HandsOnward
← Back to search

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Job Zone 2 - Some preparation needed

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.

Pay & job outlook

Median pay: $53,750/yr (U.S. national, May 2025)

$39,240$77,530

Typical range nationwide (10th–90th percentile). This is a population snapshot, not a personal prediction - actual pay varies by location, employer, and experience.

Job outlook: +2.2% projected growth, 20242034 — about as fast as average.

About 45,600 openings per year, on average, over the decade.

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS and Employment Projections.

Top skills
Quality Control AnalysisMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingTime ManagementOperations MonitoringOperation and ControlActive ListeningSpeakingReading Comprehension
Top knowledge areas
Production and ProcessingMechanicalMathematicsEnglish LanguageDesignEngineering and TechnologyEducation and TrainingPublic Safety and Security
Core tasks

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.

Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.