Underwater Welder Salary-Requirements and duties

Underwater Welder Salary

The name itself suggests that a welder’s work is to weld and cut in a wide range of underwater environments. Underwater welding is the most common task that is needed to be performed by underwater welders. 

The work of an underwater welder is very dangerous and risky as they need to deal with huge pressure zones, weld oil rigs, deal with different chemicals, and a few more. Sometimes the job affects the mental and physical health of the underwater welder. 

Steps to Become an Underwater Welder

Interested candidates need to gain a lot of experience, certificates, training, internships to become successful underwater welders. It is not easy to become an underwater welder. There are eligibility criteria to be fulfilled, knowledge and experience to be gained, and standards to be uplifted. 

Interestingly, there is no age limit to become an underwater welder but, the interested candidate should be in good physical condition. Companies that hire underwater welder hopes that the candidate has passed all the physical exams. It is recommended all the certifications related to physical exams should be kept updated frequently. 

Below we will be discussing the eligibility criteria, qualifications, certifications, and training programs required to be an underwater welder. 

Minimum requirements expected from the interested candidate

  • The interested candidate needs to start learning about welding just after passing 12th grade. 
  •  Finish high school diploma or GED
  • Should know how to swim well
  • Gain Commercial Diving Certification
  • Must earn top side welding certifications and should gain skills in the following three areas:

Surface Welding

Underwater Welding and 

Commercial Diving 

  • Complete the underwater welding specialist program that is offered exclusively by the Commercial Diving Academy. 
  • AWS Certified Welding Training

These were the requirements and eligibility criteria to be fulfilled to become an underwater welder. Additionally, someone who is not willing to become an underwater welder should follow the same criteria. They must have both Commercial Dive Certification and surpass the AWS D3.6 standard in welding. 

What are the Essential Skills Expected From An Underwater Welder?

The job of an underwater welder needs some great skills to work efficiently and safely. As the underwater environment is not the same as the outside world, things could go pretty wrong at any point in time. Therefore, the underwater welder needs to have all the necessary skills required for the field. 

Below are the skills that are expected from an underwater welder:-

  • Should be highly motivated and self-directed- Some professional underwater welders tend to go for work alone deep down the sea or river. In that case, it is very important for the welder to be highly motivated and know what they should do and are doing. 

This is because there will be no one to guide the welder. They have to manage and complete the task all by themselves. 

  • Should easily adapt to a challenging work environment or any sudden situation- This is an important skill for any underwater welder. 

Welding underwater is always a risk as they need to deal with machines and other related types of equipment. However, challenging situations may come at any point in time, and the welder should have the courage to face and fix them. 

  • Teamwork and flexibility- The underwater welder should have all the qualities and abilities to work together with the other members on board. Some other skills that come with teamwork are responsibility, listening skills, and communication skills. 

There is no fixed time to work for underwater welders, so whenever a problem comes up, they should be ready to fix it. 

  • Swimming skill- This is the most basic skill that any underwater welder should inherit. Underwater welders should have all the swimming knowledge and should implement it when it is most needed. 
  • Detail-oriented person- Underwater welder should pay close attention to the smallest of details showcased. This is because welders often need to work underwater for hours, so it is better to know everything before getting down there. 

Additionally, even a small mistake below the water could raise the risk level of the welder.

  • Mentally and physically powerful- The job of an underwater welder requires both mental and physical strength. The welder needs to be physically powerful, as welding below the water needs strength and focus. 

Duties and Responsibilities of an Underwater Welder 

An Underwater Welder needs to perform various kinds of work in their daily life. Some of the duties and responsibilities of an underwater welder are given below:-

  • They need to make sure that they are well-equipped when welding underwater. High safety measures should be maintained in all types of underwater environments. 
  • It is the basic job of the welder to perform tasks like cutting, fitting, rigging, welding to make things right below there. 
  • Before deciding to cut, fit, or anything, the underwater welder needs to inspect properly what the problem is. 
  • An underwater welder should modify all the equipment and materials for diving underwater. 
  • They should identify the defects and fix them, and also they need to perform non-destructive tests underwater. 
  • Underwater photography and video recording are another significant duty and responsibility of an underwater welder. 
  • As per the problem, underwater welders need to make plans, read blueprints, take drawings, plan a layout, read drawings and then plan the further procedure. 

What are the Dangers and Risks taken by an Underwater Welder?

Underwater welding is meant as one of the dangerous jobs in the world. The job position requires high-quality training and specialized skills. But, as it is a dangerous job, the salary expectation is always high. Some dangers and risks come with the job position, which may cause long-term health problems or death in some cases. 

Below are some of the underwater welder dangers involved in the job position:-

  • Electrocution- This is one of the basic and biggest dangers that an underwater welder faces. As we know, only pure water is an excellent insulator of electricity. We don’t find pure water in nature, so we can see how mixing electricity and water can be very dangerous. 

Electric equipment should be wrapped with proper waterproof electrodes for a safe environment. 

  • Blow-up or blast- Combination of different chemicals underwater while working could raise different formulas. The combination of hydrogen and oxygen can form numerous gas pockets underwater, which is not a good sign underwater. If something goes wrong, then these gas pockets could lead to a blast. 

The welder should immediately stop welding when he hears a small popping sound, hydrogen and oxygen bubbles. 

  • Risk of drowning- Even professional underwater welders face the risk of drowning underwater. The risk of drowning increases when the equipment is old or not properly fitted in the welder’s body. 

Another huge danger is getting stuck with some objects underwater or in the lines of your equipment. The deeper the welder goes, the harder it becomes for them to see as very little sunlight enters. 

  • Driver’s sickness or driver’s disease can occur when the welder moves quickly from a high-pressure zone to a low-pressure zone underwater. This is dangerous because changing the environment results in the nitrogen bubbles entering the bloodstream of the welder. These nitrogen bubbles entering the bloodstream of the welder can cause numerous problems inside, such as joint pain, paralysis, rashes, vertigo, leg weakness. In severe cases, the welder might have a stroke that could lead to death.

How Much Money Does an Underwater Welder Make?

With high risk comes a good salary in the job position of an underwater welder. Underwater welders work on a project basis. The hourly pay of an underwater welder greatly depends on the length of the project, how deep they need to dive and what the work is. 

Still, the average underwater welder salary is $53,990 annually, which means $25.96 on an hourly rate. Below is a breakdown of the salary of an underwater welder on a percentile basis:-

Percentile Average annual pay
Lower 10%$29,220
Median 50%$45,890
Upper 90%$84,370

An experienced underwater welder is highly appreciated, and their hourly rate is higher than any other category. A senior-level underwater welder with experience of more than eight years earns an average salary of $107,831 annually. 

Conclusion 

As per few reports, it has been revealed that the demand for underwater welders will increase more than the normal value. Between 2019-2029 it has been estimated that there will be a 5% growth in demand for commercial divers or underwater welders. Additionally, the salary potential for underwater welders will increase to 16% over the upcoming five years. 

The future of underwater welders is growing with great speed. Therefore, interested candidate should make up their mind and never miss out on such an opportunity. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

  1. What is the death rate of underwater welders annually?

Answer- The underwater welding death rate has quite a high death rate estimated at around 15%. This makes becoming an underwater welder 1,000 times more dangerous than working as a police officer in the country. 

  1. What is the average hourly rate of an underwater welder? 

Answer- The average hourly rate for an underwater welder is $25.96 per hour, and the average annual salary is $53,990. 

  1. Is becoming one of an underwater welder worthy?

Answer- In general, opting to become an underwater welder is very worthy. As the welder will gain knowledge, they will be able to experience stuff which no other job position will offer in the world. Additionally, the most attractive part of becoming an underwater welder is its salary. 

  1. Does becoming an underwater welder shorten the lifespan of a diver?

Answer- Underwater welding has nothing to shorten the lifespan of a diver if they work taking all the precautions. Using inappropriate materials or equipment could highly affect the lifespan of a diver. 

  1. How deep does an underwater welder need to go?

Answer- The diving dept of an underwater welder greatly varies on the project they are working on. An offshore welder may be required or asked to dive to a maximum depth of 2,500 meters or 8,200 feet. 

  1. Is it very hard to become an underwater welder?

Answer- Yes, becoming an underwater welder requires a great number of skills. The job can be challenging both mentally and physically and requires a high degree of technical and welding knowledge. That is one of the reasons why the demand for underwater welders will go up in the coming years. 

Underwater Welder Salary-Requirements and duties

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