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What Is Oxy-Acetylene Welding? All You Need to Know
Learn about oxy-acetylene welding, also known as oxy-fuel welding, and oxy-acetylene welding equipment that’s required. Contact UTI for welding school info.
There are many things to consider when thinking about your future career. Having the flexibility to go to different areas nationwide to work is a big perk for many people. The ability to be mobile can equal job security in many cases.
The welding industry is growing, and with that growth comes job openings and opportunities to work from a range of places. Becoming a traveling welder might be the right path for you if you enjoy working with your hands and aren’t tied down to one place.
Keep on reading to find out more about the potential for travel in welding and how the future looks for the industry.
Traveling Welder Job Duties
The duties and responsibilities of a traveling welder are typically the same as other welding positions, just with the potential of utilizing these skills in different places. Some industries that traveling welders might find opportunities in include:
- Pipeline/pipe joint repair and construction
- Shipyard welding
- Railroad track repair and construction
- Military support
- Underwater welding
- Farm machinery manufacturing
- Construction and infrastructure
- Aerospace
A welder’s primary task is to join or repair components after determining what welding method is best suited for the project. Planning layouts and procedures, as well as reading blueprints, are also common practices before starting a job.
If you’re looking for a detail-oriented, hands-on career that can offer flexibility and mobility, the path to becoming a welder might be right for you!
Traveling Welder Salary and Job Outlook
Salary range and job outlook are important things to consider when pursuing any career. Getting a sense of these things can help you better prepare for your future.
Those going into the welding industry typically start as entry-level welders. While there is no specific salary information listed for traveling welder jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does provide insight into welding in general.
According to the BLS, the median annual salary for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers in the United States was $47,540 in May 2022.26 This means half of welders earned more and half earned less. Keep in mind that salary depends on several factors, including experience, employer, demand and cost of living in the area.
Welding is a growing field, with more than 42,000 estimated average annual welding job openings in the United States.42 This information is also provided by BLS data and includes openings due to growth and net replacements. Given the number of job openings, there are opportunities to be a traveling welder and find work in different parts of the country.
How to Train to Become a Traveling Welder
Education and training are extremely important when pursuing any job in the skilled trades. When it comes to pursuing a career as a traveling welder, building a foundation of knowledge will help you before diving into the industry.
A great way to gain the experience you need is to pursue an education at a trade school. This route provides students with hands-on training that can help them enter the workforce confident and qualified.
The Welding Technology training program at Universal Technical Institute (UTI) helps students learn about the procedures and equipment required for the major types of welding used in the industry. Courses cover everything from welding theory to math used in industry fabrication.
Graduates have the knowledge needed to get started in the welding industry. With a combination of education and hard work, it’s possible to pursue a career as a traveling welder.1
Let UTI Help Prepare You for a Career in the Welding Industry
If a career as a traveling welder intrigues you, why not take the first step toward a future you’re excited about? The Welding Technology training program will help give you the experience you need to prepare for a flexible career that you can take to many different places and industries.
UTI makes it easy to start gaining experience in the skilled trades. You can graduate from the welding program in just 36 weeks ready for an entry-level job in the workforce. Find out more about training, which is offered at twelve campuses nationwide, by requesting more information here.
UTI Campuses That Offer Welding Training
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1 ) UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
2 ) For program outcome information and other disclosures, visit www.uti.edu/disclosures.
26 ) UTI’s Welding Technology Training Program prepares graduates for entry-level positions using the provided training, primarily as welders. Estimated annual salary shown above is for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers as published in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2022 Occupational Employment and Wages. Entry-level salaries are lower for UTI graduates. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary. UTI graduates’ achievements may vary. Individual circumstances and wages depend on economic factors, personal credentials, work experience, industry certifications, the location of the employer, and their compensation programs. Some UTI graduates get jobs within their field of study in positions other than as a welding technician, such as inspector and quality control. Salary information for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: The average annual entry-level salary range for persons employed as Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (51-4121) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is $36,160 to $50,810 (Massachusetts Labor and Workforce Development, May 2020 data https://lmi.dua.eol.mass.gov/lmi/OccupationalEmploymentAndWageSpecificOccupations#). Salary information for North Carolina: The U.S. Department of Labor estimates the hourly median wage for skilled welders in North Carolina is $22.69 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, May 2022 Occupational Employment and Wages, Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers). The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish entry-level salary data. However, the 25th and 10th percentile of hourly earnings in North Carolina are $18.91 and $17.16, respectively.
42 ) For Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an annual average of 42,600 job openings between 2022 and 2032. Job openings include openings due to net employment changes and net replacements. See Table 1.10 Occupational separations and openings, projected 2022-32, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, viewed November 16, 2023. UTI and MIAT are educational institutions and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
Universal Technical Institute of Illinois, Inc. is approved by the Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
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