Underwater Welders, Earning Nearly 70 thousand dollars in Salary

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There are various job professions in this world, some of which have high incomes, ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions and even billions.

One of these professions is the Underwater Welder. This profession as an Underwater Welder is not a fictitious job but a real job.

Get to know the Underwater Welders

The Indonesian equivalent is indeed the Underwater Welder, but in the industrial world this job is better known as welder. His job is to weld various parts of industrial infrastructure, ranging from electric turbines to oil refineries and mining pipes.

With their expertise in welding, Underwater Welders have an excellent bargaining position.

In addition, another purpose of the Subsea Welders job is to perform maintenance on oil pipelines or other offshore structural applications. For example, finding or developing oil and gas resources located on the seabed through drilling.

Need Specialized Knowledge and Training

In Indonesia it is not easy to find an Underwater Welder, this is due to their rigorous training and certification. They must obtain permits or certificates from authorized agencies such as API (Indonesian Welding Association) and diver certificates.

Therefore, Underwater Welders are not only trained in welding, but also trained in diving or what is usually called "scuba diving".

Scuba stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. People who scuba dive will at least dive approximately 40 meters below the surface of the sea.

Responsible for Protecting the Environment

There are many pipelines that cross the ocean at different depths and transport oil in them. This makes them in need of constant monitoring and repair.

If there is an oil leak, it will certainly damage the marine ecosystem and result in the company being fined.

Well, it is the subsea welders who are responsible for keeping all of that from happening, by performing welding on a regular basis. This is the best way to repair damaged or weakened metal and prevent oil pipeline leaks.

High Occupational Risks

The job of an Undersea Welder is not without risk, as there are high occupational hazards or risks at all times.

First: an Underwater Welder can get an electrical shock or what we commonly call an electric shock. This is because underwater welders usually use an electric current of 300-400 amperes to power the welding equipment.

Second: gas cylinders used for welding under the sea can explode. The risk could lead to death.

Third: the nitrogen gas used by underwater welders for welding can be inhaled and mixed with blood. Thus clogging blood vessels and damaging body tissues.

Working Salary Nearly 70 thousand dollars

Underwater welders usually start their careers as helper or assistant welders. In Bontang, their starting salary is Rp 2.4 million per month. The salary will increase from Rp 3.2 million to Rp 10 million when they become a welder, depending on their skill level. If you work overtime, the salary is even higher.

Other data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (quoted from commercialdivingacademy.com). The wages of the Underwater Welders are calculated on average per hour with a salary of around US $ 26.32 (around Rp 370 thousand), while the average annual wage is around US $ 54,750. (About Rp 771 million rupiah), in other words, the salary of the Underwater Welders is almost 1 billion.

Underwater Welders' salaries are high, and they are also generally paid by the hour. Of course, this is because the work is very risky. Moreover, according to some sources, foreign companies favor Indonesian Underwater Welders because they are more disciplined and careful, tenacious and rarely complain. They also prefer to save money instead of hanging out and drinking.