Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between combo welders and welder apprentices can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a combo welder and a welder apprentice. Additionally, a combo welder has an average salary of $46,985, which is higher than the $34,266 average annual salary of a welder apprentice.
The top three skills for a combo welder include GMAW, FCAW and arc welding. The most important skills for a welder apprentice are MIG, hand tools, and arc welding.
| Combo Welder | Welder Apprentice | |
| Yearly salary | $46,985 | $34,266 |
| Hourly rate | $22.59 | $16.47 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 8,266 | 14,044 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Combo Welder specializes in operating welding equipment to build and maintain structures or systems made of metal. It is also their responsibility to understand and adhere to schematics and guidelines, prepare materials, ensure measurements, and maintain an active communication line with co-workers for a smooth and safe workflow. The extent of their responsibilities depends on their company of employment or project needs. Some projects may also require them to climb up high places, so it is essential to adhere to safety standards and regulations.
A welder apprentice analyzes engineering specifications and engineering drawings to plan layout and assembly welding operations. Besides using rulers, calipers, combination squares, and straight edges to secure, position, and layout parts and assemblies as per the assignment specifications, welder apprentices also perform their duties based on established safety procedures and quality standards. They use arc welding, gas welding, electric welding, and other welding forms to weld and track-weld assemblies and different components. Moreover, a welder apprentice uses precision measuring instruments, calipers, and micrometers to find gap variance.
Combo welders and welder apprentices have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Combo Welder | Welder Apprentice | |
| Average salary | $46,985 | $34,266 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $64,000 | Between $26,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | - |
| Best paying company | SpaceX | - |
| Best paying industry | Construction | - |
There are a few differences between a combo welder and a welder apprentice in terms of educational background:
| Combo Welder | Welder Apprentice | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between combo welders' and welder apprentices' demographics:
| Combo Welder | Welder Apprentice | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 25.2% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |