Welder, Cutter, Solderer, and Brazer Career
A career working as a welder, cutter, solderer or brazer involves using specialized equipment to cut and join metal. The vast majority of these jobs are in heavy industry and manufacturing, and welders and other similar workers are always in high demand in the oil, gas and energy industries.
Depending on the specific job, a welder, cutter, solderer and brazer may end up working outdoors in inclement weather. This is especially true of those who work in the energy industry, whereas those who work in manufacturing tend to be employed in a factory setting. Many roles may also require working at heights on scaffolding and heavy lifting is also often required. The majority of workers are full time and overtime is quite common across the industry.
Welder, Cutter, Solderer, and Brazer Career Snapshot
Further details on a career as a welder, cutter, solderer, or brazer are listed below (statistics from the May 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):
is the typical annual salary for welders, cutters, solderers, or brazers.
increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.
have a Post-secondary certificate while 40% have a High school diploma or equivalent.
Education
Almost 95 percent of workers in this field have at least a high-school diploma or higher and over 40 percent of workers hold a post-secondary certificate in welding or a related discipline. Without a technical certification, workers typically require extensive on-the-job training to learn the required skills. Still, those with welding and other metal working certifications tend to have more job opportunities and usually earn higher wages.
Job Duties
The main duties of this career involve cutting and joining various metal parts. Workers are expected to use a variety of types of welding equipment, cutting torches, soldering tools and other metal-working equipment. In addition, workers often fill holes and seams in metal and also inspect welds to ensure they were applied properly.
Salaries
It takes a number of years of training and experience to become a skilled welder, cutter, solderer and brazer, although salaries are similar to those of most other skilled construction workers. As of May 2016, the median average salary for welders and other related metal workers was approximately $40,000 a year as indicated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, the salary range for these workers isn’t all that wide, as those in the lowest 10 percent earned around $27,000 and the top 10 percent of earners took home an average yearly wage of just over $62,000.
Job Outlook
The overall job market for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers is expected to grow slightly slower than average, and the total number of available jobs is predicted to increase by 4 percent by 2024. Nonetheless, these slower rates of growth shouldn’t do anything to diminish job prospects as there will always be ample opportunities for skilled, certified welders and other metal workers.
Welder, Cutter, Solderer, and Brazer Skills & Traits
| Welder Skill Set: | Required Abilities: | Tools Used by Welders: | Typical Work Activities: |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Critical Thinking • Operation and Control • Monitoring • Reading Comprehension | • Arm-Hand Steadiness • Near Vision • Control Precision • Multilimb Coordination | • Drill press or radial drill • Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus • Manlift or personnel lift • Tungsten inert gas welding machine | • Controlling Machines and Processes • Handling and Moving Objects • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment |
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