Also called: Pipeliner, Rig Welder
Welds together miles of steel pipe for oil and gas pipelines, often traveling job to job.
You weld pipe joints in a ditch or on a rig truck, in any weather. Every weld gets X-rayed. Top pipeline welders bring their own welding rig trucks and earn big money.
Travel and overtime push pay well above the general welder median.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Welding school plus pipeline certifications (API 1104).
Ways in: Trade school, Certification, Apprenticeship. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Welding Technology (trade school).
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Automated orbital welders help on big jobs, but field welds in ditches and tie-ins stay hands-on.
Classes: Welding CTE class, Geometry, Weight training.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-4121.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.