Every Level of a Welder's Life — My Lungs Will Never Be the Same

$14.80/hr → $1.85M. 26 years of smoke, sparks, and welds that passed inspection — but not all of them should have. Age 17 — grinder, arc flash, "again" Age 20 — MIG, shop candy, $3,200 in gear Age 29 — journeyman, stencil as a legal document, "clean" Age 36 — foreman, three column splices he ran tired Age 44 — own shop, $185k loan, $1.85M exit Age 54 — drives past the old shop. Lungs: mild occupational changes. Between the first tack and the last signature: two marriages, welder's back, and a set of lungs that will never fully work right again. This is every level of a welder's life in America. Subscribe to @HiddenCareers for more real jobs. Real stories. #welder #trades #bluecollar #from14to1million #weldinglife #americanworker #hiddencareers #lungs #steel #fabrication