Bridge welder vs welder operator

The differences between bridge welders and welder operators 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 operator. Additionally, a bridge welder has an average salary of $42,281, which is higher than the $31,669 average annual salary of a welder operator.

The top three skills for a bridge welder include AWS, arc welding and DOT. The most important skills for a welder operator are MIG, arc welding, and hand tools.

Bridge welder vs welder operator overview

	Bridge Welder	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$42,281	$31,669
Hourly rate	$20.33	$15.23
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,835	51,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Bridge welder vs welder operator salary

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

	Bridge Welder	Welder Operator
Average salary	$42,281	$31,669
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $56,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Chicopee, MA
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	Capco
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between bridge welder and welder operator education

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

	Bridge Welder	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Bridge welder vs welder operator demographics

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

	Bridge Welder	Welder Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 98.3% Female, 1.7%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
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, 10.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between bridge welder and welder operator 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 operator example responsibilities.

Manage aluminum structural/pipe fabrication turnaround: cross-country CGIT/IPB megawatt electrical power conductors.
Weld carbon steel pipes using GTAW and SMAW.
Weld with (GMAW) on aluminum.
Maintain certifications in SMAW, GMAW, and GTAW.
Perform TIG and MIG welding processes on fabrications according to the blueprints specifications.
Weld heavy industrial clamps together using the MIG and TIG process on AR400 grade steel.

Bridge welder vs welder operator skills

Common bridge welder skills

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

Common welder operator skills

MIG, 12%
Arc Welding, 9%
Hand Tools, 8%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Tig Welding, 6%
GMAW, 5%