How to Make Money Welding – Industries, Requirements and Garage Work

Where Do You Start?

But the best way for a beginner to start is to do some research and pick one that will enable you to learn the basics.

If you are young enough, you can also start as an apprentice. Certain welding companies do offer apprenticeships on hand. Once you start understanding all the safety aspects and the actual mechanics of the job you will be well on your way to starting your welding business.

But don’t forget – practice makes perfect! You have to do a lot of welding projects, practice runs even before you can get serious about a welding career.

There is a scholarship put out by the American Welding Society from time to time that also might be a good opportunity for you people and those that wish to change their occupation. You can find more information about it in this article on AWS scholarship.

How to Become a Certified Welder?

Becoming a certified welder will greatly help you establish a business. But acquiring a certificate requires one to complete a series of tests on welding procedures.

First of all, welders have to be both physically and mentally fit for this type of job. Concentration and hand-eye coordination are important traits to have. You can’t be a clumsy welder as you are not going to be good at it. Welders need to work long and repetitive hours in different weather conditions.

So if you want this to be your career, having a certificate will look really well on your business card.

Which Industries Need Welders?

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, there are welded pieces all around us. From the coffee table near you to a power plant that power’s the grid in your state. So a lot of industries depend on making good welds and require good and experienced workers.

Let’s mention some of the most important ones.

Construction

As you can determine by yourself, this is not easy work. More often than not, these types of jobs require risky work. You may need to work in high places or in cramp spots. So you have to be prepared and mentally ready for that.

Manufacturing And Repear

But the process of making certain products also requires a lot of machines. A machine can break from time to time so it obviously requires someone to fix it and weld it together. Additionally. welders directly work in building certain products which is most apparent in shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, and aircraft building.

Automotive industry

It used to be the best place for low to medium-skilled welders but this one has been taken over by the welding robots in the past 20 years. Less room for an average welder but those robots need a human hand too so it can be a good job opportunity for different kinds of welding technicians…

Oil & Gas Companies

The oil and gas industry employes a lot of welders. It is a very important industry for the world and certainly one that is valued in the USA. But it is also a bit of dangerous work. One may need to travel all over the world for certain types of jobs. You may end up working on an oil rig and be dispatched there for a few months. Alos, ceratin types of welding jobs, particularly underwater welding, can be both hard and dangerous.

The most basic type of welding project in this industry is welding, taking care of, and fixing pipes. The pipelines need to be impeccable so one has to make sure that they are put together well.

But with the danger and exhaustion that comes in this type of industry comes more money.

Other Areas

Cruise ships also bring welders as part of their crew. You can’t stop an entire ship in a harbor just for repairs so welders are needed on board to make the necessary fixes or simply to maintain the equipment.

The bottom line is that there are a lot of ways one can earn money from welding. It can even be a source of side income in some cases.

How to Make Money Welding in Your Garage

So now that you know how lucrative and important welding can actually be, you might want to consider creating your own welding business. Some people have even successfully left their day jobs and made a career just from projects for welding out of their garage.

But still, you can’t just jump into it and start offering arc welding to passers-by. You need to have an exact and carefully thought out plan first.

Let’s go over some of the steps you will need to take.

Open Your Garage for Jobbing Work

The first and most basic step is the overhaul your garage into your workspace. Install a welding table and add in a side table and you will be good to go. Put up a sign and make yourself known. You never know when a person just down the street from you will need some repairs that require welding.

But be visible on the web as well. Take the advantage of social media and create accounts that you or your wife can manage for you. It is no doubt the best place to get free advertisements. Create a marketing plan so you can reach more people.
In the beginning, you might get some odd jobs here and there. But fixing up a wheelchair ramp or a bike chain on a mountain bike should not be beneath you. You can even throw in some pro bono work. Once you are out there business will start flowing in.

Here is a great idea for a professional DIY welding table build from “Metalist” on youtube.

Build & Repair Trailers

Believe it or not, building or repairing existing trailers is a great way for a welder to start. You can either buy an old one and fix it up a bit by investing in added material or do it from scratch. But since the former is much harder to do than the latter, you can focus on refurbishing an old one.

You can easily find old trailers for low amounts of cash. Put on your welding helmet and get to work. Fix up everything that you can and refurbish it the best that you can. Once you are done you can advertise it to customers on your website or through free ads.

Enter the Housing Industry

This sounds like a perfect side hustle as people often need to work around their home. You may have more customers than you can handle at some point but it is a delightful problem to have.

A Metal Trellis

Gardening is a bigger hobby than you might think. People who are serious about it do require someone who can make a metal trellis for them. But keep in mind that this type of work does include more clamping than actual welding. In some cases, three times as much. Nevertheless, these are still good options for earning something on the side.

Sign Holders

Making a sign holder from wrought iron does not seem like that much work. But small businesses do need them as they can advertise themselves and stand out apart from the others.

Smaller ones can bring up to $150 while bigger signs will earn you up to $600. Think about these numbers next time when you are offered this kind of job.

Below are some additional ideas for earning quick bucks:

Welding Protection

Other protective equipment includes welding gloves or wearing long sleeves so a welder can keep safe from burns.

Does welding shorten your life?

It can be devastating in the long run. Working in improperly ventilated areas might create gather fumes that are dangerous to breathe in. There is a slight possibility that it might lead to lung cancer in some situations.

Additionally, welders can die instantaneously when exposed to dangerous welding circumstances.

How many welders die each year?

Based on the findings of Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, 1 in every 250 die from welding-related injuries.

Average Salary of a Welder

There are many factors that influence the amount of money a welder is able to earn. Firstly, it depends on the state or country you are planning to work in. There are also some specialized areas that have high levels of risk, underwater welding or military welders, that are paid more than others. Finally, the pay rate will also depend on whether a welder travels or not.

Currently, the average salary for a welder is somewhere around $18 per hour, which amounts to $38,000 a year. Entry-level workers are going to be paid less than professionals, of course. Those who travel arguably receive the most money. Since they are usually dispatched somewhere dangerous for work it is quite normal that they get paid the big bucks. Their earnings could go up to some $160,000 a year.

If you start your welding business or metal cutting job as a freelancer your earnings will depend on the amount of work you are doing. Taking on as much work as possible in the beginning is always a good idea.