Aluminum welder vs steel welder

The differences between aluminum welders and steel 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 steel welder. Additionally, an aluminum welder has an average salary of $38,155, which is higher than the $36,139 average annual salary of a steel welder.

The top three skills for an aluminum welder include GMAW, tig welding and arc welding. The most important skills for a steel welder are MIG, arc welding, and aluminum.

Aluminum welder vs steel welder overview

	Aluminum Welder	Steel Welder
Yearly salary	$38,155	$36,139
Hourly rate	$18.34	$17.37
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,063	7,242
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Aluminum welder vs steel welder salary

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

	Aluminum Welder	Steel Welder
Average salary	$38,155	$36,139
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $48,000	Between $28,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	Bremerton, WA
Highest paying state	Wyoming	Wyoming
Best paying company	Premier Marine	GPAC
Best paying industry	Automotive	Automotive

Differences between aluminum welder and steel welder education

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

	Aluminum Welder	Steel Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Aluminum welder vs steel welder demographics

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

	Aluminum Welder	Steel Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%	Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%
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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.9% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between aluminum welder and steel 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.

Steel welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Gas cutting, brazing, layout work, blueprint reading.
Operate brake press, drill press, and punch press in order to efficiently bend steel & aluminum.
Perform MIG and stick welds and erecting structural steel utilize for building skeletons including specific/ detail measurements for accuracy.
Blue print reading for all WPS orders.

Aluminum welder vs steel welder skills

Common aluminum welder skills

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

Common steel welder skills

MIG, 15%
Arc Welding, 10%
Aluminum, 9%
GMAW, 6%
FCAW, 6%
Hand Tools, 6%