How much do underwater welders make? In this article, I’ve explained the salaries of underwater welders, pipeline welders, and other welders earn hourly.
Do read this post that how many underwater welders make per hour?
How Much do Underwater Welders Make?
Underwater welding is a skill not many people have.
Most importantly, the underwater welding jobs are highly paid skills amongst other similar jobs.
The underwater welders can charge up to 25 dollars per hour.
It means they can earn up to 50,000 dollars per annum.
There are a few factors that play a role in the high wages of underwater welders, such as,
- Certification: The certification makes underwater welder more credible, and he can charge more for that.
- Welding Equipment: The per-hour charges also depend on the equipment an underwater welder uses—the better the equipment, the more the charges.
- Experience: Experience is obvious something that increases the value of a skilled worker. With more underwater welding experience, the welder can charge more.
What is the Pay by Experience Level for Underwater Welders?
Experience plays a huge role in the pay range of underwater welders, just like any other skill.
Underwater welders do get paid according to their experience.
They have the full right in job opportunities to charge for their experience.
This experience also varies from offshore to onshore.
An onshore experienced underwater welder can make 50 thousand dollars to 80 thousand dollars a year.
Offshore welders need more experience and skill, so the wages are also considerably high with the experience.
An experienced offshore underwater welder can earn roughly 75 thousand dollars to one lac dollars a year.
So we can say that an experienced underwater welder can easily make anything between 50 thousand dollars to a hundred thousand dollars per annum given the level of experience.
How Much do Offshore Underwater Welders Make?
Underwater welding is a risky and complicated job.
The more offshore it goes, the riskier it gets. For the same reason, offshore underwater welders salary is higher than other professions.
The average salary of offshore welders gets paid more than onshore underwater welders.
However, the pay varies according to the experience of an offshore underwater welder.
Depending on the experience, an offshore underwater welder can earn anywhere between 70 thousand dollars to a hundred thousand dollars.
Offshore underwater welding jobs involve staying out in the sea for a longer period of time.
That also increases the pay rate for them.
Also, they have to work in cold waters to remove underwater debris and sea mines.
All of these conditions are very hard, and they get paid accordingly based on diving experience.
How Often do Underwater Welders Work?
Underwater welders get enough work considering the number of systems humans have installed underwater
From oil searching missions to basic underwater wells and fixing of fiber optics or pipe welder.
Commercial underwater welders spend most of their time out in the sea.
During the offshore season, which lasts from April to November, underwater welders have a much higher influx of work.
They rarely get to go home during this time, but after the season like winter months are off, they can stay back until April comes again.
Unlike offshore welders, onshore underwater welders have worked all over the year.
They work on underwater freshwater pipes and also inspection of sewer pipes.
These jobs are required to be done all year, so onshore welders get jobs almost all the time.
Moreover, based on the diving experience, they get paid like with hourly wages.
What do Underwater Welders Make?
Underwater welders are mostly responsible for maintenance more than making.
However, they are involved in the making of massive underwater structures.
All the underwater pipelines and structures are made with the help of underwater welders.
These welders make sure that everything joins well like marine vessels.
They are experts in handling metal under the water when the risk of electrocuting is very high.
Humans have shifted so many of the systems underground, and a lot of them travel through water.
The whole internet optic system survives under the sea.
All of this has been possible because of the underwater welders who get training in welding school.
This skill plays a key role in the making of so many industries as top-paying welding jobs.
What is Involved in Underwater Welding?
- Wet Welding of Oil Pipes: As we know, a lot of oil is extracted from the sea. To make the transport’s oil, the sea has underwater oil pipelines. These pipelines need proper look after, which is provided by underwater welders who get training in the welding career.
- Underwater Drilling Support: Humans are constantly looking for more resources in the sea. Also, there are so many structures made in the sea too. All of these projects are done under the supervision of offshore welders with commercial diving training.
- Ships/ Cruise Repairing: ships and cruises are still a huge part of human transport and goods transport. These ships and cruises need to be maintained well to be safe. Underwater welders do this maintenance.
Besides the above discussed offshore welding jo, here are some onshore welding jobs:
- Underwater freshwater Pipes
- Sewer Pipes Inspection
- Dam Walls
- Demolishing Structures
How Much do Pipeline Welders Make?
The job of welding is considered a highly skilled job on the whole.
Though pipeline welders do not get paid as much as underwater welders, it is still a job that is considered well paid.
On average, a pipeline welder earns up to 65 thousand dollars a year, which is a handsome amount.
The salary of a pipeline welder depends on the geographic location too.
In America, a pipeline welder gets paid well for his job, while in many countries, this job might not pay as much.
Pipeline welding staff is responsible for the important pipelines and water vessel maintenance, so they are charging more than 25 dollars an hour a lot of the time.
How much do Underwater Welders make an Hour?
Underwater welders get paid according to the experience, but it is considered that a lot of the time, they spend weeks or spring months in the sea and underwater to fix the problem.
So given the experience and the time they are going to spend underwater, they are paid 15 dollars to 25 dollars an hour.
There are some highly skilled underwater divers with technical skills to handle extreme environments that can charge up to 50 dollars an hour from the client.
Hourly underwater welders also depend on where they are working or their level of education; for example, if they are working offshore, they can charge more.
Their job is very tough as they stay in the sea for longer periods and work in all kinds of waters with different dive methods.
On the other hand, onshore underwater welders have fewer wages per hour than offshore welders.
What is The Highest Paid Welding Job?
The welding jobs pay to depend on the skill and experience level of the welders as well as the job location.
However, there are welding jobs that are very well paying regardless of the locations.
Here are some of the highest-paid welding jobs.
Underwater Welding: It is a very risky job that demands a high level of skill to handle tidal waves.
Hence it pays one of the highest amounts in the welding industry because of the skills and risks involved.
Pipe Welding: Pipeline welders are responsible for keeping the most important pipelines, such as gas and water, maintenance.
They are paid big bucks for their services.
Aerospace Welding: Airplanes need to be flawless before they are clear to go in the air.
The huge metallic body requires a very high welding skill level and offers the best career opportunities with high salaries.
How much do Welding Engineers Make?
Welding engineers are certified in skills from prestigious schools.
The education and knowledge they have do increase their significance, and they are paid well by the employers in the job market.
They work based on math and science, which makes their work more accurate than ordinary welders with physical strain.
We know that any additional knowledge is always welcome and acknowledged in the industry.
They are paid up to 40 dollars per hour which is a really good wage.
A moderately experienced welding engineer can make more than 120,000 dollars a year.
Even a welding engineer can make a median salary of 60,000 dollars per year at the start of his career.
What Industries can these Jobs be in?
Welding has a very broad canvas. So many industries need full-time welders on board to keep their work going.
They work outdoor, indoor and underwater jobs.
Metal is involved everywhere, and hence it requires welders.
Here are some of the industries that have the most welding jobs with diving careers.
- Aerospace Industry
- Construction
- Ship and Cruise Building
- Railway lines Manufacturing
- Electric transmission and Distribution
- Pipeline Industry
- Natural Gas Industry
- Automobile Industry
- Military
- Industrial Maintenance
As you can see, there is hardly any industry that works without welders.
So welders can take jobs in any of these industries.
The machine maintenance of any industry depends on the welder.
That is why they pay their welder’s good wages with incentives.
How much does it cost to become a Welder?
Just like any other skill, training in intensive labor is a significant part of becoming a welder.
Welding has not remained simple, and it has so many branches and technologies involved now.
So you have to be trained in a school that teaches you all the modern techniques and equipment.
Now comes the part about how much you would need to pay to get this training.
The welding schools can charge from 4000 dollars to 20 thousand dollars to get the appropriate certification.
You can get a two-year degree in the field of welding for 20 thousand dollars.
You can also get a four-year degree which will cost you around 40 thousand dollars.
The small certifications and diplomas cost much less than the full-fledged degrees for underwater welding professionals.
Frequently Asked Question about “How much do Underwater Welders Make“
How much do Underwater Welders make?
The welding pay scale for underwater welders can make somewhere between 50,000 and 1,00,000 dollars per annum, depending on the experience.
Few very highly skilled underwater welders charge much more money than that.
Regardless of the skill level, underwater welders earn a good amount of money.
What type of Education do I need for these Jobs?
Underwater welding jobs need special skills and equipment for the category of welding.
Some courses and degrees teach the basic welding technique.
Some schools teach underwater welding and deep-sea diving.
You need to have full certification in welding from one of these schools.
It is a highly risky job and needs proper education before the job.
There are two years and four years of degrees available too in welding for diver welders.
Topside Welding Salary and Underwater Welding, Which Pays More?
Underwater welding pays much more than topside welding.
There are so many risks involved in underwater welding that makes it a highly paid job.
Topside welding is also a profitable job because it is about skill and machine handling, which not everybody knows.
However, underwater welding is a much more complicated job and needs a certain amount of risk management; therefore, it pays much more than topside welding.
What is it like Working as an Underwater Welder?
Underwater welding needs a lot of physical and mental strength along with a high level of skill.
It can be a very well-paying and satisfactory job if someone has full control over it.
At the same time, underwater welders put their lives at risk while doing this job.
The welders who are passionate about their job enjoy their job thoroughly as certified welding supervisors.
The feeling that you do a job that very few people can do is a nice feeling in itself.
Why do Underwater Welders die?
The most common cause is getting electrocuted and drowning.
Underwater explosions are another reason for the high death rate of underwater explosions.
Underwater welders that work in cold water are always at a risk of hypothermia.
Several underwater welders die due to the suffocation caused by toxic games underwater caused during the sewage pipe inspections.
Do Underwater Welders make good Money?
Underwater welders can make really good money in diving jobs.
It is one of the reasons, so many people opt for it as a career.
There are a lot of risks involved, but employers make sure they provide all kinds of security to underwater welders to manage water pressure.
The job has a very key role in offshore projects as well as land matters.
Underwater Welding Death rate.
The death rate amongst underwater welders is very high.
There is a 15 percent fatality rate in underwater welders informal education.
The conditions are very dangerous underwater, and from electrocuting to toxic gas poisoning, there are so many risks in the underwater welding job.
Because of tough working conditions and challenging environments life expectancy of underwater welders is also very low.
All the difficult underwater circumstances take a toll on their overall health.
Conclusion – How much do Underwater Welders Make?
Underwater welding is a very profitable job.
It requires so many skills with advanced degrees to be hired, but in the end, it has so many lucrative benefits.
Underwater welders earn 70 thousand dollars per annum on average.
Extremely highly skilled and experienced underwater welders can earn even more than 2,00,000 dollars a year.
The salary depends on the certification too.
If you are an engineer but have proper certification from a credible school, you can charge according to that.
While considering underwater welding as a career option, it is important to keep in mind that average wage statistics is a highly paid yet very risky job.
But it also offers certification courses with advanced knowledge. Also read about How Long Does a Propane Tank Last?
