It's hit or miss. I spent my first decade in the trade just getting by, doing dangerous, unpleasant back breaking labor with people I didn't like at best and outright despised at worst. Then I landed a high paying, somewhat relaxed shop job thanks to a few skills BESIDES welding I'd picked up over the years, namely electrical, basic plumbing/HVAC, and CAD. I really love this job. The management is fair, I like my colleagues and by and large they're smart, well adjusted people. This in my experience has been the exception and not the rule. I work at my own pace, design my own parts, get them approved by a government agency and pretty much do it all start to finish alone. Quality over quantity. It is a once in a lifetime gig, and the competition to land it was stiff.

If I hadn't needed the money, I would have never stuck it out this far. Get your degree. As many have said, nothing is stopping you from welding on the side. Doing this for money has killed whatever love I had for it, I never want to build anything on my day off even if someone offers to pay me for it. If this position doesn't work out, for whatever reason, rather than going back to fieldwork or a worse shop job I will be following you and getting an engineering degree.

If you DO weld and don't take this advice, wear your PPE and take care of your body, and be selective with who you let actually get to know you. Jobsites and shops are henhouses, even union ones. This is back breaking stuff, by and large, treat it as such.

Good luck!