welder rates

[sweld]

Originally Posted by Ivo

Doing millwork is similar in that one goes to school, apprentices, gets red seal, pays for business license, wcb, over $10,000 in tools and gear, pays for consumables like screws, blades, sanding supplies, adhesives....and I've never met one that makes over $100/hr. Maybe $50/hr if they are very lucky.



Welders have been taking advantage of the O&G industry for years in Alberta and ,I for one, am glad things have come down to earth and guys can start earning like the rest of the regular old construction workers in the rest of the country.



I worked in camps my self and the accommodations are fine, the food is good and conditions aren't that bad.



Go cry to your Welder buddies about the good old days as they are behind you now and not coming back for a long time. Get used to the new reality and get to work or if you're too good to work for $70-80/hr, stay home, hope you banked enough money while you were gouging to get you through the next 10 years.

What's a hd mechanic with his own truck and tools charge out for, $100/hr

Pipefitter with his own truck and tools
$100/hr.

Give it a rest already. I have my own truck my own tools supply my own fuel and consumables. Insurances everything. Pay my own taxes. $100/hr subcontract

The companies I work for cut me a check that's it. No benefits no pensions plans. No boot or glove allowance nothing.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JD848]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

years of apprentice hours, in school for two months at a crack, cost of a rig set up, fuel, and business licenses WBC rates and insurance are all costs incurred.
If ANYONE thinks that a ticketed rig welder who has to supply everything is only worth what a journeyman shop welder is when all their equipment is supplied ,they are on glue.
Cat

x2 ,

[Reaver]

I've seen what cheap gets you in the welding world. I spent months at Kiewitt's mod yard fixing the garbage that came over from Korea.

Also, like others have stated here, it's not an easy trade, especially if you want to make a decent amount of money. Shop jobs pay a lot less than field jobs ($28-42/hour before oil prices tanked, and now if you're lucky $30).

Most rig welders I know are gone from their family's for weeks and months on end. Many of the them end up divorced (and then broke) because of the lifestyle. It's hard on your body as well, not many guys can weld for their whole career.

But, keep bitchin', or get a ticket and become what you hate.

Originally Posted by Seige

Exactly... x's 2


To add to that question.. ".... for a living!?"

Those who speak of it as "point a stick and aim" "or pull a trigger and go" truly have no clue what it takes to learn the art of welding. Let alone live by and raise a family which balances on the results of our last weld.

And if ya want to argue it not being an art? Show us your "masterpiece" we'll show you ours!

You get what you pay for. For YOU may be worth $26/hr at most, the rest of us receive the work after the companies tried it cheap. Which in itself is BS, as we have to fix other "wannabe's" garbage. Before doing our own. At the same time costing the client 3 times as much, had they just hired a real Welder in the first place.

Vicious circle

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by Ivo

Doing millwork is similar in that one goes to school, apprentices, gets red seal, pays for business license, wcb, over $10,000 in tools and gear, pays for consumables like screws, blades, sanding supplies, adhesives....and I've never met one that makes over $100/hr. Maybe $50/hr if they are very lucky.

Welders have been taking advantage of the O&G industry for years in Alberta and ,I for one, am glad things have come down to earth and guys can start earning like the rest of the regular old construction workers in the rest of the country.

I worked in camps my self and the accommodations are fine, the food is good and conditions aren't that bad.

Go cry to your Welder buddies about the good old days as they are behind you now and not coming back for a long time. Get used to the new reality and get to work or if you're too good to work for $70-80/hr, stay home, hope you banked enough money while you were gouging to get you through the next 10 years.

You have $10,000 in tools. Do you realize that many welders have close to that invested in FR winter clothing? Comparing tools they are only putting out 5 to 10 times what you are. Does your work truck need 6 new tires or 4? How often do you sink your truck in the muskeg and have a D7 pull you to your jobsite? How many courses do you take, and then recertify, just to be allowed access to your job sites? I'm guessing a few less. Your consumables are screws and blades, just for giggles price out 400 feet of double ott copper cable that the welder considers a consumable. Your vocation is much different than that of a welder. If you screw something up what is a worst case scenario? Now what about the guy about to strike an arc on a multi-million dollar piece of equipment that is vital to a plant operation? I'm thinking insurance premiums alone are a heavier cost.

Its all relative.

[JDK71]

have two guys with there own rigs they charge me 85 an hour and I supply the gas and rod

[JDK71]

and my HD guys with there trucks shop 100 and field 115 I pay for there fuel

[fish_e_o]

Originally Posted by HyperMOA

You have $10,000 in tools. Do you realize that many welders have close to that invested in FR winter clothing? Comparing tools they are only putting out 5 to 10 times what you are. Does your work truck need 6 new tires or 4? How often do you sink your truck in the muskeg and have a D7 pull you to your jobsite? How many courses do you take, and then recertify, just to be allowed access to your job sites? I'm guessing a few less. Your consumables are screws and blades, just for giggles price out 400 feet of double ott copper cable that the welder considers a consumable. Your vocation is much different than that of a welder. If you screw something up what is a worst case scenario? Now what about the guy about to strike an arc on a multi-million dollar piece of equipment that is vital to a plant operation? I'm thinking insurance premiums alone are a heavier cost.

Its all relative.

hahahahahahaha wanna go down that road?

i'm sitting in a 4 million dollar building surrounded by millions of dollars in cnc equipment and welding equipment etc.. i am exposed to more liability in a minute than they are in a day.

i charge $85/hr

[Burglecut83]

Originally Posted by Manning74

Now that a rate cutting scab right there

Rate cutting scab to you... I see a man thats hungry for work and still making money.. lot of guys out of work... gotta do somethibg to set yourself apart from the rest. Ultimately the guy is probably more concerned with feeding his kids and keeping his house than he is about keeping the rates up. I am in business and lower my rates in slow times to ensure i still have work fornmy main crew of guys.

[sgill808]

I guess rate cutting affects everyone. I heard it is rampant in gravel trucking.

[RobertScorpio]

Originally Posted by sgill808

I guess rate cutting affects everyone. I heard it is rampant in gravel trucking.

It's called competition.

Rate cutting would assume there is an agreed upon amount everyone will charge, which is called price fixing and is illegal.

[sgill808]

Originally Posted by RobertScorpio

It's called competition.

Rate cutting would assume there is an agreed upon amount everyone will charge, which is called price fixing and is illegal.

My understanding of rate cutting is doing jobs for less than the average rate paid. Forcing people in the same field to decrease their rates, and then the cycle goes on and on until you only make enough to cover your expenses or less.

In gravel trucking it goes by seniority. Guys at the top, who get called first, are sometimes sitting home because others down the list will do the job for cheaper. Then employers come and say "well so and so will do it for cheap, so that's the rate, if you don't like it stay home". Even though you have been hauling for 25 years and the other person just came into the business.

I'm not sure what you do for a living and making no assumptions: but if person A was at an intersections squeegeeing windows for $5, and person B showed up and started squeegeeing them for $2.50, people would may wait until they ended up on that side of the road. Forcing person A to cut his rate.

[RandyBoBandy]

Originally Posted by RobertScorpio

I know, it's CBintheNorth. He's been stalking me for years like a little puppy looking for some milk.

Ba-ba-butt..I thought you just signed up this month

[RobertScorpio]

Originally Posted by MrLeahy

Ba-ba-butt..I thought you just signed up this month

Down by the river.

Why, he stalks people here too?

[CBintheNorth]

[FISHBATTEREDBEER]

WOW!!! I can't believe how many people are clueless about welding and rig welders.I have been a B-Pressure rig welder for over 17 yrs.so I can tell you that welding rates are too low for what we do.We weld on piping that has to pass xray and not blow up.We are retested every 2 yrs and xray weld tested every job.To be a successful contract welder you have to be good and fast.I get jump hrs daily for x amount of welds.The main contractors bid there jobs for a certain expected amount of weld inches per day/welder.If you can double their estimated daily inch count most will throw ya extra hrs.In the last 5 days I did 700+ inches and received 10 jumps.
I could retire if I had a nickel for every guy that said welding looks easy,I hand them the stinger and helmet and have a good laugh at their bird sht looking welds.My day starts at 5am and home around 6,the other day I worked 19hrs.

For all those whining about weld rates,go turn up your furnace....a welder built the pipeline to get the gas to you.

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by fish_e_o

hahahahahahaha wanna go down that road?

i'm sitting in a 4 million dollar building surrounded by millions of dollars in cnc equipment and welding equipment etc.. i am exposed to more liability in a minute than they are in a day.

i charge $85/hr

OK, we can go down this road. I was comparing a guy that installs baseboards to a guy who offers mobile welding; but I guess we can go down the road.

Do you offer mobile machining services? If so, do you still charge out at $85 an hour? If you do, send me some info, I know people that will have you working probably more than you want at those rates.

Your 4 million dollar building is peanuts compared to the billion dollar plant that a mobile welder may be in contact with. His liability, not considering production losses, outweighs your liability hands down. You at least work in a controlled environment. Are you sure you carry more liability insurance than he does? Really, worst case scenario you burn down, insurance covers 6 million, bada bing we move on. What happens when something goes wrong and he blows up a plant? (As a worst case scenario) How much liability is there?

I'm not a welder, I work with several however. If it is so easy and lucrative, sell your 2 million in CNC machines and outfit 20 trucks. Send them to work for you, and retire in May.

[play.soccer]

Originally Posted by HyperMOA

OK, we can go down this road. I was comparing a guy that installs baseboards to a guy who offers mobile welding; but I guess we can go down the road.

Do you offer mobile machining services? If so, do you still charge out at $85 an hour? If you do, send me some info, I know people that will have you working probably more than you want at those rates.

Your 4 million dollar building is peanuts compared to the billion dollar plant that a mobile welder may be in contact with. His liability, not considering production losses, outweighs your liability hands down. You at least work in a controlled environment. Are you sure you carry more liability insurance than he does? Really, worst case scenario you burn down, insurance covers 6 million, bada bing we move on. What happens when something goes wrong and he blows up a plant? (As a worst case scenario) How much liability is there?

I'm not a welder, I work with several however. If it is so easy and lucrative, sell your 2 million in CNC machines and outfit 20 trucks. Send them to work for you, and retire in May.

Well actually to be fair the liability is on the NDT technicians inspecting the welds of that plant not the welder. NDT techs are grossly under paid for the amount of responsibility they have.

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by RobertScorpio

And perform the same job with equal quality.

HAAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I think you best spend some time out of country. Not just 2nd and 3rd world countries, I mean just to the US. You will quickly appreciate the quality of the Canadian trades programs.

Couldn't cut it as a welder maybe?

[Seige]

Times like these, we ought too have a "Purge" tag

You'd be one of the first tagged bud

It's sad, your complex is blinding, too bad.. you sound like someone who had his dreams crushed when he found out you aren't a good nuff Welder to be taken, seriously.

Everything you state, can be said about any job there is! Yet you have to have the juvenile last word in, like this post was all about you! Hahahaha.. go fit something.

It's attitudes like yours, that causes the race to the bottom! Keep it up, I guaranteeyoull get first place, bud

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by play.soccer

Well actually to be fair the liability is on the NDT technicians inspecting the welds of that plant not the welder. NDT techs are grossly under paid for the amount of responsibility they have.

Yes, I am referring to the act of welding could cause a big problem, whether the welder is to blame or not is irrelevant. Miscommunication with a hot-work permit, and kablooey.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by play.soccer

The Mexican would only work for $15 because he doesn't know any better.


How is RobertaScorpio not banned yet? I've gotten infractions for less than he has been posting.

Hitting the red button and naming the post will get attention a lot faster than
Complaining on the forum about a member .
The moderators do not read every post of every thread .
Cat

[RobertScorpio]

.

[catnthehat]

I have cleaned up this thread as best I can
Those that do know what the rates are as was asked by the OP, post away
Those that want to rant about welders had better be prepared to take a knee for a while
Cat

[ROA]

Right now when we are building pipe lines if a welder fails one or two X-rays he is sent home at the end of the day and the next guy gets a phone call. It's high stakes for your job right now. The guys earn their money and I would not like to be in their shoes.

[FISHBATTEREDBEER]

Originally Posted by ROA

Right now when we are building pipe lines if a welder fails one or two X-rays he is sent home at the end of the day and the next guy gets a phone call. It's high stakes for your job right now. The guys earn their money and I would not like to be in their shoes.

This is very true and even more so with the slow down,there are plenty of guys waiting for your job,you mess up you will be replaced.For anyone complaining about welding rates I say give er try bud!Throw some hip waders on at 3am in minus 30 with 20 white hard hats standing over you in the ditch,make sure your weld is spotless because xray is waiting and these guys hate welders.In about 10 minutes you will find out if you are going back in the mud hole to fix it.Never mind your body trembling from the icy water,suck it up and be back here for 6am.The oil has been in the ground for millions yrs but we got to turn the valve tonight!!

[ditch donkey]

Originally Posted by play.soccer

Well actually to be fair the liability is on the NDT technicians inspecting the welds of that plant not the welder. NDT techs are grossly under paid for the amount of responsibility they have.

Actually to be fair, we need to think about what the liability covers. All my actions, cutting into a wrong line, environmental clean up, backyard by my truck into a riser, and on and on. It's not that hard to do a million dollars of damage in a gas plant.

I got called to do a hot tap. Said sure, I'll call my insurance company, and gave them the details. No problem, $450 for liability insurance for that one weld. The customer couldn't understand why so much for half an hour of welding, and even more confused as to why he should pay for it. I'm not sure what he ended up doing.

[pikeman06]

Holy what a wild thread to be on ! Awesome. Coming from a catskinner on pipeline for many years and buddies that went down the welding road. It's all pretty equal for the majority. The welder gets five days out of a job at twice the rate as the operator...the operator gets ten days out of the same job. The laborer and the bosses get 15 days. So it all balances out. Good welders are good from day one. They stick together when they have to which I admire. But there is a glut of welders now. All the helpers that got their tickets at the tail end of the last boom are the ones in a bind. Outfits have there steady guys but aren't hiring so the young fellas can't get in.

[Scott h]

Originally Posted by Reaver

I've seen what cheap gets you in the welding world. I spent months at Kiewitt's mod yard fixing the garbage that came over from Korea.

Also, like others have stated here, it's not an easy trade, especially if you want to make a decent amount of money. Shop jobs pay a lot less than field jobs ($28-42/hour before oil prices tanked, and now if you're lucky $30).

Most rig welders I know are gone from their family's for weeks and months on end. Many of the them end up divorced (and then broke) because of the lifestyle. It's hard on your body as well, not many guys can weld for their whole career.

But, keep bitchin', or get a ticket and become what you hate.

That's the point, the shop rates have changed with the new reality, so will the guys in the field. The amount of guys becoming welders has to drop as the wages HAVE to drop because there are more around than the province needs. Alberta needed thousands more welders to keep up when the price of oil was a $150 but it's now less than $50 and will probably never go back up much higher. Take a look at the vacancy rate in the office space in Calgary, you can get a place for huge discounts compared to a few years back. Why should the trades be any different? I'm certainly not saying that the job is easy or lacks skill (far from it)......BUT.....It's all supply and demand......
There are big spreads in prices, so you can work for cheaper and keep busy or you can park your truck for a good part of the time......

[catnthehat]

The OP was about rig rates not shop rates .
If you asked a rig welder to weld up a small job on your trailer I'm pretty sure the charge put would be a lot less than if you hired him out to do some B pressure work .
Shop rates are a different story
Cat

[Scott h]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

The OP was about rig rates not shop rates .
If you asked a rig welder to weld up a small job on your trailer I'm pretty sure the charge put would be a lot less than if you hired him out to do some B pressure work .
Shop rates are a different story
Cat

I agree with you, they are different. It's just that there are a lot of guys around not working and when that happens you naturally get competition.
If you were getting a job done and two guys were equally qualified, wouldn't you pick the guy at $90 vs $120 ????