The Salary of Underwater Welders on an Oil Rig
Welder-divers combine the skills of certified welders and commercial divers. They are capable of performing underwater welding and related tasks, which allows them to carry out repair and maintenance jobs that would otherwise be impossible or prohibitively expensive. The American Welding Society and the Association of Diving Contractors Consensus Standards for Commercial Diving Operations provide the standards and certification requirements for underwater welders who wish to work on oil rigs. The salary of a welder-diver depends on a variety of factors, such as education level, experience and the demand for workers in a particular area.
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Salary Range
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The salary of a welder working underwater on an oil rig can vary widely from one project to another and depends on many variables. According to a report by the American Welding Society, the wage of a welder-diver might vary from $100,000 to $200,000 per year. According to the same report, factors such as the depth at which a diver must work, the diving method used and the diving conditions affect the level of pay a diver may demand.
Average Wages
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Although it is difficult to estimate the wages of any one welder-diver, the average wage of workers in the industry as a whole provide a useful benchmark for prospective underwater welders. According to a 2010 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hourly mean wage for a commercial diver in the mining industry is $28.67 an hour, which represents an average annual wage of $59,630, a much lower wage than reported by the American Welding Society. This includes workers who may not be certified by the American Welding Society, which illustrates the wide range of salaries in this industry and the benefits of professional certification.
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Employment Concentration
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Mining is one of the largest employment sectors for commercial divers. Although commercial divers in the mining industry perform other tasks besides welding, the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists welding as one of the main tasks of commercial divers. According to a 2010 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 percent of all commercial divers provide support activities for the mining industry. The only other industry that employs more commercial divers is civil engineering construction, which employs 56 percent of all workers.
Salary by State
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Where you work as an underwater welder will have a huge effect on the size of your paycheck and your chances of finding employment. For instance, welder-divers in areas with huge mining deposits, such as the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, have a much better chance of finding work. According to a 2010 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 91 percent of all commercial divers in the United States work in Louisiana and 16 percent work in Alaska. However, the top-paying states for commercial divers, according to the same report, are New Jersey, with an annual mean wage of $79,010, and California, with an annual mean wage of $76,500.
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