Journeyman welder vs welder operator

The differences between journeyman 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 journeyman welder and a welder operator. Additionally, a journeyman welder has an average salary of $44,147, which is higher than the $31,669 average annual salary of a welder operator.

The top three skills for a journeyman welder include MIG, brazing and jigs. The most important skills for a welder operator are MIG, arc welding, and hand tools.

Journeyman welder vs welder operator overview

	Journeyman Welder	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$44,147	$31,669
Hourly rate	$21.22	$15.23
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	11,077	51,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Journeyman welder vs welder operator salary

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

	Journeyman Welder	Welder Operator
Average salary	$44,147	$31,669
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $61,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Spokane, WA	Chicopee, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Wyoming
Best paying company	Clearwater Paper	Capco
Best paying industry	Construction	Automotive

Differences between journeyman welder and welder operator education

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

	Journeyman Welder	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Journeyman welder vs welder operator demographics

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

	Journeyman Welder	Welder Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 3.1% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%	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 journeyman welder and welder operator duties and responsibilities

Journeyman welder example responsibilities.

Skil in air arc metal cutting, oxyacetylene torch cutting, plasma arc metal cutting, GMAW, SMAW, FCAW.
Apply welding methods with the use of SMAW, FCAW and GMAW.
Pre-Fab free-hand TIG weld 1/16th inch stainless steel Schott tubes.
Weld on carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, brass, flux-core, cast iron and galvanize.
Stick and MIG welding process.
Preform tig welds plant wide Cargill plant in Ottumwa

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.

Journeyman welder vs welder operator skills

Common journeyman welder skills

MIG, 17%
Brazing, 12%
Jigs, 12%
Flux Core, 10%
Overhead Positions, 9%
TIG, 7%

Common welder operator skills

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