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

What is a lead welder and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A lead welder heads a team of welders on a specific project. Welders design, cut, and join metal parts to create new structures and tools. Their jobs are invaluable to any project that requires metal, either it's an apartment complex or a steel gate. Welders use specialized equipment that converts electricity to heat, bonding metal pieces. The job is potentially dangerous and requires skill.

A lead welder's day-to-day may change, depending on the project and team size. He/She or she may create a work plan for the day, supervise team members' work, and meet with clients. Lead welders may also be involved in finding new contracts for the welding team and hiring or firing welders.

Welding is a technical profession, so you need to attend a school of vocation. Skills necessary for the position of lead welder include physical strength, communication and precision

ScoreLead WelderUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $45,718

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.8

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.71%

Asian 2.92%

Black or African American 9.61%

Hispanic or Latino 17.90%

Unknown 4.08%

White 63.78%

Gender

female 4.10%

male 95.90%

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

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead welder

Explore lead welder education requirements

Most common lead welder degrees

High School Diploma

39.2 %

Associate

24.0 %

Diploma

14.4 %

Start to develop specific lead welder skills

Skills	Percentages
Aluminum	7.41%
Stainless Steel	6.62%
Safety Equipment	5.89%
Blueprint Specifications	5.32%
GMAW	4.93%

Complete relevant lead welder training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead 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 lead welder based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead welder resumes.

Gain additional lead welder certifications

Lead 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 lead welder certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

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

More About Certifications

Research lead welder duties and 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.

Get lead welder experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a lead welder. The most common roles before becoming a lead welder include welder, welder fitter team lead and pipe welder.

Prepare your lead welder resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead 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 lead 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 lead welder resume templates

Build a professional lead 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 lead welder resume.