Electron beam welder setter vs welder-machine operator

The differences between electron beam welder setters and welder-machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 3-6 months to become both an electron beam welder setter and a welder-machine operator. Additionally, an electron beam welder setter has an average salary of $51,057, which is higher than the $37,171 average annual salary of a welder-machine operator.

The top three skills for an electron beam welder setter include stainless steel, CNC and electron beam. The most important skills for a welder-machine operator are arc welding, safety equipment, and stainless steel.

Electron beam welder setter vs welder-machine operator overview

	Electron Beam Welder Setter	Welder-Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$51,057	$37,171
Hourly rate	$24.55	$17.87
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	8,895	68,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	6	6

Electron beam welder setter vs welder-machine operator salary

Electron beam welder setters and welder-machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Electron Beam Welder Setter	Welder-Machine Operator
Average salary	$51,057	$37,171
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $76,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	Fontana, CA
Highest paying state	-	Nevada
Best paying company	-	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between electron beam welder setter and welder-machine operator education

There are a few differences between an electron beam welder setter and a welder-machine operator in terms of educational background:

	Electron Beam Welder Setter	Welder-Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Manufacturing Engineering	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	Northwestern University	Dunwoody College of Technology

Electron beam welder setter vs welder-machine operator demographics

Here are the differences between electron beam welder setters' and welder-machine operators' demographics:

	Electron Beam Welder Setter	Welder-Machine Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0%	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
Race ratio	Black 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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between electron beam welder setter and welder-machine operator duties and responsibilities

Electron beam welder setter example responsibilities.

Manufacture and visually inspect aerospace parts, using job specific processes.
Learned advance welding techniques to assist in new weld setups and machine maintenance.
Maintain and service HVAC systems and refrigeration equipment.

Welder-machine operator example responsibilities.

Weld required parts using GMAW, GTAW, and SMAW.
Require to weld a wide veriety of assemblies, fabricate parts and maintain equipment and fixtures employing GMAW and GTAW techniques.
Operate the welding robots and do rework with the MIG welder.
Weld both steel and aluminum pressure tanks for both train and truck air brake systems.
Dismantle metal assemblies and cut scrap metal, using thermal-cutting equipment such as flame-cutting torches or plasma-arc equipment.
Position, align, fit, and weld together parts, using jigs, welding torch, and hand tools.

Electron beam welder setter vs welder-machine operator skills

Common electron beam welder setter skills

Stainless Steel, 30%
CNC, 24%
Electron Beam, 16%
Titanium, 15%
Inconel, 10%
Aluminum, 4%

Common welder-machine operator skills

Arc Welding, 7%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Stainless Steel, 6%
CNC, 6%
Tig Welding, 5%
Tape Measure, 5%

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Electron Beam Welder Setter
Electron Beam Welder Setter vs Welder-Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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