Have you ever wondered “how much underwater welders make” – If so, then you are right place.
In this post, I have shared everything that you need to know about underwater welding including the welding jobs, salary range, and a lot more
In the end, I have also shared the factors that affect the salary for an underwater welder – so make sure you read till the end.
So let’s get started without any further delay.
Overview of the Underwater Welding Jobs
Before we dive deep into knowing about the salary range, hourly rate, and job opportunities in this underwater welding field you need to know exactly what underwater welders do.
The job of the underwater welder is to encompass the fusion of the metal structures, repairing the pipeline, or doing the maintenance work underwater.
It’s one of the most specialized fields which requires a unique skill set of equipment and the ability to work in risky conditions which makes it even more challenging for people who want to enter this field.
Types of Welding Jobs and their Salary
Now let’s look into the types of welder and their salary range as per the data, so there are two types of underwater welders based on the work the first one is onshore underwater welders and the second one is offshore underwater welders
Onshore means a person who is working things like bridges, docks, water towers, and smaller vessels which are generally safer.
The salary of the new welder who is working on the onshore can be between $25000 to $40000 annually, but after three to five years their salaries can increase up to $50000 to $80000.
Now let’s talk about the offshore welders – these are people who work on bigger ships, underwater pipelines, and any oil platform, these tasks include from simple inspection to heavy construction and it is more risky than onshore.
They deal with strong currents, poor visibility & sometimes water animals this beginner offshore underwater welder can make between $40000 to $60000, and the senior welding engineer or experienced welder can make $75000 to $1000000.
How much do Underwater Welders Make?
As said before, the job of the underwater welder is a very skillful and risky field but it’s perfect for people who want to do the challenging and risky job.
If I talk about the underwater welder pay or their salary range it depends on lots of factors which include skills, knowledge, experience, and most importantly the location of the work.
Salary Range of the Underwater Welding
However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, commercial divers and underwater welders have a mean (average) hourly wage of $26.32.
While the mean annual wage is approximately $54,750. Additionally, the top percentile (90%) can make approximately $93,910 or more.
But as per the data of the Ziprecutior, it’s found that the salary varies from location.
- Average Anual earnings – $36638
- Average monthly Earning – $3053
- Average Weekly Earning – $704
- Average Hourly Rate – $18
But one thing that you need to keep in mind salary for an underwater welding it’s depends on the location and these are the stats of mostly in the United States.
Factors Influencing Underwater Welder Hourly Rates
Now you have an idea about the salary range of the underwater welder, let’s talk about the list of the factors that affect the underwater welding pay.
Here is the list of the factors that you can consider for hourly pay for the underwater
Level of skills
There is no doubt that the person who is more skilled will earn more money than the people who have fewer skills – which means that experienced underwater welders will earn more than the person who has just started his journey to becoming an underwater welder.
Location
It’s another factor that plays a vital role and affects the underwater welder’s salary the reasons behind this are, first, the income of the people mostly depends on the economic condition of the country, suppose you are living in a developed nation that you will likely to earn more money than the people are living in underdeveloped countries.
Job demand
Wages and salaries of the underwater welder are also influenced by the demand for the job in the particular location.
If you are working in areas that have a high demand for underwater welders you will be highly paid & the industry and the types of projects you are working on also have an impact on the underwater welding jobs pay
Some of the sectors or underwater welding job category are more lucrative than others in this case getting good pay is higher.
Degree or Certification
I know most people think that certification or degree is useless but having a degree or certification can potentially boost the pay for the underwater welding.
One of the certificates is AWS D3.6 Underwater Welding Code, it certificate will ensure that you have the proficiency & expertise in the field.
Education Qualifications to Become a Professional Welder
If you are someone who has an interest in becoming a professional welder, then you should know about the education qualification you need to get a job in an underwater welding role.
First of all, you don’t need a college degree to become a welder but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics you need to get certain certificates – and you can obtain these certificates through a technical college after finishing high school.
But some experts mention that it’s easier to teach the welder to dive than the other way around but to become a professional welder you need to get a certificate from a professional body like “the American Welding Society”
Additionally, you will also need to add a commercial certificate to your list – which is advanced and good for international jobs as it’s advisable to get an internationally recognized certification one of them is “The Association of Diving Contractors International – it will also benefit you to acquire the skills of photography, drafting, and rigging.
Highest Paying Cities for Underwater Welder
Getting a high-paying job is possible but you need to find the paying cities for underwater welding where you can work and people value your efforts and pay you a good amount as per your time.
So if you are looking for a good job, then it’s better to choose the high-demanding cities for underwater welding jobs.
Here is the list of the countries where you can choose to get your dream job as a professional welder and it also shows the typical salary for an underwater welder that you check below
| Country | Average Salary |
| Norway | $80,000 |
| United States | $75,000 |
| Australia | $72,000 |
| Canada | $70,000 |
| Singapore | $68,000 |
| United Kingdom | $65,000 |
| Netherlands | $60,000 |
| Denmark | $58,000 |
| Germany | $55,000 |
| France | $52,000 |
| New Zealand | $50,000 |
What is the Average Underwater Welding Salary?
Identifying the average salary of an underwater welding is tricky as there are many factors that you need to consider but globally the average of underwater welding is between $25000 to $80000 per annum but it can vary depending upon your location.
In the United States, the underwater welders typically get paid between $50000 to $80000 which comes around $25 to $30 per hour and you can consider the average salary.
How much does a Underwater Welder make Per hour?
On average, the underwater welder can make it between $18 to $25 per hour although it varies on lots of factors including your location.
There are many types of welding jobs that you can do here is a list of the highest-paid welding jobs that you can do and they are well-paying regardless of your location.
Pipe welding – It’s another type of welding that pays well and the best part is the demanded jobs as there is always the need for skilled pipe welding workers who can work across various industries for the welding work of the construction & maintaining pipelines.
Aerospace Welding – This includes the work of joining the metal that is used in aircraft and spacecraft this is a very risky job, but it pays well, but it requires intense training and expertise to master these skills of welding.
Underwater Welder – The job of the underwater welder is to encompass the fusion of metal structures, repairing the pipeline, or doing the maintenance work underwater and it’s another high-paying job.
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.
What type of Education do I need for these Jobs?
To become a professional welder you need to do certain certification courses which will help you land high paying job the basic certification you can do is from “the American Welding Society”
Topside Welding Salary and Underwater Welding, Which Pays More?
Underwater welding pays much more than topside welding but the risk in underwater is more than the topside welding
Why do Underwater Welders die?
The most common cause is getting electrocuted and drowning and underwater explosions are another reason for the high death rate of underwater explosions.
Do Underwater Welders make good Money?
Yes, underwater welders make good money and but most of the time it depends on individual skills & experience.
Conclusion: How much underwater welders make?
As we have seen the salary of the underwater welder depends on various factors but on average underwater an makes between $35000 to $80000 per annum.
Now If you are thinking of making a career as an underwater welder then above are the points that you need to consider one more thing this is a high-risk job and only for the person who loves challenges.
Now if you still have any questions related to the underwater welder and job opportunities, you can let us know in the comment section.
