Most everyone who really wants to, can weld.
It’s just that most who try are more interested in the pay than the joy of creating a good bond between the metals.
From my observation, it depends on what type of welding we’re talking about.
If you’re talking of dual-shield or MIG, then lots of people can weld.
When we get to out-of-position stick, or pipeline stick, now the number of people who can pull it off gets much thinner.
And then there’s TIG, and some specialized TIG welders make huge money, but they’d got a very difficult job in tight spaces (eg, in power plant piping on stainless).
The hardest jobs require Xray inspection of every weld. If you botch more than two per month, you’re probably going to be given your walking papers pretty soon.
“...Most everyone who really wants to, can weld.”
There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between a highly professional welder and a “MIG monkey.”
My business deals with specifically “Rig Welders” who pipeline weld and are the true professionals in the trade.
Quality is what you pay for and they deliver it.