Pipe Welder

You're the specialist who welds pipes for refineries, power plants, and chemical facilities. The 6G certification test — welding a pipe at a 45-degree angle in a fixed position — is one of the hardest practical tests in the trades. Pass it and you're in demand everywhere. The work is often in remote locations, the conditions are brutal, and the pay reflects all of it. Shutdowns and turnarounds mean 70-hour weeks for months at a time.

Learn the skills

Courses and certifications to get you job-ready

What you'll actually do

• 01Weld pipe joints in positions that defy comfortable human anatomy
• 02Pass X-ray inspections on every weld — one bad weld and you're off the job
• 03Work in refineries, power plants, and facilities where safety is life-or-death
• 04Travel to wherever the work is — often remote locations far from home
• 05Maintain certifications that require re-testing every 6 months
• 06Earn more in a shutdown month than most people earn in a quarter