Career Overview
Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
Also Known As
- Brazer
- Solderer
- Welder
- Wirer
Alternate Job Titles
- Acetylene Burner
- Acetylene Cutter
- Acetylene Operator
- Acetylene Torch Burner
- Acetylene Torch Operator
- Acetylene Torch Solderer
- Aluminum Welder
- Arc Cutter
- Arc Wedler
- Arc Welder
- Assembler Brazer
- Assembly Line Brazer
- Atomic Welder
- Bar Welder
- Barrel Ribs Solderer
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
- Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
- Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
- Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
- Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.
- Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
- Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Near Vision
- Finger Dexterity
- Problem Sensitivity
- Control Precision
- Manual Dexterity
- Selective Attention
- Oral Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Stress Tolerance
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Working Conditions
- Relationships
- Independence
- Achievement
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Windows
- Oracle Database
Tools & Equipment
- Adjustable widemouth pliers
- Adjustable wrenches
- Air chisels
- Air drills
- Air scalers
- Angle finders
- Anvils
- Arc voltage measurement instruments
- Bandsaws
- Brakes
- Brazing equipment
- Buffers
- Calipers
- Comealongs
- Computerized numerical control CNC programmable welding robot controllers
Work Environment
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Time Pressure
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $38,130 |
| Median | $51,000 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $75,850 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 424,040
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Median Salary: $47,060
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $49,900
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $61,680
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $52,540
Boilermakers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $73,340
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.