There’s so much diversity in being a welder, from the different kinds of metals and the projects you’ll work on, to the range of settings you’ll experience. It’ll take working for just a few different companies over the course of your career to encounter a lot of diversity in your work and your environment.
If you’re career-driven and eager to progress, consider training to become a manager. For every few welders, there’s someone overseeing their work. This means you can still weld and manage a team working on the assigned projects.
The more people you manage, the more you’ll earn. Here's a great example: Olivia McCleery got hooked on welding. Now she's teaching other women how to weld.
Welders who want to focus on a long-term career with high reward know the key to further employment opportunities are training and skills beyond welding. Taking steps to learn about business by studying accounting, computer applications and service management could help you earn up to $61,000 a year.