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This article seems to imply 'welding' is a single level skill after you have jumped through X number of academic hoops. this is like saying 'IT' is basically on

This article seems to imply 'welding' is a single level skill after you have jumped through X number of academic hoops. this is like saying 'IT' is basically one skill set that can be learnt. There are welders earning vast amounts flying all over the world working on mission critical projects with huge economic and safety dependencies at the top, large numbers of highly talented entrepreneurial artisan welders (who often have many other skills) and people trying to learn a skill at the bottom. The article is like saying someone going to junior college to learn python is discouraged because they aren't immediately thought of as a senior engineer once they get a few qualifications.

bilbo0s 7y ago
Gotta be evenhanded though right? I mean, the people putting forth the narrative that you can make good money as a welder don't draw any of the distinctions you outline in their anecdotes either.
habitue 7y ago
The article also goes into the percentiles of wages for the profession as a whole. The 90th percentile makes $60K. It says there's a high floor of wages for the profession, but also a low ceiling, which seems fair So if you are looking at software development with the same eye, you're going to see high floor, high ceiling, and come to a different conclusion about the profession as a whole.
- dsfyu404ed 7y ago
  >So if you are looking at software development with the same eye, you're going to see high floor, high ceiling, and come to a different conclusion about the profession as a whole The line between software and IT is blurry. Depending on where you draw the line the floor for software can be pretty low.
bagacrap 7y ago
> The article is like saying someone going to junior college to learn python is discouraged because they aren't immediately thought of as a senior engineer once they get a few qualifications. "Welders at the 90th percentile of income for the profession, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, earn $63,000 a year before taxes. Those are, statistically, the top earners, and they are usually expert welders with decades of experience."
- Miner49er 7y ago
  This just seems wrong? Welding varies a ton by state. The Bureau of Labor statistics also says that welders in Alaska earn an average of $65k a year. They aren't all expert welders, it just varies heavily by location.
  - jmull 7y ago
    It says “usually”. That allows for exceptions like Alaska. (I just looked at the stats, and it looks like there is data on 510 welders in Alaska out of 389,190 total, so it’s a tiny exception.)
    - Robotbeat 7y ago
      And probably skewed towards remote oil extraction jobs, with high cost of living (everything has to be flown in) and a difficult overall existence.
- maxk42 7y ago
  Except that the article has mischaracterized the BLS data. The data is actually for "Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers" which is not the same as "Welders". [1] [1] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers-and-brazers.htm#tab-5 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers...
- turk73 7y ago
  My Dad worked as a pipe fitter (welder) for a union in the '80s. Pay was $25/hr and there were some benefits, primarily a pension, but also some health insurance and other things. He worked overtime and double time Sundays at various jobs. Phrases like "6-10s" or "7-12s" were common in our household. His best year he (officially) earned $35,000 which was like 1987. But he also made a lot of extra cash on the side, so I really don't know how much he made that year or any other year in total and neither does anyone else. There were always broken dump trucks, plow blades, bulldozer blades, and tons of other items sitting in our yard that he would repair. The article itself is bs. It feels more like a hit piece against the trades. How would someone who can't motivate himself to even finish his Associate's degree be any better off going to a 4 year college? Isn't this story anectdotal? There are plenty of welders making decent money, probably six figures and beyond, but they have to hustle to do it. As much as I want to think my Dad was a great guy, I know he wasn't that great at plotting a career path for himself. We did "ok" but were definitely lower middle class. We never went on a truly decent vacation, everything was very budget. But we had fun. I saw a side of life more raw, more real, than what most people experience. I have done better myself and for my own family, but I have a lot of respect for blue collar guys and just for "regular folk." I think there's too many socialist city people with big ideas in this country and their meddling just needs to end.

bilbo0s 7y ago

Gotta be evenhanded though right? I mean, the people putting forth the narrative that you can make good money as a welder don't draw any of the distinctions you outline in their anecdotes either.

habitue 7y ago

The article also goes into the percentiles of wages for the profession as a whole. The 90th percentile makes $60K. It says there's a high floor of wages for the profession, but also a low ceiling, which seems fair So if you are looking at software development with the same eye, you're going to see high floor, high ceiling, and come to a different conclusion about the profession as a whole.

dsfyu404ed 7y ago
>So if you are looking at software development with the same eye, you're going to see high floor, high ceiling, and come to a different conclusion about the profession as a whole The line between software and IT is blurry. Depending on where you draw the line the floor for software can be pretty low.

bagacrap 7y ago

> The article is like saying someone going to junior college to learn python is discouraged because they aren't immediately thought of as a senior engineer once they get a few qualifications. "Welders at the 90th percentile of income for the profession, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, earn $63,000 a year before taxes. Those are, statistically, the top earners, and they are usually expert welders with decades of experience."

Miner49er 7y ago
This just seems wrong? Welding varies a ton by state. The Bureau of Labor statistics also says that welders in Alaska earn an average of $65k a year. They aren't all expert welders, it just varies heavily by location.
- jmull 7y ago
  It says “usually”. That allows for exceptions like Alaska. (I just looked at the stats, and it looks like there is data on 510 welders in Alaska out of 389,190 total, so it’s a tiny exception.)
  - Robotbeat 7y ago
    And probably skewed towards remote oil extraction jobs, with high cost of living (everything has to be flown in) and a difficult overall existence.
maxk42 7y ago
Except that the article has mischaracterized the BLS data. The data is actually for "Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers" which is not the same as "Welders". [1] [1] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers-and-brazers.htm#tab-5 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers...
turk73 7y ago
My Dad worked as a pipe fitter (welder) for a union in the '80s. Pay was $25/hr and there were some benefits, primarily a pension, but also some health insurance and other things. He worked overtime and double time Sundays at various jobs. Phrases like "6-10s" or "7-12s" were common in our household. His best year he (officially) earned $35,000 which was like 1987. But he also made a lot of extra cash on the side, so I really don't know how much he made that year or any other year in total and neither does anyone else. There were always broken dump trucks, plow blades, bulldozer blades, and tons of other items sitting in our yard that he would repair. The article itself is bs. It feels more like a hit piece against the trades. How would someone who can't motivate himself to even finish his Associate's degree be any better off going to a 4 year college? Isn't this story anectdotal? There are plenty of welders making decent money, probably six figures and beyond, but they have to hustle to do it. As much as I want to think my Dad was a great guy, I know he wasn't that great at plotting a career path for himself. We did "ok" but were definitely lower middle class. We never went on a truly decent vacation, everything was very budget. But we had fun. I saw a side of life more raw, more real, than what most people experience. I have done better myself and for my own family, but I have a lot of respect for blue collar guys and just for "regular folk." I think there's too many socialist city people with big ideas in this country and their meddling just needs to end.