Welder — Your Craft Has Real Value

Current: v2.0 · Last edited: 2026-03-24

Welder — Your Craft Has Real Value

A perfect TIG bead takes years to learn. That skill has real value — and now you can get paid for it.

🇪🇺 Welders and flame cutters are on the European Commission's official list of critical shortage professions. Your skills are in high demand. Record them. Get paid.

The Observer Programme pays experienced welders and fabricators to record their working day using lightweight smart glasses. You continue your normal work — striking arcs, running beads, fitting up — and earn extra on top of your regular pay.

How it works

• Wear smart glasses during your shift (compatible with welding helmets)
• Record sessions from 30 minutes up — fits around your day
• Spend a few minutes after each session confirming what tasks you did in the app
• Get paid per recorded minute. The more you record, the more you earn
• All recordings are anonymised — no faces, no voices, no identifying details

What you'll earn

You're paid per minute of accepted footage — on top of your regular income. Earnings depend on your welding specialism, certifications, and how often you record. Specialist welding (TIG, pipe, structural) earns more than general fabrication.

€14–€42 per recorded hour

€56–€168 per recording day (based on ~4 hours)

€1,000–€2,800 per month (based on 20 recording days)

First Observers in a welding specialism or region earn a launch bonus. Extra earnings possible through referral bonuses and specialist recording tasks.

What we're looking for

• 3+ years of welding experience
• Currently working as a welder or fabricator — employed, self-employed, or freelance
• Hands-on welding: MIG, TIG, stick, flux-core, pipe, structural, or specialist
• Relevant certifications (coded welder, AWS, ASME, EN/ISO preferred but not required)
• Smartphone (iOS or Android)

All welding specialisms welcome: MIG, TIG, stick/electrode, pipe welding, structural fabrication, aluminium, stainless, carbon steel.

We provide everything

• Smart glasses — shipped to you, pre-configured (compatible with welding helmets)
• Full onboarding and support (~30 minutes)

About the Observer Programme

The Observer Programme by Aisthis works with professionals across 100+ trades to document how skilled work actually happens. Welding is one of the most physically demanding, precision-intensive skills in manufacturing. Your hand control, your heat management, your technique — that's expertise worth recording.

Applications are reviewed with the help of AI. We'll be in touch if there's a match.