Many people today who are looking for an exciting and lucrative job that takes them away from the mundane life of working behind a desk are considering underwater welding a career option. This is a highly lucrative job that provides you with a work environment underwater, but it is not without its safety risks. An individual making the decision to enter a career in this field will first want to examine the job and its risks, and then compare those details against the underwater welding salary before making a decision about whether or not to enter this line of work.
The Job Description
Welding jobs can be found on land in high numbers, and there generally are many professionals available to fill the demand for those jobs. Underwater welding jobs, however, take you below the surface of the water for your day’s work. The jobs may be in a dry environment below water or actually in the water. Work may including building or repairing ships, oil rigs and platforms located offshore, and other similar types of work.
Underwater Welding Salary
Many people love the thought of earning a great underwater welder salary that takes them to new and exciting locations and gets them away from a typical work environment that involves pushing paper every day. Yet the salary of this job is a critical component of any decision to enter this line of work, as a professional will want to ensure that the compensation can support the lifestyle desired. There is some variation in pay, but the average water welding pay is about $100,000 to $200,000 per year. In most cases, professional welding underwater is not a service paid for on a salaried basis. Rather, this is a job where a professional will work on various projects and earn income per project. Because of this, moderate to significant travel may be required, and there may be slow periods as well as busy period in a worker’s schedule.
Factors Affecting an Underwater Welder’s Salary
Before you begin training for a career welding underwater, you may first want to consider some of the factors that affect an underwater welding salary. There are several factors that will determine your final take-home pay for each of the projects you work on, and these include:
- A welder’s experience with commercial scuba diving.
- A welder’s experience with underwater welding, including drafting, cutting, rigging, fitting, and even underwater photography, too.
- Specific project details such as the depth of the water, the work environment and the risk it poses to the diver, the skill required for the project, the dive method, the physical location of the project, and the duration of the project.
- The supply of underwater welding candidates as opposed to the demand of projects at the time the project is offered.
Work Hazards and Risks
Many people will see the high amount of welding pay offered and will jump into the training aspect of the job without fully exploring the risks and hazards of the work itself. There are several risks associated with this job, and these risks should be weighed carefully. First, this is a job that takes you underwater, and often at high-pressure depths. So there are risks to the worker that come with any basic scuba diving scenario. The possibility of decompression sickness is among the most notable of these risks. There is also a risk of electric shock due to the process of welding in a wet environment. Special equipment is used on these projects to minimize the risk. Underwater welding also comes with the risk of possible long term health issues such as musculoskeletal damage, cognitive issues, and even dental amalgam breakdown over time. These risks should be weighed against the underwater welding salary carefully.
Training and Education
Those who have carefully weighed the pros and cons of a job as an underwater welder carefully and who have made the decision to move forward with a career in this field will next want to learn what steps they need to take to enter this profession. Professionals in this line of work generally need to possess two unique skills – welding and scuba diving. A candidate first can obtain commercial scuba diving training. After passing a commercial training course, a professional generally should expect to spend the first two years of his or her career as an apprentice or diver tender if he or she does not have professional commercial diving experience in place. Further, welding skills are required, and these skills should be for both wet and dry work situations. Locating welding schools and enrolling in a program can help you to meet this requirement. Most employers will want to see that you have met the Underwater Welding Code, otherwise known as AWS D3.6M before hiring you on for a project. There is a certification available that proves to employers you have mastered the skills and have the experience to meet this code requirement.
Work Environments and Outlook
There are several training and education steps that a professional must take before earning an underwater welding salary. Work environments for a professional welder will vary, and often a year’s work will take a professional to several different locations to work on different projects. An experienced professional may work on ship repairs one month and then oil rig repairs hundreds of miles away another month. Given the amount of training and possible risks to the diver, it is interesting to note that there are numerous opportunities for such professionals on a regular basis. So the outlook for employment opportunities continuing in the future is considerable. It is also important to note that many professional underwater welders do advance in their career. Many will become consultants on underwater welding projects, while others may become instructors at welding schools, managers or supervisors on a salaried basis on rigs and in other environments, and other higher level positions.
This is a unique and exciting job that a person can enjoy and profit from for many years, with underwater welding information abundant and salary earnings plentiful. You’ll even be able to see new parts of the world in the process. This, combined with the opportunity to advance in the industry, makes underwater welding a wonderful career option to consider.