Welding, wages, and doing what you love

Cathleen McNally welding in the military.

Wages in welding is a hot topic right now. A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece about it that’ll be in the next issue of The WELDER magazine. Right after that Jimmy McKnight had me on the Arc Junkies podcast to discuss it, and over the last week I’ve been posting about it on social media. The response has been incredible. Pay that comes in lower than previously commonly thought is obviously an issue that’s been simmering just below the surface for us, the welders. Now it’s bubbling up.

This isn’t a thing I’m going to let go, but as we gear up for the fight, I want to make one thing as clear as the northern waters of Lake Superior: I think welding is awesome, and if you fall in love with it like I did, you can find a path to success.

If you want to become a welder, there are opportunities to carve out a nice career. If you love the game, the magnificent process of melting metal to build the bones of life, you should still pursue a life of playing with fire. It’s not always easy, but it comes down to doing what you want to do with your life.

This is a part of the reason I believe in exposing children to the trades at a young age. The majority of this country’s labor force spends more time working for a living than we actually do living. And in the trades, those hours are even longer. I love working because I love what I do. I’m productive because I love what I do. I’m sane because I love what I do.

For the vocational school students who messaged me, wondering if they made the right choice, here’s my response: If you’re getting into welding for the sole purpose of making enough money to fund exotic cars, yachts, and a mansion on both coasts, you’ll more than likely come away bitter and disappointed. But if you start your journey with the idea that, hey, I might have to make some sacrifices; I might have to travel; I might have to put in 7-12s; I’ll have to work continuously to improve at my craft; it might be hard on my body, but I’ll make enough money to live while loving what I do, do it. Do what you love.

All images courtesy of Josh Welton, Brown Dog Welding.

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