Welders make $16/hr. average. The HR mafia holds down wages nationwide by paying according to some arbitrary scale. The laws of supply and demand are not allowed to work for labor.
The HR mafia has the mentality that there is no four year degree involved in welding, therefore welders are stupid and worthless. WHAT! Try that reasoning with someone qualified for various grades of stainless, Hastelloy, Inconel, Incalloy, Alloy 20, and even titanium. That’s the stuff found in a refinery.