If you think welding (real-deal welding, not what you might do in your garage with a stick welder and some rebar) isn't an advanced skill, I don't know what to tell you.
We are talking about welds that withstand rigorous QC and may kill people if they fail. There are a LOT of those welds in the world, and they need to be done efficiently, safely, and verifiably. These are *highly* skilled jobs.
Slow your roll there, Prof. I'm 99% positive that they were referring to welding as an advanced skill. Also, though, you'd probably be surprised to learn how little non- Union welders make.
When I spent a few months as a USAF contractor many moons ago, the most highly paid person on site was a welder doing high pressure stainless pipe welding with 100% x-ray inspection. His welds never failed inspection and he made significantly more than the site director... and was worth every penny.
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Cheers.