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Certified maintenance welder vs lead welder

The differences between certified maintenance welders and lead welders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a certified maintenance welder, becoming a lead welder takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a certified maintenance welder has an average salary of $52,201, which is higher than the $45,718 average annual salary of a lead welder.

The top three skills for a certified maintenance welder include MIG, mechanical equipment and TIG. The most important skills for a lead welder are aluminum, stainless steel, and safety equipment.

Certified maintenance welder vs lead welder overview

Certified Maintenance WelderLead Welder
Yearly salary$52,201$45,718
Hourly rate$25.10$21.98
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs93,0528,274
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 42%High School Diploma, 39%
Average age4040
Years of experience24

Certified maintenance welder vs lead welder salary

Certified maintenance welders and lead welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

Certified Maintenance WelderLead Welder
Average salary$52,201$45,718
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $67,000Between $33,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between certified maintenance welder and lead welder education

There are a few differences between a certified maintenance welder and a lead welder in terms of educational background:

Certified Maintenance WelderLead Welder
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 42%High School Diploma, 39%
Most common majorEducationPrecision Metal Working
Most common college--

Certified maintenance welder vs lead welder demographics

Here are the differences between certified maintenance welders' and lead welders' demographics:

Certified Maintenance WelderLead Welder
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 95.0% Female, 5.0%Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 2.3% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.9% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage3%3%

Differences between certified maintenance welder and lead welder duties and responsibilities

Certified maintenance welder example responsibilities.

  • Maintain air compressors, HVAC systems, electrical and pneumatic systems throughout plant.
  • Shield metal arc welding, Oxy-acetylene welding and cutting, gas metal, flux core, submerge and plasma.
  • Use trade procedures such as brazing, soldering, flame and arc-cutting, surface hardening, annealing and metal spraying.
  • Perform MIG and stick welds and erecting structural steel utilize for building skeletons including specific/ detail measurements for accuracy.
  • Perform MIG and stick welds and erecting structural steel utilize for building skeletons including specific/ detail measurements for accuracy.

Lead welder example responsibilities.

  • Create weekly work schedules, process payroll information, manage inventory counts and job cost for each project.
  • Certify in restaurant grade stainless steel and aluminum TIG welding, carbon stick welding and stainless and carbon MIG welding.
  • Weld with solid wire (GMAW), flux core (FCAW) and stick (SMAW).
  • Used MIG and TIG welding to fit electrical and mechanical components.
  • Execute daily operations of MIG, and TIG welding, and rework welding.
  • Develop and record documentation for PQR's and WPS's.
  • Show more

Certified maintenance welder vs lead welder skills

Common certified maintenance welder skills
  • MIG, 38%
  • Mechanical Equipment, 35%
  • TIG, 14%
  • Stainless Steel, 12%
Common lead welder skills
  • Aluminum, 7%
  • Stainless Steel, 7%
  • Safety Equipment, 6%
  • Blueprint Specifications, 5%
  • GMAW, 5%
  • Tig Welding, 5%

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