A lot of companies looking for welders will let the welding schools know what they are looking for, so going to school and getting certs is a good start from the networking standpoint as well as the Certifications. Then, depending on what part of the country you live in, either look at the various Unions (mainly East and West Coasts, LV, and Chicago) or in the rest of the country look for contractors in the field that interests you - pipeline, tanks, etc. If you really want to make a GOOD career out of welding, be prepared to spend several years moving around a lot. Regardless of the industry, you have to pay your dues. Then you can take your credentials and start your own company, act as an independent contractor with you own rig, "sky is the limit" as has been said before. You have to be willing to sacrifice. The local fab shops, whether they are a small mom and pop shop, an Off-Road parts fabricator, an equipment Manufacturer, or whatever, usually has no problem filling their workforce with people willing to take less pay because they don't want to do the hard thing. Getting welding certs is NOT a hard thing. Spending several years moving around the country with a pipeline crew, living out of hotels, and only sleeping in your own bed 20 nights a year is hard - and that is why they get paid for it.
COURSE # | SUBJECT | LECTURE HOURS | LAB HOURS | TOTAL HOURS | BRIEF DESCRIPTION |
| W-100 | Orientation, Basic Engineer Knowledge and Skills | 40 | 0 | 40 | Students will be introduced to the Welding training program, will review basic shop safety, math, computers, precision measurement and engineer drawings (No pre-requisite required) |
| W-101 | Blueprint Reading and Layout of Parts | 20 | 20 | 40 | Students will be introduced to terminology, complete basic blueprint reading, and actual layout of parts from blueprint specifications (Pre-requisite W-100) |
| W-102 | Shielded Metal Arc (MMA) Welding | 20 | 20 | 40 | Students will learn MMA theory, tips and practice guided by shop floor instruction (Pre-requisite W-101) |
| W-103 | Plasma Theory and Cutting | 20 | 20 | 40 | Students will learn Plasma Cutting Theory, tips and practice guided by shop floor instruction (Pre-requisite W-102) |
| W-104 | Gas Metal Arc (MIG) Welding & Flux Core Arc Welding | 20 | 60 | 80 | Students will learn MIG and Flux Core welding, tips and practice guided by shop floor instruction (Pre-requisite W-103) |
| W-105 | Gas Tungsten Arc (TIG) Welding | 20 | 20 | 40 | Students will learn TIG welding, tips and practice guided by shop floor instruction (Pre-requisite W-104) |
| W-106 | Production Simulation | 20 | 20 | 40 | Students will simulate a product using MMA, MIG and TIG demonstrating the skills they have learned over the weeks of training. (Pre-requisite W-105) |
| Total Hours | 320 |
This dude nailed it. I’d get formal PIPE WELDING instruction for a short period of time (1 year) and then get into a PIPE WELDING field. Unless you’re going to run your own fab shop, you won’t make much money fabricating as an employee of someone else. If you want to stay local, look into tig welding/7018 welding in local factories (nuclear, food processing ect.). If you don’t mind traveling you can join a union (789 for example) or go non union. In these instances you will more than likely need your own welding truck. Factories can sometimes supply welding equipment for specific jobs.
Hahahaha yeah most of them think they’re badass, but can’t weld worth a shit
. I also agree with this. To make money fabbing, you must be self employed with your own equipment. That’s the key. Do not work for an employer. Heavy equipment welding repair in the field is going to be AT LEAST $60 an hour. 
You are right about the guy that comes out with a rig and does field repairs. Rates around here are at about $80 / hour for that service, and that applies to driving time as well as actually on site. I am guessing that person has a lot more on their resume than getting their certs, plus the cost of the rig and welder. Not a bad position to be in as far as running your own business.
I’d venture to say you could set up a fully tooled out mobile truck, with a used truck and used welder for less than $75k to get started. I’d say it’s a great investment. To throw out some numbers for here in CA, depending where you are and what you’re welding, if you’re on pipe, it’s anywhere from $75-$150 an hour for rig welders.
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Who's naysaying about $20 hr? I spent many years making less than that welding, I wish I had someone to point me in the direction of the big leagues in the welding field. I changed careers instead.
Shitty welder? Not by a long shot.
