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The number of people who have expressed an interest in careers in underwater welding has increased over the years. Many welders, students, divers, and other interested parties have searched for information on how to learn about underwater welding careers and underwater welding schools.
The American Welding Society has been contacted by many such individuals and as a result the D3B Subcommittee on Underwater Welding has provided some answers to the eight most commonly asked questions. A condensed version is offered below but you can find the whole article on the AWS Website noted above. We suggest you consider these answers before approaching an underwater welding school to find out about admissions, enrollment etc. You will be better prepared to ask them some questions of your own.
- What skills are prerequisite to entering the field of underwater welding? Some beneficial skills would be commercial diving skills, weld setup and preparation skills, and the ability to certify to a required underwater weld procedure.
- I am a certified surface welder, what other training or under water welding school experience and training would I need to qualify as a welder-diver? You would be required to be both a certified welder and a certified commercial diver and there are schools available for both.
- What are the age limitations for a welder-diver? There are no age restrictions on commercial welder-divers. There are, however, physical requirements. You should be able to pass an annual dive physical. Because commercial diving is physically demanding it is rare to see an underwater welder over the age of 50.
- What is the availability of work for an entry-level or just out of underwater welding school graduate? That is a question that can only be answered by the companies that might employ you. All the things that affect other industries; supply and demand, economics of an industry etc. apply here and can affect the availability of work.
- What salary can I expect with an underwater welding education? An average salary vs. grade index would be interesting to compare but there is no average since salaries for underwater welding divers can cover a wide range; anywhere from $15,000 to $100,000.
It would seem that in order to be fully prepared as an under water welding diver you would need to have attended an under water welding school or a welding school and commercial diving school, respectively. If you are prepared you are in a much better position to take advantage of opportunities that are offered on a project-by-project basis while you build your clientele and under water welding experience.
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