How To Become A Combo Welder: What It Is and Career Path

What is a combo welder and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Combo welders repair or construct products by welding together various metal components. They might work in a number of different industries on various products, such as automobiles, machines, manufacturing equipment, motors, and many more.

As a combo welder, you will need to be able to read blueprints and follow precise instructions when carrying out your tasks. You will work based on orders using specific welding or brazing equipment.

You might be expected to perform thermal cutting or grinding as well as fill in holes or repair cracks, adjust the size of metal parts, and many more. Inspecting equipment for damage and performing maintenance work is also likely to be on your to-do list.

ScoreCombo WelderUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $46,985

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.8

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.56%

Asian 2.54%

Black or African American 9.09%

Hispanic or Latino 25.22%

Unknown 3.94%

White 57.65%

Gender

female 3.77%

male 96.23%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a combo welder

Explore combo welder education requirements

Most common combo welder degrees

High School Diploma

38.5 %

Associate

21.5 %

Diploma

15.4 %

Start to develop specific combo welder skills

Skills	Percentages
GMAW	13.15%
FCAW	10.34%
Arc Welding	8.41%
Engineering Drawings	7.26%
Carbon Steel	6.55%

Complete relevant combo welder training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New combo welders learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a combo welder based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real combo welder resumes.

Gain additional combo welder certifications

Combo welder certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific combo welder certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for combo welders include Certified Welder and Certified Welding Engineer.

More About Certifications

Research combo welder duties and responsibilities

Certify GTAW & GMAW welding on aluminum casting in a production shop.
Weld structure and pipe FCAW and TIG (carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum).
Perform full penetration welds with SMAW and flux core welding applications.
Have supervised a team of at least 6 skil TIG and MIG welders.

Prepare your combo welder resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your combo welder resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a combo welder resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable combo welder resume templates

Build a professional combo welder resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your combo welder resume.