Also called: Rig Welder
Travels the country welding the steel pipelines that carry oil, gas, and water.
You drive your own welding rig truck to a right-of-way in Texas, weld joints of 36-inch pipe with a partner from both sides, and every weld gets X-rayed. You might work 12 hours a day for weeks, then take time off.
Includes rig pay and per diem; long hours and travel between job sites. Pay swings with energy projects.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 4 years after high school. Welding school (6-18 months) plus years of experience and API 1104 pipe certifications; often starts as a welder's helper.
Ways in: Trade school, Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Welding Technology (trade school).
Growing about average. Tied to pipeline and energy construction.
Low risk for 10 years. Automated orbital welders help on big pipe jobs, but field welding in mud, wind and remote sites stays human.
Classes: Welding CTE, Geometry, Physics.
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.