On the bright side

[cannon_fodder]

WARNING: ACTUALLY STATISTICS AND FACTS BELOW.  They may not line up with what you 'heard' from some guys in Florida.

Funny, when you do a job search for 'welder' in different markets, Tulsa is at worst competitive and at best paying MORE than most places.  The reason, of course, is the booming need for welders in Tulsa at the moment as all the oil infrastructure and related manufacturing is at a boom.

The grass is always greener on the other side. If you really think you can make $60 an hour, consistently, as a welder then quit what you are doing, drop everything, and move there.  You would be a fool to pass up $150,000+ a year for a skill that requires a couple years of training.  If the pay was really that good in IL for welders, there would be a shortage of accountants, engineers, and lawyers as they quit their practices and tossed aside thousands in school debts and nearly a decade of college to make the big bucks welding.

THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR WELDERS/BRAZERS IS $15 AN HOUR, according to the BLS. Tulsa's average pay is just over $14, again per the BLS.  Adjusted for cost of living in Tulsa, welders here are better off. Incidently, the average in IL is $15.32, the top 10% make $22 an hour.  So if these guys were really pulling in $60 an hour, they are in the top 1% and earning double time.

The average in TULSA specifically is $15.82.  So the average welder in Tulsa is better off than the average welder in Illinois.  New Harleys for all!

Occupation: Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (SOC code 514121)
Period: May 2005  Area name Hourly mean wage
National
15.52
SOC code: Standard Occupational Classification code -- see http://www.bls.gov/soc/home.htm

Data extracted on December 13, 2006

So, there's some good news for this thread (and a removal of much of the bad news).

[guido911]

Good grief. Tulsa as a whole has good economic news and people are complaining.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by guido911

Good grief. Tulsa as a whole has good economic news and people are complaining.

depends on which end of the cart you reside. i've found that people who are doing well tend to think everyone is and vice versa.

[AMP]

Average to me has always ment some earn a lot more and other earn a lot less.  

May be depending on which Occupational Job Code

http://online.onetcenter.org/find/result?s=welder

Using those types of reports are like trying to purchase a vehicle from a Kelly Blue Book, or reading the suggested retail price in a magazine and then discovering there are handling charges, set up fees and dealer delivery costs added to the price.  Not to mention the cost of the accessory packages.

Phone the Trade Union or a few personnel agencies in Tulsa and ask how much they are paying their Shop Welders. Call as a welder and not the buyer of labor.  You will typically get to different types of answers.  It is the buy low sell high system.

You can also check the Help Wanted ads and call a few businesses that hire welders.  Two shop owners I know of that perform welding but it is not their main business, took their Yellow Page Ads out of the phone book, because around the first of the month all they got were dozens of phone calls from laid off welders calling to comply with their Un-Employment requirements by applying for work.

Welding has many different disciplines and processes, just as the majority of other skilled professions do.  To learn basic in position welding process may take a couple of years. However Aircraft Quality Tig Welding, and Code Welding certificates may take an additional few years to accomplish.

A Fitter/Welder may be listed differently than just Welder.  Tig and Code Welders are also listed differently.  

[guido911]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

quote:Originally posted by guido911

Good grief. Tulsa as a whole has good economic news and people are complaining.

depends on which end of the cart you reside. i've found that people who are doing well tend to think everyone is and vice versa.

I said Tulsa as a whole has received good economic news. I guess I should not have forgotten the "I am not doing well so let's crap on the good news" people out there...

[Conan71]

The quickest way to start a recession is to say there is one.

[aoxamaxoa]

soon

[Artiem]

More bright news coming?

AA maintenance facility is announcing a "major development" Monday morning. AA and union reps will both be there. I'll try to post a synopsis when I find out just what's up...

[guido911]

Don't bother artiem, some person on this board will find some way to make their misfortune more important.

[swake]

The annual Manpower hiring survey came out this week and Tulsa had the 7th best forecast for hiring in the nation.

[guido911]

Swake, did you not read what I just wrote artiem? Enough with the good news already. Tulsa stinks. We should all accept that and move on.[]

[AMP]

Salary range is just one piece of the equation.  

Need to take into consideration the benefit or lack of a benefit package along with the rate of pay if comparing salaries to other areas or states.    

Many companies may pay more per hour, but offer little or no benefits.  No vacation pay, no health insurance or just a small portion of the payment of the health insurance that has a high deductable, no retirement or pension package.

Plus in Oklahoma there is State Income tax that takes a large cunk of most worker's income.  Not to mention the near 10% sales tax that is included in Food, Pharmacuticals, and clothing.  

[USRufnex]

Well, if ya don't have anything good to say, sit by AMP.

Hmmm... so you ARE conceding the salary point? ...you're trying to move the goalpost but still can provide no facts about health/fringe benefits to support your argument...

You lose credibility because you refuse to say anything positive about Tulsa.  Anything at all... through dozens of posts... I've looked...

And I know FOR A FACT you are completely overstating your case, here.  I've screened applicants from Rochester, NY who previously held high paying jobs at Eastman-Kodak and Xerox..... they were applying for jobs that paid a mere fraction of what they were making before.... and the rents there are still significantly higher than the rents in Tulsa...

Benefits?... I have not seen a single national company that will shortchange health care benefits for their employees in one part of the country in favor of employees in another part of the country.  They will offer lower salaries, though...

Although I do definitely agree on sales taxes... using regressive sales taxes in an effort to attract rich people to Tulsa is upside-down-welfare in my book...

[cannon_fodder]

AMP - I understand how averages work.  I hope you undestand the 'averages' I gave were not means, but MEDIANS.  Which essentially means the highest and lowest wage earners (no matter how obserdly high or low) have little effect on the outcome.  Hence, for some occupations the median is significantluy lower than the mean (CEO's).  If you do not, can not, nor wish to appreciate the difference, sorry.

Furthermore, the website I reference offer's the salary range for different percent wage earners (ie. top 10% earns X).  Which I referenced.  On top of that, I checked job listings and verified the the statistics I saw.

If you did ANY research other than making crap up, I'd listen.  But I see nothing but bitching and it grows old.

[AMP]

http://www.thinkenergygroup.com/think.nsf/jobs1?openform&v=(dav)&cat=WELDING%20ENGINEER&Count=1000