Think fresh-out-of-welding-school means starting at the bottom? Landon Earlywine (19) and Jackson Settler (18) are about to change your mind. Six months after graduating from the Kentucky Welding Institute, these two are working 60-hour weeks doing TIG stainless pipe fab for data center infrastructure up in Logansport, Indiana — earning $38/hr plus $120/day per diem. In less than seven months, they've pulled in $95,000 combined, started Roth IRAs, bought reliable trucks with big down payments, and are on track to blow past $150K in their first year. Jason sits down with both of them to find out how they got here — from a high school ag teacher who flashed some money at them sophomore year, to grinding the third shift at KWI, earning their golden arm certifications, and landing a stainless schedule 10 TIG test in Indianapolis the morning after getting the call. They talk about the real curriculum at KWI beyond the booth — financial management, CCO rigging, CPR, and OSHA 30 — and what actually separates the students who land good jobs from the ones who don't. Plus: a totaled '92 Sonoma, a story about driving from Kentucky to Texas at 82 mph at 6 AM, a job box that survived a crash, and why they're not going anywhere until they hit the $100K wall at school.
Topics covered:
• TIG stainless pipe fab for data center infrastructure — the new pipeline boom
• Working 5x12s and 6x10s fresh out of welding school
• $95K in 7 months at 18 and 19 years old
• The golden arm at KWI — what it takes and what it means
• Financial literacy in trade school: Roth IRAs, principal payments, and smart money moves
• CCO rigging, OSHA 30, CPR, and the full KWI curriculum • How a wrecked '92 Sonoma led to the job of a lifetime
• Why 7 KWI classmates are all on track to hit $100K in year one
• The $100K wall — and what you have to prove to get your hood on it.
🔥 Support the Arc Junkies Podcast Sponsors
The Arc Junkies Podcast is made possible by the companies below. If you enjoy the show, please support the brands that support the welding community.
Supporting these sponsors helps keep the Arc Junkies Podcast free and independent.
🎙️ Arc Junkies Podcast
🧢 Arc Junkies Merch:https://shop.threadmob.com/arcjunkie/shop/home
🏭 Underground Metal Works
Hands-on welding education for hobbyists, makers, and professionals
🤝 Friends of the Show & Sponsors
🧰 BattlBox
Premium outdoor, EDC, and survival gear delivered monthly
🏛️ American Welding Society — Conferences
Stay current on inspection, code updates, and industry leadership
AWS Inspection Expo & Conference
🧤 Outlaw Leather LLC
Handcrafted welding hoods and leather PPE built to last
⚡ Everlast Welders
High-performance welding machines without the high price tag
🎧 ISOtunes
Certified hearing protection designed for jobsite communication
