The importance of such a profession as a welder is difficult to overestimate in any civilized country. A wilder’s responsibilities include a wide range of all kinds of work, and productions are rarely done without his participation.
The mobile welding business is an important activity these days. People always call for them to houses if the necessity appears to weld some metals. This job has been actual for a long time. A good welder is always demanded.
In this article, we will describe who the mobile welders are, what they do, welders’ payment for mobile welding services, and the payments of welders stack to each other.
Contents
Who are the mobile welders?
Mobile welders are specialists who complete the projects of the clients on the service calls, which regard the welding of various metals. They should be ready to arrive at the address indicated by the clients and also be able to read drawings and follow technical instructions.
Higher education is unnecessary. Most welders have a high school diploma. Moreover, many employers provide additional on-the-job training. Welding is also used in various industries such as construction, aerospace, and civil life.
This career can provide the opportunity to travel to many interesting places that you might not be able to visit otherwise.
Types of mobile welders
There are 2 types of mobile welders: employees and freelancers.
Employees are those, who work for a company that sets orders and tasks. They use the equipment of the organization with structural jobs where they work, so they do not have overhead costs.
Freelancers are those who provide welding services on their own. They find the clients and buy equipment and a rig truck themselves. That is why freelancers are called rig welders. However, because of the overhead costs, not all welders can work freelance.
Wages in mobile welding services
Mobile welding is labor-intensive and difficult work. A welder often works with bulky, brittle materials at high temperatures. Accuracy is also important in this profession.
However, qualified welders in this field get paid quite well. Their salary of them depends on either working hours or the number of orders they got, and experience. Let’s look in-depth at each type of mobile welder.
Employed welders’ charge
According to statistics, a newbie from the welding shop labor earns about $37,000 per year in the USA. It means that their hourly rate is approximately $17-$18. Some companies rise the hourly rate by $2 for every additional year.
An expert welder gets paid $30 an hour. This is the specialist who has been working for 15-20 years as a welder. For them, $30 is the minimum charge.
Moreover, welding shop labor has the perspective to rise in career. The organizations have many structural jobs and the staff can work in different fabrication positions. Working for a company for many years, they can move up to a management department and earn much more money.
A big advantage of employed mobile welders is they do not spend money on equipment. The company where they have a job covers all the expenses regarding rig truck setup.
On the other hand, since welders do not pay for equipment, they are paid less than they actually could earn individually.
The average salary range for a welder varies greatly, approximately $9,500 per year. This is about taking advantage of opportunities to improve skills and increase the salary depending on the work experience and qualifications.
Freelance welders charge
Let’s look at how the wages of employed welders stack up to freelancers. Rig welders earn way more money than employees. Freelance welders are paid $75-$100 per hour on average. According to the kind of welding, freelance mobile welders evaluate the order themselves.
Taking into account the expenses for rig truck setup, rig welders are got paid more. If you decide to become a freelancer, then you should know and estimate all the expenses and be ready to purchase the additional materials.
Payment of freelancers depends on the completed orders, not working hours. That is why it is beneficial for them to complete as many orders as possible.
The disadvantage here is that not all welders can afford to buy the rig truck and equipment they need because they are too expensive. Even in the beginning, mobile rig welders should be provided with all the necessary facilities for welding jobs. For that, a lot of money should be spent, and some welders fail at this stage.
One more inconvenient side of freelance welding is that some clients do not trust rig specialists. They trust companies and brands. So, a freelance welder should get more structural certifications to get clients’ trust.
Other options to boost the wage
Welders can have a job at pipeline work also as an option. For instance, oil companies require pipeline welders. They pay cash much more than common organizations, about $75 per hour, plus covering the expenses for food and accommodation.
A job ironworker is not a bad option either. By joining the Ironworkers Union, welders get more experience to become master welders thanks to the job ironworker. As an apprentice in the Ironworkers Union, welders are paid $18 per hour.
If you get more structural certifications and become a master, your salary will be from $45 to $100 per hour. However, always consider the conditions of the job.
How to calculate the cost of mobile welding jobs?
After acquiring the welding equipment, a welder gets his first service calls sooner or later. It is good to understand that stick welding seams began to turn out of acceptable quality and profitable, as the first people wanting the service of the newbie will appear.
Here comes the need to calculate the cost of welding. The best option is budgeting because it allows you to accurately take into account all items of expenditure inspires confidence among the customers of the job, and all calculations will be transparent.
There are a few methods to calculate the costs, from determining the approximate cost by analogy with the previous volume to accurate verified calculations.
Visual cost estimate
The easiest and fastest way to determine the cost of welding work is a visual estimation. This is a relative method and the result largely depends on the welder and his vision of the process. It is very simple and does not require any special knowledge except for understanding how to implement the order.
In this case, the welder considers the costs of the materials and evaluates his contribution to the project. The final price to some extent depends on the solvency of the client. If he looks like a wealthy person, then it is likely that the price will be inflated.
Another option is the combination of visual evaluation and calculation. The principle is next: the costs of materials are equal to the price of service. The welder roughly estimates the price of metals and truck usage and multiplies the result by 2. Then the price is presented to the customer.
The method is rather primitive, however, at the same time, it is in demand among different contractors in stick welding.
Mathematical calculation
The most common way to determine the worth of welding is a mathematical calculation based on the use of a special formula. Usually, the estimate is calculated by the PC operator, which uses a specially developed algorithm.
At the very beginning, it is necessary to determine the value of the instruments, truck usage, and other consumables. They all are the main costs.
The result is summarized and recorded, Then, the complexity of a welding job and the price of service are determined. You should take into consideration the time spent on the welding process. All these costs are called overhead.
Finally, it is time, to sum up, the overhead and main costs to determine the finished price. In some cases, it is advisable to add the planned profit for long distances or bad weather to the final result.
P = (T1 + T2)*H + (E1+E2+E3)
- T1 – time spent on work in hours
- T2 – time spent on the road to the object in hours
- H – hourly rates
- E1 – the amount of money spent on the consumables
- E2 – the amount of money spent on gasoline or fuel to arrive at the client’s address
- E3 – the number of expenses associated with the depreciation of the welding equipment and rigging
This calculation method allows us to fairly and accurately calculate the price of welding. It can be used both in production and by freelance welders. However, bear in mind that this is not the most detailed calculation formula. For technologically complex operations, there are more complicated calculation algorithms.
The freelance welders’ charge is mainly based on this formula.
Types of mobile welding
There are 4 types of mobile welding, known as arc welding: gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, shielded metal arc welding, and flux cored arc welding. Let’s discuss each of them a bit.
Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
It is the process where a welder uses a thin wire as an electrode to heat it up and protect the weld from some elements in the air by a shielding gas. GMAW is widely used in construction sites and car production for the treatment of such metals as stainless steel, nickel, copper, and aluminum.
Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
This method is used to weld thin and colored metals like aluminum, copper, lead, and nickel. It is used in the production of bicycles and planes. In GTAW a welder uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode. It distinguishes this process from others. Also, the method requires great skills and precision.
The price for GTAW is higher than others because it is the most complicated method among all and produces the most valuable welds.
Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)
This type of mobile welding is the most popular among home-shop or freelance welders. It is also known as stick welding, which references an electrode in the form of a stick. Since stick welding needs minimum equipment, it is the cheapest welding process.
For SMAW shielding gas is unnecessary, so it can be performed even in bad weather. Also, it is a more manual technique, so the material stuff can be contaminated, but it works anyway.
Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)
The process is similar to GMAW. A thin wire is used here as well. 2 methods exist regarding FCAW. The first one includes shielding gas and the second one counts only on self-protecting elements, which appear in the result of the decomposed wire.
This type of mobile welding is considered to be easy to learn and cheap. Beginners can start their careers as welders from FCAW.
Determining the type of welding, you can take as a factor for the service price because it helps a lot.
Conclusion
To sum up, mobile welding is a dangerous, difficult, interesting, and well-paid job. If you want to become a mobile welder, it is a good decision. However, the profession requires plenty of skills, knowledge, and experience.
As was mentioned, you can be either an employee working for a company or a freelancer working for yourself. However, you need to understand that single-hand welders earn from $18 to $30 per hour. Moreover, they are provided with all equipment and do not search for clients. They can develop careers and earn more money.
Freelancers are paid twice and even thrice as employees. If you choose freelance work, then beware that you will buy all the equipment and transport by yourself. If you can pay cash for entire necessary items and have the experience to work alone, then freelance is the best option for you.
It is recommended to start the welding path by being an employee and acquiring some experience, especially at a young age. Consider all risks, research the labor market, work at the different fabrication positions, and after that work for yourself with an entrepreneurial mindset.
As a freelance welder, use visual evaluation and mathematical calculations to determine the service price. Take into consideration all the main and overhead expenses such as costs of fuel, tickets, materials, difficulty, and type of welding. Use the formula above and establish your price. Find the clients because the more clients you have, the more cash you get.
In addition, you are free if you want to join the Ironworkers Union to get more experience and level up your charges in the future. You can also do pipeline work in the oil field. This is the way to get the most payment for service since the pipeline welders get $75 per hour with covered food and overhead prices by the organizations.
We hope that the given information will serve you very well. Remember that welders are always important, and enjoy your job.
FAQ
How much can you make as a mobile welder?
As a newbie employee, you can earn $17-$18 per hour. With colossal experience, the numbers can increase up to $30. With a developed career, you can make around $40-$45 per hour.
As a freelancer, on average, you will get paid $75-$100 per hour. It depends on the number of completed orders. It is an excellent earning worthy of the effort and time spent on each project.
Is there a demand for mobile welders?
Such professions as mobile welders will always be demanded, while metals and building construction sites are significant for the world. No one can replace welders nowadays and in the near future. That is why they are relatively highly paid.
The profession of the welder is one of the most demanded in the construction industry. In conditions of shortage of work staff, these specialists are in the special account because welding work is required in almost every production. So, if you become a welder, you may not worry about the disappearance of your job.
Read also: Welding cast steel correctly: how can you do this?
