Have you ever wondered what are the highest paying welding jobs in us or which welders make the most money?
Maybe you first got into welding as a hobby, and are looking to parlay it into a career. We all get into welding for different reasons.
But whatever your reason for getting into welding, you can be sure that if you do it professionally, you’re going to want to know how much money you can make doing it.
Here is a list of the top highest paying welding jobs in the us, which include:
1. Industrial Pipeline Welders
2. Nuclear Welders
3. Undersea Welders
4. Military Welders
5. Farm Welders
6. Aerospace Welders
7. Certified Welding Inspectors
Table of Contents
How to Earn More as a Welder
To earn more as a welder, you can specialize in certain areas of welding that offer higher-paying jobs. Welding jobs that can pay over $100,000 annually include pipeline welder, underwater welder, contract welder, ironworker, and certified welding inspector.
However, to get these high-paying jobs, you need multiple qualifications and certifications, some of which require extensive schooling and significant financial investment.
Building or repairing existing trailers is also a great way for a welder to start and earn more money. It’s worth noting that high-paying welding jobs often require a lot of traveling and time away from home.
Additionally, experience is crucial, and after 5-9 years of work experience in a specialization, your salary will begin to increase.
Where Does Welding Make The Most Money?
The top cities for welders in Nevada are Sparks, Las Vegas, and Reno. Maine, Louisiana, Vermont, and New Hampshire are the best states for welders in America, with the highest-paying city being in Maine.
The highest earners in the top 6 states are in Alaska, New Mexico, Wyoming, West Virginia, Hawaii, and Massachusetts. Among these states, New Mexico is the highest-paying state when considering the cost of living.
Welders who specialize in certain areas, such as pipeline welding, can earn significantly more than basic welders, with salaries ranging from $30,000 – $60,000 to over $200,000 annually.
What State Needs Welders The Most?
Maine has the highest concentration of welding jobs and is considered the state with the greatest need for welders. Other states such as Louisiana, Vermont, and New Hampshire also have good demand for welders, with strong manufacturing industries and good salaries and benefits.
It’s important for welders to research the best location for their career goals before making any moves.
How Much Does a Welder Make in NYC?
The average salary for a Welder in New York City is $45,024 per year, which roughly translates to $21.64 per hour. However, the salary range can vary based on the level of experience and expertise. It is worth noting that welders with specialized welding skills can earn a higher salary than the average base salary.
What Is The Highest Level Welder?
the highest level for welders is usually 6G, which means they can weld 360 degrees around a pipe that doesn’t move. Producing this type of weld requires extensive knowledge and precision.
Welders seeking employment may be required to demonstrate their welding skills, and depending on the employer and job, may need to show certifications for specific welding processes and positions.
Welding certifications involve various parameters such as base metal thickness and accurate beveling. Welding certifications are usually performed at a workplace or welding school and are typically administered by licensed certified welding inspectors.
1. Industrial Pipeline Welders
Working on pipelines is one of the most common welding jobs out there, and industrial pipeline welders are responsible for a huge chunk of that. There is also a lot of variety in this job.
While it may be hard to imagine working pipelines as being a job filled with surprises, the fact of the matter is that pipelines are more various than you might imagine at first. They are located in different areas and require different types of care.
Sometimes you might be called upon to work on pipelines which snake along a cold snowy expanse. On other days it may be necessary to work in dank, hot, humid conditions. Still other times you might be installing pipelines amidst urban sprawl.
It’s hard work, but at least it’s different, and it pays well – an experienced welder can earn anywhere from $50,000 to $185,000.
If you are an adaptable person up for the challenge of working in difficult conditions on long pipelines, this may be the path forward for you.
2. Nuclear Welders
From one hazardous welding job to another, nuclear welders have a tough task ahead of them, to put it mildly.
Nevermind the strenuousness that comes with working a regular welding job, you now also have to worry about a nuclear component as well.
This isn’t The Simpsons, and your safety inspector won’t be as lucky as Homer Simpson (so hope they aren’t as careless).
You need to be an extremely diligent welder with an excellent safety record to work at a nuclear power plant or similar nuclear setting.
Nuclear welders can be exposed to various types of radiation, so you’ll need to be in good health and follow nuclear safety protocols to the letter. What’s more, you’ll need to pass an FBI screening.
Nuclear welding jobs come in three separate classes:
Class 1: These jobs concern the nuclear reactor itself as well as the cooling system. They typically involve working in the hot water area that is responsible for cooling the nuclear materials.
You will likely have to dive into the hot water itself in the course of your welding work. You can only do this for a minute at a time, so you’ll need to have a great deal of precision, be a fast welder, and be able to work under pressure.
Class 2: This type of welding involves working on the parts of the cooling system which do not contain radioactive hot water.
Class 3: This involves welding aspects of the system that are used by Class 2, but are not exposed to as much radiation.
While Class 2 and 3 are much milder jobs than Class 1, they all require an incredible amount of poise and skill. They also all pay quite well.
While pay is various, this is another welding position that typically carries a handsome starting salary with an opportunity at six figures.
3. Undersea Welders
Search for “what welders make the most money?” online, and this is bound to be one of the first results you get.
Underwater welding has the reputation of being the welding equivalent of finding sunken pirate treasure.
While the claims can sometimes be a bit exaggerated, there is no denying that this is indeed one of the hottest welding jobs and the biggest money makers on the market today.
There are many reasons for that, not the least of which is that the job is both in demand and highly specialized.
The law of supply and demand has, thus, seen demand and, therefore, salaries for underwater welders shoot up almost as fast as the divers themselves dive down into the sea.
According to Payscale, the average underwater welder makes around $64,000.
However, this is a job with an incredibly high floor and an easier path to six figures than many of the other options on this list.
4. Military Welders
It is no secret that one of the biggest employers of welders in any number of capacities is the military.
Where there are tanks in need of welding, bases in need of repairing, or any number of metal-related tasks a welder can perform military contracts inevitably await.
One of the most important things to recognize about this category is just how many varieties of welding work it offers.
The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and other branches of the military all need welders, and needless to say, they don’t often share.
That makes this by far one of the biggest sectors for welders, and a great way to put your skills to work while serving your country.
To take a quick overview of the kind of jobs you can expect from the different branches of the military:
Army: Welding with the Army can mean welding on the battlefield. You may be asked to service tanks, jeeps, and all manner of vehicles.
They can also be called upon to help build bases or improve the surrounding areas by doing things like building bridges.
Navy: As you might expect, these welding jobs often mean working on ships, either by building them or affecting repairs.
Air Force: If you have an aerospace background, getting one of these jobs can be easier. If you want to maintain or build warplanes, this is your chance.
Marines: These tasks often fall under the classification of “Military Occupational Specialization.” They are quite various and offer a new welding adventure every time.
Coast Guard: These jobs can range from working on boats to lighthouses.
5. Farm Welders
This is the kind of job that you want to look into if you are looking for something that pays a comfortable amount without some of the pressure that comes with other options on this list.
Working in adverse conditions such as swamps, extreme cold, or nuclear reactors? Taking on jobs that involve welding war machines or diving deep beneath the sea?
All of that takes a great deal of pressure, and for some, it may not be worth the money.
That being said, you still need to support yourself and your family, and a farm welding job can offer a more relaxed, low-risk way to do that. Farm welding jobs often range from $40,000 to $50,000.
That isn’t as much as some of the other options on this list, but it is a lot less stressful and, being low risk, your chances of having to pay out for injuries suffered on the job are less as well.
6. Aerospace Welders
Whether you work for Boeing, Lockheed Martin, or any number of other aerospace companies, working in this sector can really help your welding career “take off.”
You can make as much as $60,000 doing aerospace welding. However, this makes our list not just for the base pay, but the opportunities it presents.
Many military welding jobs have a skill set that overlaps with aerospace welding jobs, so you can retire from the former to the latter while still enjoying a nice windfall.
What’s more, the military background may help boost you into a job that pays even more than that $60,000 average.
7. Certified Welding Inspectors
While this may not be a job where you have to do a lot of welding yourself, you still have to oversee a whole range of other welders and have a great deal of welding experience yourself.
This isn’t the kind of job you can waltz into after a year or two. A CWI position is one of the most coveted in the industry.
Just as a Shakespearean thespian spends their whole career building up to the crowning glory of playing King Lear, so too do welders work for years or even decades to get a CWI position.
What makes this position so sought after?
The money, for one thing. CWIs are among the best-paid jobs in the welding industry.
Then there is the prestige factor. Everyone loves being the boss, and as a CWI you’ll finally get a bigger say in things.
You also get to use some of the insight you have gained as a result of years on the job to help newer welders do their jobs better.
The money, power, and mentorship all combine to create one of the most respected jobs in the welding industry.
All of these are big money-making welding jobs. That said, even more than wondering what welders make the most money, you should first ask yourself which among this most appeal to you on a personal level.
Whatever the nature of your welding work, as the saying goes, if you love what you do, you’ll never “work” a day in your life.