Behind The Hood: The Welding Journey

Kevin was making $23 an hour in a fab shop—but he knew he wanted more out of welding.

After starting welding in high school, Kevin decided to take his skills further and came to Kentucky Welding Institute. Now he’s training with specialty alloys like titanium, super duplex, and nickel while preparing for the next step in his welding career.

In this student interview, Kevin talks about:

How he got started welding in high school

Why he left the fab shop

Why his friends convinced him to check out KWI

Training with titanium, super duplex, nickel, and other alloys

Taking advantage of extra welding time

His plans after graduation

Why he believes there is always more to learn in welding

If you’re considering welding school, looking at welding as a career, or wondering what training at Kentucky Welding Institute looks like, this is Kevin’s experience.

Learn more about Kentucky Welding Institute and schedule a tour at kwi.us.

#Welding #WeldingSchool #Welder #PipeWelding #KentuckyWeldingInstitute

KWI graduate Clayton Waymire is just 20 years old and working his first job in the welding industry, earning $33 an hour plus $120 a day in per diem while gaining real-world experience as a pipe welder.

Clayton graduated from Kentucky Welding Institute on December 17 and started his first welding job January 6. Now he’s working in Apple Grove, West Virginia, on an industrial pipe welding job where he is putting his welding school training to work in the field.

In this KWI graduate testimonial, Clayton gives an inside look at what life is really like for a young pipe welder starting a career in the skilled trades.

He talks about his welder pay, work schedule, per diem, travel expenses, welding conditions, pipe fitting, rigging, signaling, investing his income, and what it took to land his first welding job.

Clayton is currently earning $33/hour + $120/day per diem and working approximately 68 hours per week. He explains how overtime and per diem affect his weekly income and why controlling expenses is important when working a traveling welding job.
You’ll also see what industrial pipe welding looks like on an actual jobsite. Clayton discusses welding pipe and socket welds, working in difficult positions, mirror welding, welding with a hard hat and harness, rigging, signaling, fitting pipe, and learning from experienced tradesmen.

His first welding job hasn’t just been about making money. It has been about continuing to build his skills after welding school and learning how to become a better pipe welder in real jobsite conditions.

Clayton also shares how he keeps his expenses low as a travel welder. Instead of spending more on hotels or an Airbnb, he bought a camper and found a campground for $500 a month—allowing him to keep more of the money he earns on the road.

He’s also investing 20% of his weekly income into a Roth IRA and mutual fund while saving toward his long-term goal of buying land, purchasing farm equipment, and eventually building a farming operation of his own.

But Clayton’s path into a welding career wasn’t easy.

Five years ago, his high school told him there wasn’t room for him in its welding program. Clayton and his family made the decision to transfer schools so he could pursue welding. That decision eventually led him to Kentucky Welding Institute and then into his first professional pipe welding job.

Even after welding school, the road wasn’t perfect. Clayton failed his first weld test after traveling more than five hours for the opportunity. With only about $150 left in his checking account, he took another welding test, passed, and started the job that launched his career.

His advice for students considering welding school or a career in pipe welding is simple: take advantage of the training you’re given.

“KWI will prepare you if you let them prepare you.”

Clayton encourages welding students to practice more than just comfortable booth welds. Learn to mirror weld. Practice with your hard hat. Learn rigging and signaling. Network with other welders. Get comfortable being uncomfortable so your first welding job isn’t the first time you experience real jobsite conditions.

If you’re researching welding schools, pipe welding school, welding jobs, pipe welder pay, welding careers, travel welding, skilled trades careers, or what to expect after welding school, Clayton’s story gives you a firsthand look at the transition from welding student to working pipe welder.

Learn more about Kentucky Welding Institute and training for a career in pipe welding.

#Welding #PipeWelding #WeldingSchool #PipeWelder #KentuckyWeldingInstitute

Jay came to Kentucky Welding Institute from Butte, Montana after years of working on the road in underground and surface drilling.

Before ever starting at KWI, he had already worked across Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Alaska, and other parts of the western United States. He started as a drilling helper, worked his way into drilling, and eventually found himself welding whenever equipment broke or needed repaired.

That interest in welding eventually became strong enough for him to leave a solid career path and head across the country to Kentucky.

In this conversation, Bobby and Jay talk about:

• Growing up in Butte, Montana
• Working underground in gold and mineral exploration
• Life on the road with a truck and camper
• Why he left drilling for welding
• How he found KWI by searching for a Christian welding school
• His goals for KWI and the welding industry
• Why he eventually wants to own his own business

Jay’s goal coming into KWI is simple: learn as much as possible, stay humble, ask questions, and figure out where welding can take him.

Learn more about Kentucky Welding Institute and our Certified Pipe Welder program at KentuckyWeldingInstitute.com.

#Welding #WeldingSchool #TradeSchool #PipeWelding #KWI

Most people save for years to vacation in Hawaii. Grayson Dales got paid to go.

A 2019 Kentucky Welding Institute graduate, Grayson shares what it's really like working on Oahu—from earning more than $5,000 per week to surfing after work, snorkeling, exploring the island, and traveling the country as a professional welder. Along the way, he talks about managing money, investing for the future, avoiding unnecessary debt, and why the skilled trades have opened doors he never imagined.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Working as a welder in Hawaii
- What industrial shutdown and refinery work is really like
- Making $5,000+ per week
- Surfing, snorkeling, and exploring Oahu after work
- Traveling the country through the skilled trades
- Investing instead of overspending
- Building a career that offers both freedom and opportunity

If you're considering a career in welding or wondering where the trades can take you, this episode gives you a firsthand look at what's possible.

📍 Kentucky Welding Institute
🌐 www.kwi.us

Austin Allwinger is a 2022 Kentucky Welding Institute graduate from Redmond, Oregon. He grew up farming and ranching, found welding at 14 years old, and has now spent 3 years on the road — living out of a camper, learning fast, and building a career that gives him freedom without wrecking his finances or his faith.

In this episode, we get into:

What it was like growing up in Central Oregon (and watching the town explode in growth)

How he got started in welding when his high school didn’t even have a shop class

Why he wasn’t satisfied with community college training (and what he did about it)

The reality of your first “road job” vs what recruiters tell you

Outage work, long hours, and meeting other welders through connections

Living mobile in a camper and why buying a house right now doesn’t make sense for him

The money traps that keep welders broke (even when they make great checks)

Faith on the road, staying disciplined, and avoiding the culture that ruins careers

What separates welders who build a life vs welders who crash out

Ethan Holloway (KWI Class of 2022) is a union pipe welder with UA Local 614, running tough night shifts and high-stakes 100% x-ray work in Texas. In this episode, Ethan breaks down what most people don’t understand about welding life: union benefits, per diem, shot records, discipline, faith, finances, and what it takes to build a legacy—not just a paycheck.

If you’re 17–25 and wondering if you have what it takes, this one’s for you.

In this episode of the KWI Podcast, we sit down with Dylan Lacey, a 2018 Kentucky Welding Institute graduate who traveled from Rome, New York to Kentucky chasing something bigger than a paycheck. Dylan opens up about his journey—from growing up around hard farm work, struggling with discipline and direction as a teenager, working long hours for limited pay, and ultimately making the decision to bet on himself and attend KWI. What followed was a transformation built on work ethic, humility, faith, and relentless consistency. This conversation goes far beyond welding. It’s about earning your sleep, choosing discipline over comfort, and building a life with purpose—on and off the jobsite. Whether you’re considering a career in the skilled trades, currently in welding school, or already in the field, this episode delivers real-world perspective from someone who lived it.

In this episode of the Kentucky Welding Institute: Behind the Hood, with the Grads, as we sit down with Andreas Kariotis, a man with a remarkable journey from the Air Force to becoming a skilled welder. Born and raised in New Gloucester, Maine, Andreas shares his experiences growing up in a close-knit community, his time serving in the Air Force, and the transition to a new career in welding. Discover the challenges and triumphs he faced along the way, and gain insights into the world of welding and the importance of perseverance. Whether you're interested in welding, military life, or personal growth, this episode offers something for everyone. Don't miss out on Andreas's inspiring story!

Graduate Rhiannon Howard joins us to share her journey with welding and her experience in the field. Rhiannon was the first female on the KWI 100K Wall — and now she turned her welding career into her own business, Double L Metal Works. Rhiannon talks about hitting the road after graduation, the skills she built along the way, and how those same skills now fuel her custom metalwork, from jewelry to handcrafted belt buckles. https://www.doublelmetalworks.com/

Recent KWI graduate, Landon Earlywine, is on his first job in Logansport, Indiana — already grossing $3,950 a week in a local fab shop. In this episode, Bobby and Landon dive into his welding journey, what the transition from school to the field has looked like, his current setup in Indiana, and where he plans to take his career next.