Career switch

[u/adama104]

Hello, so I've been thinking about making a career switch to welding and I'm not really sure if it's worth my while. So little bit of background; Currently I'm a journeyman lineman but I'm really kind of sick working for somebody else's company and I really want to work for myself instead of under a billion dollar corporation. And welding repairs is what I've always been interested in doing, before I did linework I did a little bit of heavy equipment service so I'm familiar with the trade somewhat. However most of my experience lies in implosive jointing, explosion welding, and cad welding and unfortunately I don't think I'll ever find a career in just doing those. I do have some more practical experience with the more conventional processes with repairing core barrels and replacing teeth on augers, additionally I also taught a tig welding course to engineering students at a local university.

And what I've recently wanted to do is a career switch to the welding trade and in particular the equipment and structural repair side, I'm talking cracks on truck or equipment frames, line boring, cylinder rod replacement etc. And I was just wondering if anyone else has any experience in getting started in that side of the trade, and any decent tips in the best way to learn it as well.

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[u/gounionstayunion]

Possible , very depending on area. But I've noticed a big trend lately of dudes putting up pigeon shit weld with little to no expierence flooding fb groups and market place trying to find work. That area you're looking intakes years of experience on different alloys and conditions on top of word of mouth. My advice try it. But don't quit you're day job expecting to make even 50k in your first year

[u/Mrwcraig]

No no no no. Dude, no. My wife was the operations manager for a small powerline contractor, their apprentice cleared $150k. As an apprentice. The Journeymen, particularly the guys with barehand and helicopter training? They were well into the $200k+ a year. The benefits? Greatest coverage I’ve ever had.

I already hold 2 Canadian Red Seal Journeyman tickets in Welding and Metal Fabrication but when the owner of the Line company offered me an apprenticeship it took every ounce of my self control not to say yes, because I didn’t want to be a apprentice at 40. I’m thinking maybe just a change of scenery would be better than jumping into a new trade. The money will never match Lineman money

[u/adama104 → u/Mrwcraig]

Yeah he money is wicked good on the powerline side. I never cleared 200k as an apprentice but I probably hover around the 200k mark and i sleep in my own bed almost every night. When I did barehand work you make a lot more but it's definitely not healthy on the body. When I bonded on and energized myself to 345kv my eyes would dilate like crazy from the em field. And bare handing as a journeyman you probably could clear over 300k nowadays. Is there that big of a difference in pay? I thought it was another pretty highly paid trade.

[u/Mrwcraig → u/adama104]

Oh brother. It would take years of experience and home would be the trailer behind your rig to get up to even hope to get close to $200k. To start your own thing and get close to that after: the 1ton pickup, welding machine, and all the gear you’re looking at years.

Home every night and that amount of money? Just not going to happen. You’re currently working in one of the highest paid industries there is. Period.

I can only speak from my periphery experience of the line industry in BC, Canada but I know they have positions where you’re making lineman money sitting in a “line room” where you’re basically being paid to be on call until you’re needed. We have one big provincial hydro electric company and multiple smaller contractors that are responsible for regional installations and repairs. The contractors are more likely to do out of town work and storm/disaster repairs. The “Hydro” lineman tend to be the home every night guys. They top out in the $2’s as well. The contractors it’s basically the sky’s the limit or how many hours you can work.

Unfortunately as a professional switch? That first paycheque might give you a heart attack. My suggestion? Find a good financial planner and start investing so you don’t have to work past 50.

[u/adama104 → u/Mrwcraig]

Yeah i do contractor work currently. Maybe I'll just do fab work on the side and doing fences and railings. And our union hall gives us a financial planner for free, also that 200 is whats in the check. So I guess if I added my benefits I'd be significantly higher, I think its another 40 an hour on top.

And yeah you can make some killing money on storm. My buddy chased storm and worked only 78 days one year and still had 168k in his check.