# Underwater welders - How much do they make?



## GMTK (Sep 8, 2008)

Heard a story drinking with a buddy last night and need to call his bs. How much do underwater welders (working on rigs in gulf) make per week?


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## SeaTex (Aug 27, 2009)

Underwater welding jobs can start around $80,000; experienced underwater welders can pull down up to $200,000.00 a year, and day rates of $1000 are quite common.


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## GMTK (Sep 8, 2008)

Thanks, that's what I thought. He now owes me a bottle of bourbon....(he told me underwater welders make $10,000 a week....)


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## fangard (Apr 18, 2008)

GMTK said:


> Thanks, that's what I thought. He now owes me a bottle of bourbon....(he told me underwater welders make $10,000 a week....)


If $1000 a day is common, that would be $7K a week. Add a couple of hundred dollars to their day rate and you could approach 10K a week. Don't think they would make that on a very consistent basis, but it seems possible.


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## roundman (May 21, 2004)

and i dont think a underwater welders life span is that long,as in career wise


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## fishinfool (Jun 30, 2004)

10,000 a week is very possible. Saturation divers (not welding) just construction can clear 1000 to 1600 a day. this all depends on depth, the deeper they are working the more they make. Most of the permanant underwater welding is done in what they call a habitat. basically build a room around the weld that needs to be done and pump the water out. 

Roundman is right on too.


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## rlw (May 21, 2004)

roundman said:


> and i dont think a underwater welders life span is that long,as in career wise


Not only career but life expectancy too, I was studying to go into UWW but got married instead, didn't make the money but at least I'm still kickin'.


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## GMTK (Sep 8, 2008)

He tried to tell me that they make $520,000 a year.....


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## fangard (Apr 18, 2008)

GMTK said:


> He tried to tell me that they make $520,000 a year.....


No way. I am sure they take at least a couple of weeks of vacation.

Maybe 490-500K max. JK.


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## trodery (Sep 13, 2006)

In that job you are trading dollars for days of your life!

Note to the OP.... I thought about getting into the job when I was your age... the schools even told me I was too old to start!


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## el julio (Dec 10, 2010)

One of the most dangerous jobs there is.


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## fishinfool (Jun 30, 2004)

most comercial divers only work half the year, maybe 8months at most. the rest of the year they spend most of that hard earned money very quickly.


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## michaelbaranowski (May 24, 2004)

From everything I have hear they work several years as a tender and don't even get in the water. Most of the time they are only working 6 to 8 months a year. 

If I remember correctly $1000 a day are working days and get paid much less when waiting and there is slot of waiting time. Most of what I have read is an experience commercial diver might make $150-200 a year. And few stay in the business more than 10 years.


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## Bill Fisher (Apr 12, 2006)

GMTK said:


> He tried to tell me that they make $520,000 a year.....


that's in the north sea.......


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## iridered2003 (Dec 12, 2005)

they make enough to where the comp my BIL worked for gave him a brand new home paid for in full after the big one in NO,LA


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## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

One of two jobs my Dad advised me not to get. The other was fighting oil well fires for Red Adair.


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## fishgish (Oct 25, 2011)

when you first start out diving, even if you go to a trade school employment is hard to come by. Some people may say "why, they will always need divers". true but theirs not a job everyday meaning, you could make 550 dollars one day but then be on call for a week for the next one. being a commercial, you will probably be doing freelance for years barely scraping enough to make a living. if your lucky enough to land a offshore job you will be payed on experience. so if your fresh out of dive school and took welding and cutting etc. you will still start off at the bottom of the job chain. Look to be making around 30,000 to 55,000 working inland, and 45,000 to 75,000 offshore. and yes this is a full time pay scale.


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## texxmark (Sep 8, 2004)

Also depends on what you mean by how much they make...as in from who's prospective. For instance the company I work for charges north of 2,500 a day for me to be on location, but I assure you I don't make nearly that. If he is the man signing tickets it could be interpreted that way, but what the actual diver makes is a difrent story. Just my.02
BTW- I'm not a diver just a Tool Hand


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## fishNwithfish (Aug 17, 2011)

When I joined the army this is what my innitial plan was to do. I then studied and realized they only have a expected life expentsy or however you spell it lol of 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 years. Me personally I would do it for about a year if I made it that long then start my own business doing what I really want to do. 200k in a year is alot and can go along way if you plan and save and spend wisely.


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

you sure he wasn't talking about a brain surgeon? Yall were drinking..


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## Whipray (Mar 12, 2007)

I saw something on TV a few years ago that said the best underwater welding school in the world was the vocational program in the California prison system. Is that true?


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## fishNwithfish (Aug 17, 2011)

InfamousJ said:


> you sure he wasn't talking about a brain surgeon? Yall were drinking..


Maybe a breast surgeon lol


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## roundman (May 21, 2004)

ok, even though i were a welder;,lol,, doctor, lawyer and welders brains for sale, welders cost the most because hardley ever used,lol


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

They get payed so much because they spend 2-4 weeks at a time living in either an underwater housing or saturation chamber on ship the size of a tiny camper with the other guys on the crew. On a 400 foot dive, it takes another 5 days on either side of that to pressurize, or de-pressurize.


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## fangard (Apr 18, 2008)

With my luck I would train for the job and then all would be replaced by robot welders. Just sayin.....


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## fishermanX (Jun 23, 2005)

Exactly what is the dangerous part about this job? What kills people in 3 1/2 yrs?


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## saltwatercowboy (Oct 1, 2009)

on a good job running my rig i can make bout 6500 a week w/o per diem included on pipeline, not sure about the underwater welding field


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## deepH20nut (Jan 13, 2008)

There are very few divers that are just welders. Divers do all sorts of work in the gulf. We weld, burn, salvage, repair pipes-valves, etc. I did it 10 years ago and made very good money. But you have too be gone all the time to make in the 200's. Very fun and rewarding, however, tough job. I got lucky as a tender because I got put with a crew that let me dive almost everyday from day one. I would highly recommend this as a career for any young man looking for adventure and learn about life.....making good money while you do it. As for jobs.....I got hired two months before I graduated from The Ocean Corporation. I have friends in the business that are saturation divers and they clear 200 easy. Talking about this brings back alot of good memories out there on the gulf.....thanks for the topic!!!


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

I've laid pipe underwater.


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## saltwatercowboy (Oct 1, 2009)

InfamousJ said:


> I've laid pipe underwater.


ha me too


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## scubaru (Mar 28, 2005)

Pocket pool in the pool don't count J.


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## roundman (May 21, 2004)

scubaru said:


> Pocket pool in the pool don't count J.


 .


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