Well, I’ve been thinking about this question for a while now: how many underwater welders are there in the world? It’s kinda niche, right? So, I started digging around, you know, just casually looking stuff up on the internet when I had some downtime.
First, I checked out some official stuff. It’s always good to start with something reliable. I found that the U.S. Bureau of Labor had some numbers. They said as of 2022, there were about 3,860 commercial divers. That’s a pretty small number when you think about it, right?
Then, I stumbled upon some other sites, forums, and stuff where people were talking about this. Some folks were saying there are fewer than 3,000 underwater welders globally. That’s even smaller! And get this – they mentioned that there’s a 15% chance you might die on the job at some point in your career. That’s scary, man! It really puts things into perspective.
After that, I looked into the total number of welders in general. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that there are around 408,990 welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers. But they also mentioned that the job growth for these roles is slower than the national average. I thought I should add this one too.
Types and Companies
I also found out there are two main types of underwater welding. One is called “dry welding,” which is also known as hyperbaric welding. I guess it’s done in a dry chamber or something, but I’m not too sure about the details. Then there’s “wet welding”, which I guess is done in a chamber that’s filled with water.
And, I found a company called Bisso Marine in Houston, Texas. Seems like they’ve been around for a while and they do underwater welding stuff.
Here’s a little summary of what I found:
- Total Commercial Divers (as of 2022): Around 3,860 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor.
- Estimated Underwater Welders Globally: Less than 3,000, according to some online sources.
- Fatality Rate: A 15% chance of dying on the job at some point, which is pretty high.
- Total Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers: 408,990, with slower job growth than average.
- Types of Underwater Welding: Dry welding (hyperbaric) and wet welding.
- Company Mentioned: Bisso Marine in Houston, Texas.
So yeah, that’s what I’ve gathered so far. It’s not a lot of people in this field, and it seems like a pretty risky job. But hey, it’s interesting to learn about these niche professions, right?
This whole process was kinda eye-opening. It made me think about all those jobs out there that most of us don’t even consider. And the risks some people take just to do their jobs. It’s pretty wild when you think about it.
Anyway, I just wanted to share my little adventure into the world of underwater welding. Hope you found it as interesting as I did!
