Machine welder vs lead welder

The differences between machine welders and lead 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 lead welder. Additionally, a lead welder has an average salary of $45,718, 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 lead welder are aluminum, stainless steel, and safety equipment.

Machine welder vs lead welder overview

	Machine Welder	Lead Welder
Yearly salary	$31,852	$45,718
Hourly rate	$15.31	$21.98
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	37,692	8,274
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Machine welder vs lead welder salary

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

	Machine Welder	Lead Welder
Average salary	$31,852	$45,718
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $39,000	Between $33,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between machine welder and lead welder education

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

	Machine Welder	Lead Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Machine welder vs lead welder demographics

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

	Machine Welder	Lead Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3%	Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1%
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, 9.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.9% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between machine welder and lead 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.

Lead welder example 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.
Execute daily operations of MIG, and TIG welding, and rework welding.
Develop and record documentation for PQR's and WPS's.

Machine welder vs lead welder skills

Common machine welder skills

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

Common lead welder skills

Aluminum, 7%
Stainless Steel, 7%
Safety Equipment, 6%
Blueprint Specifications, 5%
GMAW, 5%
Tig Welding, 5%