes, and boats? Or bridges and buildings? Or, maybe you want to build sculptures. Sort this out first.
Once you figure out which sector you want to work in, find out if that sector has any special requirements. For example, welding work differs hugely between a skyscraper and a smartphone. Therefore, each sector has its own unique requirements.
Usually, a high school diploma is enough. Plus, you can take the welding courses offered by your school (if any). A good grip on math, geometry, and chemistry will help you very much in a welding career.
After high school, you can enroll yourself in a certificate course at a college program. These courses are mostly as short as six months. These courses mainly teach you how to work with dangerous tools, flames, and melting metals. Getting a certificate will add more to your qualifications.
Also, remember that you have the option of getting a bachelor’s degree too. These are usually offered by technical schools and community colleges. Considering the future of the welding industry, this could be a smart move.
After completing the education, you can begin proper training. During this period, you will work on actual projects as an assistant to a master welder. This is the most important part of your beginner’s period. So, try to gain as much experience as possible.
The last part of the process has to do with gaining recognition from an established institution. Otherwise, you will be unable to work on large and serious projects or get a good job.
In the USA, the American Welding Society gives this recognition. To get it, you have to take an examination at one of their testing facilities. The exam consists of both written and practical parts.
AWS will recognize you even if you haven’t gone to any technical school or community college. But you still have to show relevant work experience.
After getting recognition from AWS, you will become a fully certified welder. You can then apply for jobs. Or, if you prefer, start your own business.
Conclusion
The above discussion hopefully explained the reasons why welding is an important industry. If desk jobs are not your thing and you like to work with your hands, then don’t hesitate to pursue a career in welding. The industry is growing every day, and welding jobs will be in ever-increasing demand.
