Machine welder vs structural welder

The differences between machine welders and structural 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 structural welder. Additionally, a structural welder has an average salary of $42,868, 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 structural welder are SMAW, FCAW, and MIG.

Machine welder vs structural welder overview

	Machine Welder	Structural Welder
Yearly salary	$31,852	$42,868
Hourly rate	$15.31	$20.61
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	37,692	9,651
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Machine welder vs structural welder salary

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

	Machine Welder	Structural Welder
Average salary	$31,852	$42,868
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $39,000	Between $31,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Turner Construction
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between machine welder and structural welder education

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

	Machine Welder	Structural Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Machine welder vs structural welder demographics

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

	Machine Welder	Structural Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3%	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between machine welder and structural 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.

Structural welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Fabricate and assemble small parts and components with the GMAW, SMAW, FCAW and aluminum weld process.
Bound structural as well as nonstructural parts by means of welding according to drawings using MIG and TIG welding of steel.
Weld, and fabricate pressure vessels using GMAW process.
Fix various stock trailers and other equipment that come in for repairs using FCAW, and GMAW.
Weld separately or in combination using aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, and other alloys.

Machine welder vs structural welder skills

Common machine welder skills

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

Common structural welder skills

SMAW, 9%
FCAW, 8%
MIG, 8%
Arc Welding, 8%
GMAW, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%