Traveling Welding Jobs
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If you prefer the open road or even the open ocean to a cramped office, the lifestyle of the “road warrior” welder could lead to an exciting career once you’ve completed a welding program. These travel-bound welders are used to going across the country in order to work on huge projects. What are some welding jobs that offer the adventure of travel in addition to rewarding work?
Industrial Shutdown Welder
Working as a welder on industrial shutdown jobs may require traveling to factories, facilities, and plants that are undergoing a temporary shutdown for repair or upgrades. These welders often work a six-month on and six-month off schedule, with plenty of free time once the work is completed. 1
Shipbuilding Welder
A shipbuilding welder will need to travel to different port cities to weld together everything from small research craft to massive aircraft carriers. Welders with a specialization in shipbuilding could also pursue international work. Imagine a week working in the United States, then a week in Europe, then a week in Australia.
Underwater Welding
Think about all the unlikely places to join together metal, and the middle of the ocean ranks high. Underwater welding represents a fascinating career alternative to a traditional nine-to-five job, one that will take welders to some of the most amazing locations in the world’s oceans. Underwater welders need a set of certifications both for welding and for scuba diving, since their workspace can lie one hundred feet or more below the surface of the sea. 2 It takes strong physical and mental strength to work as an underwater welder due to the difficulty of the environment.
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Military Support
The United States spends over half a trillion dollars on the military. With the number of submarines, attack helicopters, F-35 interceptors, Abrams tanks, and countless other machines that provide support to the fighting forces, there’s no doubt that the military needs skilled welders to build and repair all matter of equipment. 3 Military support welders are some of the best-compensated welders in the country, earning an average of $160,000 to $200,000 per year for their service. They need to travel to bases and facilities across the world to work on military projects. Much like underwater welding, military support welding is dangerous work.
Road Tech
The Swiss Army Knife of welders, road techs can go nearly anywhere and perform nearly any task in order to get a project done. Welding specialists who can travel remain in high demand and have a variety of options for the work they pick up on a contract basis. A road maintenance welder will work with construction crews on highways and bridges. A surveying welder will perform auxiliary work at a site with civil engineers and architects.
The Road Life
Welding offers the ability to take responsibility for your own work and travel to new job sites, a luxury that few other careers offer. Some professional welders travel independently, going as far or as near as they desire. Jobs can range from private companies to military contracts, government work allowing welders a lot of flexibility in their career.
1 – http://www.gowelding.org/articles/facts-about-career-welding/
2 – http://awsweldlink.org/careers/detail/underwater-welder
3 – http://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-us-military-spends-its-billions-2015-8
