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Rope access is a career for people who do not prefer the average office environment. It suits people who love heights and working outdoors or in remote places. This career has different opportunities that require other skills and qualifications.
If you want to be a rope access technician, you probably want to know the rope access welder salary. This guide contains everything you need to know about rope access career, qualifications, salary, and more.

How much do rope access welders make?
The salary of rope access technicians varies depending on your training and experience. Other things that affect your salary is the job location and the level of risk.
In the united states, the average salary of a rope access welder in 2023 is $52,163 per year. This is equivalent to $26.75 per hour. Beginner levels average salary begin at $44,850 per year. Experienced rope access technician salary on average is $83,948 per year.
An offshore access welder in the united states can make an average of $61,639 a year. This is approximately $5,137 monthly, $1,185 weekly, and $29.63 hourly.
If we check the salaries by states, the average salaries for offshore welder job is higher than the national average. The following are the top 10 cities where the average salaries is more than the national average.

Rope access welder: experience, skills, and qualifications
If you are looking forward to a career in rope access, you need to understand the experience, skills, and qualifications needed. You should also know what an experienced rope access technician does. Anyone can become a rope access technician because the job involves other things apart from moving on the rope.
Some of the tasks you can perform are welding, drilling, painting, inspection, and maintenance. The rope technique only helps you to get to your work location like suspension bridges, skyscrapers, and wind turbines. The two main conditions you must meet are:
- You are 18 years and above
- You should be in good physical health
Qualifications
The first thing you should do is to get the right qualification. Training for rope access involves three qualification levels to get the IRATA license. These levels include IRATA level 1, IRATA level 2, and IRATA level 3 training.
In level 1, this entry-level course covers how to maneuver rope access, current legislation details, and personal equipment. In level 2, you learn rigging working ropes, safety requirements, and undertaking rescues. Level 3 involves site supervision and detailed information about advanced rescue methods.
Apart from IRATA, other rope access training institutions include:
- SPRAT (US)
- ANETVA (Spain)
- DPMC (France)
- FISAT (Germany)
Official certification course
To get a job in rope access, you have to complete an official certification course. This is the only way reputable rope access companies will employ you. You have to visit a training center and go through the different training levels.
The course duration, requirement, and content vary depending on your country. The certifications show that you are a technician with experience and can handle the rope access technique.
When training for offshore rope access jobs, you learn different things tying certain knots, rescue techniques, equipment inspection, aid climbing, and hauling systems. The training ensures you can handle the rope access jobs perfectly in different environments while using special equipment.
You can look for potential employers in construction, events, and building when you are certified, among others. You can reach out to the companies and ask if they have opportunities for technicians. Some of the job titles you can get based on your experience are the following:
- Rope access supervisor
- Rope access technician
- Ndt rope access technician
- Mistras rope access
- Welding rope access
- Level 1 rope access technician
What do professional rope access welders do?
Professional rope access technicians can complete different jobs. The most common jobs they do include industrial safety, building maintenance, production rigging on film, and many others. Rope access workers in the industrial sector can handle any job.
You should understand that this job doesn’t have a single training. You learn different skills to help you perform a wide range of roles like painting, cabling, welding, and drilling. Additionally, the technicians can also work in domestic construction or renewable energy.
Like other jobs, rope access has pros and cons. While this job has many benefits, you should know some downsides. The job entails long working hours, so workers require stamina to handle length shift times. In addition, the working conditions can be tough because it depends on your performance.
Working locations can also be remote, especially if it is offshore work. This comes with more time away from your family and extensive travels. Lastly, the rates depend on the industry and your expertise level.
Tips on how to get rope access welders jobs quickly and how to make more money
- Get the right qualification and certifications.
- You should be flexible enough to move efficiently in different environments.
- Providing exceptional services with reduced downtime.
- Ensuring you do not use excessive tools and equipment.
- Handling emergency jobs like repairs quickly at the expected time.
Conclusion
If you are not afraid of heights, rope access welding can be a good job. The job comes with many benefits like flexibility, undisruptive, cost-effective, safety, and efficiency. You need to be a qualified technician to high standards for rope access welder jobs. From the guide, rope access welding is a great career that comes with a good salary.
We have given you a breakdown of everything you need to know about rope access welder job. This covers their salaries, skills, qualifications, and certifications. If you feel that this is the right profession for you, you have essential tips before getting started. Enroll at the right training institution to get the right training and certification.