This depends highly on what you are looking for in a career and which type of welding you get into. Welding is considerably dangerous due to surrounding hazards and is also pretty hard on your health due to welding fumes, intense light etc. The money however can vary quite greatly. Welders make between $400 and $5,000 a week depending on where you work. If you work in a shop doing simple welding such as MIG welding on boat trailers, boats etc you will make very little (usually between $8 and $15 an hour). Structural steel shop welders usually make between $15 and $25 an hour and pipeline welders make between $4,000 and $5,000 a week (if you have your own welding rig). It's a very highly desirable and sought after skill. People don't want to do manual labor or work in extreme hot or cold temperatures anymore, so people shy away from this profession. Welders are also typically immature and tend to think very highly of themselves. It is estimated that over 1,000,000 welders died or retired in the last 5 years. The demand is out there, the pay is decent and it's an honest living.