Bridge welder vs welder-assembler

The differences between bridge welders and welder-assemblers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a bridge welder and a welder-assembler. Additionally, a bridge welder has an average salary of $42,281, which is higher than the $33,580 average annual salary of a welder-assembler.

The top three skills for a bridge welder include AWS, arc welding and DOT. The most important skills for a welder-assembler are MIG, blueprint specifications, and aluminum.

Bridge welder vs welder-assembler overview

	Bridge Welder	Welder-Assembler
Yearly salary	$42,281	$33,580
Hourly rate	$20.33	$16.14
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,835	26,070
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Bridge welder vs welder-assembler salary

Bridge welders and welder-assemblers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bridge Welder	Welder-Assembler
Average salary	$42,281	$33,580
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $56,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between bridge welder and welder-assembler education

There are a few differences between a bridge welder and a welder-assembler in terms of educational background:

	Bridge Welder	Welder-Assembler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Bridge welder vs welder-assembler demographics

Here are the differences between bridge welders' and welder-assemblers' demographics:

	Bridge Welder	Welder-Assembler
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 98.3% Female, 1.7%	Male, 86.9% Female, 13.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between bridge welder and welder-assembler duties and responsibilities

Bridge welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
use of cutting torches when need.
Operate various forms of welding machines to include FCAW, GTAW, SMAW as well as oxy-acetylene torches.
Weld mainly stick, but includes MIG and TIG.
Operate CNC drilling machines as needed.
Perform MIG and stick welds and erecting structural steel utilize for building skeletons including specific/ detail measurements for accuracy.

Welder-assembler example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Perform welding duties with GMAW, to weld shoot beads on mild steel.
Start on CNC machine operator, to head welding/assembly.
Operate welding machines, soldering machines and brazing machines.
Weld aircraft parts, inspect parts, assemble parts for furnace brazing.
Cut various pieces out of stock using band saws, torches, and plasma cutters.

Bridge welder vs welder-assembler skills

Common bridge welder skills

AWS, 64%
Arc Welding, 13%
DOT, 10%
Torches, 8%
SMAW, 5%

Common welder-assembler skills

MIG, 17%
Blueprint Specifications, 7%
Aluminum, 7%
Stainless Steel, 6%
Safety Equipment, 5%
Tig Welding, 4%