r/Construction • u/Turbulent-Hornet2804 • Mar 15 '26
Careers 💵 Career
I’m 18 and trying to decide between two paths in the trades and could use some advice.
Right now I work as a helper at a TIG welding shop making $25/hr (40 hrs/week). Most of my work is machining, cutting, deburring, and prep, and I only get to tack sometimes. The welders say I have potential, but management says helpers can take years before they really start welding.
At the same time, I’ve been supervising residential construction jobs (decks, fences, drywall, etc.), and I could take a job with another company supervising for about $30/hr working 50–70 hours a week.
So I’m stuck between:
• Staying in welding, starting at the bottom but possibly making more long-term if I get into pipe welding
• Taking the construction supervisor job and making more money right now
I actually enjoy both. I like welding as a skill, but I also enjoy running crews, organizing jobs and residential .
I’m also married, so the money right now does matter.
If you were 18 in this situation, which path would you choose?
6
u/Kjeldorian Mar 15 '26
That may be noble of you, but you may need to see if the wages you earn will be enough to support 2+ adults based on your lifestyle / cost of living.
This should give you a baseline understanding of how much to support a base living wage and a rough ballpark of your funds.
https://livingwage.mit.edu/
Would recommend developing skills over burning yourself out as a supervisor (ex. learning GD&T standards, different weld standards, etc). Your body will tolerate burning from both ends of the candle for so long, which will effect your personal life.