Machine welder vs combo welder

The differences between machine welders and combo welders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a machine welder and a combo welder. Additionally, a combo welder has an average salary of $46,985, which is higher than the $31,852 average annual salary of a machine welder.

The top three skills for a machine welder include MIG, aluminum and GMAW. The most important skills for a combo welder are GMAW, FCAW, and arc welding.

Machine welder vs combo welder overview

	Machine Welder	Combo Welder
Yearly salary	$31,852	$46,985
Hourly rate	$15.31	$22.59
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	37,692	8,266
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Machine welder vs combo welder salary

Machine welders and combo welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Machine Welder	Combo Welder
Average salary	$31,852	$46,985
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $39,000	Between $34,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	Olympia, WA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	SpaceX
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between machine welder and combo welder education

There are a few differences between a machine welder and a combo welder in terms of educational background:

	Machine Welder	Combo Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Machine welder vs combo welder demographics

Here are the differences between machine welders' and combo welders' demographics:

	Machine Welder	Combo Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3%	Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	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%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between machine welder and combo welder duties and responsibilities

Machine welder example responsibilities.

Manage aluminum structural/pipe fabrication turnaround: cross-country CGIT/IPB megawatt electrical power conductors.
Perform various tasks requiring MIG welding and TIG welding.
Weld metal parts and components together, using brazing, gas and arc welding equipment.
Stick and mig weld when machine go down.
Help position and clamp workpieces together and assemble them in jigs and fixtures.23.
Calculate dimensions and tolerances using knowledge of mathematics and instruments such as micrometers and vernier calipers.

Combo welder example 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.
Start and complete x-ray welds correctly the first time using the GTAW and SMAW weld processes.
Certify SMAW & GTAW on boiler tube and heaters; blueprint reading and fitting on the boiler construction.

Machine welder vs combo welder skills

Common machine welder skills

MIG, 14%
Aluminum, 10%
GMAW, 9%
Calipers, 8%
Carbon Steel, 8%
FCAW, 8%

Common combo welder skills

GMAW, 13%
FCAW, 10%
Arc Welding, 8%
Engineering Drawings, 7%
Carbon Steel, 7%
MIG, 5%