Aluminum welder vs combination welder

The differences between aluminum welders and combination welders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an aluminum welder and a combination welder. Additionally, a combination welder has an average salary of $45,432, which is higher than the $38,155 average annual salary of an aluminum welder.

The top three skills for an aluminum welder include GMAW, tig welding and arc welding. The most important skills for a combination welder are arc welding, tack, and minor maintenance.

Aluminum welder vs combination welder overview

	Aluminum Welder	Combination Welder
Yearly salary	$38,155	$45,432
Hourly rate	$18.34	$21.84
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,063	7,117
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Aluminum welder vs combination welder salary

Aluminum welders and combination welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Aluminum Welder	Combination Welder
Average salary	$38,155	$45,432
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $48,000	Between $32,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	Bremerton, WA
Highest paying state	Wyoming	Wyoming
Best paying company	Premier Marine	Maxum Enterprises, LLC
Best paying industry	Automotive	Construction

Differences between aluminum welder and combination welder education

There are a few differences between an aluminum welder and a combination welder in terms of educational background:

	Aluminum Welder	Combination Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Aluminum welder vs combination welder demographics

Here are the differences between aluminum welders' and combination welders' demographics:

	Aluminum Welder	Combination Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%	Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 2.6% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between aluminum welder and combination welder duties and responsibilities

Aluminum welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Weld aluminum toolboxes on an assembly line using GTAW and GMAW processes.
Inspect castings for any visual defects, used grinders & air tools to remove remaining gates to contour of part.
Perform GMAW on aluminum surfaces.
Build and modify jigs for mass production parts.
Assemble then weld various aluminum and steel parts; assemble military environmental control and power generation trailers.

Combination welder example responsibilities.

Fitter-Qualify in SMAW, FCAW, GMAW, as per AWS D1.1.
Repair wrecked tank cars using plasma, torches, welders, and air arc.
Fabricate numerous shop projects using all processes in variety of positions on carbon, aluminum, and stainless.
Assist lead welder in various welding, brazing, grinding, thermal, gouging, and arc cutting operations.
Can position pieces to weld into jigs, holding fixtures, guides and steps using measuring instruments and hand tools.
Assemble or secure pipes, tubes, fittings, specifications, by welding, brazing, soldering, or threading joints.

Aluminum welder vs combination welder skills

Common aluminum welder skills

GMAW, 16%
Tig Welding, 15%
Arc Welding, 9%
Tape Measure, 4%
Grinders, 4%
Jigs, 4%

Common combination welder skills

Arc Welding, 14%
Tack, 10%
Minor Maintenance, 7%
MIG, 6%
Gmaw Welding, 5%
Engineering Drawings, 4%