Easy work, good benefits and a solid wage trumps any job where I crawl into pressure vessels and burn rod with a box fan for ventilation for more money. Get an ad-free experience with special benefits, and directly support Reddit. I am a UA pipefitter apprentice, I almost exclusively weld, and I made 60k last year only working 8 months. Welding join leave 81, readers users here now The subreddit for welders, machinists and all other enthusiasts of joining two things together. Welding comments.