Welder or Machinist better pay?
Asked by kadiva
I work at a machine shop as a forklift driver, welder helper, machinist helper (drill press mostly) and aslo I'm the cleanup guy and make out the tickets.The shop is 90% oilfield work mostly center around threads.However my dad is the one teaching me how to weld he's been doing for 25 years, but still not sure what my future holds.

Best Answer:
There are too many variables. There are basic positions in both of these fields that don't make a lot of money. For either, it all depends on the skills you aquire. The more skillls you pick up, the more valuable you are. Think about the millwright profession. They are generally welders, ironworkers, riggers, sometimes with machinist or electrician skills. Basically a jack of all trades. They usually install machinery and equipment in industrial settings, but are also industrial maintenance workers. Don't limit yourself to one set of skills. Pick up all of the things you are exposed to.

welder definitely earns more money unless you own your own machine shop. and if your father is teaching you welding you will still need to go to school if you want to get any jind of real welding job.
Answered by *Daisies*

It's hard to say. I'd imagine they're about on the same pay scale. The Bureau of Labor Statistics keeps track of average pay for various occupations. This is their page for machinists: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos223.htm#earnings This is their page for welders: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos226.htm#earnings If you look around on those pages you'll also see discussions of job prospects and working conditions. Judging from that, the lowest paid specialty of welders makes more per hour than the lowest paid specialty of machinists. But the average wages of certain machinists are higher than the average wages of the welding specialties listed. Now, my neighbor used to weld in the oilfield industry and he told me this about it. He said some of the highest-paid welding jobs are under harsh conditions. Welding often happens in emergency situations, and may call for long stretches of work. Certain welders get paid extra for special skills, like underwater welding. I don't know any machinists, but I suspect most of those jobs are more stable. Check out the pages I linked, it's better if you read them. Good luck!
Answered by anonymous