Future Outlook of Welding Jobs

If you like working with your hands, there are a number of opportunities out there that will let you earn a paycheck this way. One really good example is welding. Not only do you get to use your hands every single day, but there are several other benefits associated with this career path. Below, we’re going to talk about that and much more related to working as a welder.

Learning to Weld

In order to be taken seriously when applying for welding positions, it’s important to have a resume that shows why you’re such a good candidate. You can do this any of a number of different ways.

Programs and courses abound that will give you the education you need to be competitive when pursuing a future in welding. You’ll also want to look into any state-specific requirements you may need to follow on this career path.

The American Welding Society is a good resource for all this information and more. If you’re still in high school, though, they recommend that you take courses in science, math and shop. Some high schools even offer classes in welding.

By the time you start applying for welding opportunities, you should have a pretty good understanding of the practice thanks to what we just covered. That being said, it’s okay if you’re not quite an expert when you begin looking for work. A lot of what you need to know as a welder is the type of stuff you’ll simply get taught on the job by those with more experience.

Joining a Welding Union

Throughout the country, there are unions for welders. These may significantly increase your chances of finding work and getting better pay and benefits. This can also be a very controversial topic, though, as many welders have found the opposite to be true.

You’ll be best off by researching your options for unions in the area you intend to work. See what kind of reputation they have. Some welders have considered working in completely different areas simply to align themselves with a better union.

Is Automation Cutting into the Outlook for Welding Jobs?

As you probably know, a lot of people have lost their jobs as automation has become more readily available to companies across numerous industries. In short, this just means that machines can do the work that once required a person. Many are seeing this with cashiers; self-checkout machines make it so that having an employee for this job is largely unnecessary.

Fortunately, welding jobs won’t be too hampered by this type of machinery. While a good amount of automation is definitely in play at the moment – and that should continue increasing – there is still a lot of work that only humans can do. Furthermore, as it turns out, automation in this sector often creates more welding jobs, as employees are needed to use and maintain the machines.

What Is the Outlook for Welding Jobs in the Future?

Speaking of the current climate of welding jobs, let’s do some forecasting of the future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics much of what we just mentioned in the above section. Their projection is that welding jobs will increase by 15% of what they were in 2010 by 2020. That rate of growth is slightly above the average in other fields.

There are plenty of other statistics from BLS about welding jobs worth checking out, too, if you’re curious about what the future is going to look like.

One major factor that helps the outlook for welding jobs is that you can use your talents across industries. Let’s say you start out welding nothing but automobiles, for example. There’s no reason you couldn’t start using your skills in the oil industry at the drop of a hat.

At the end of the day, as a welder, your skills are relevant to numerous different industries and don’t require that you learn much to switch fields.

The reason we bring this up here is that it helps to explain why the outlook for welders is so positive. As the economy improves, most industries will improve right along with it. Many of these industries are going to require more welders in order to keep their growth humming along.

Also, as we touched on a bit when we brought up automation, the technology associated with welding is only growing, too. Amongst other things, this means that an increase in welder jobs may also be because these professionals are needed to operate such machinery. It’s not as though they’re completely automated and can simply work on their own.

With prospects for welding jobs improving, now might be the right time to begin your career path. Welding is a good fit for those who like to work with their hands and enjoy seeing the results of their efforts. It’s a skill society is always going to need, too.