Machine welder vs welder fitter

The differences between machine welders and welder fitters 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 welder fitter. Additionally, a welder fitter has an average salary of $39,676, 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 welder fitter are MIG, hand tools, and arc welding.

Machine welder vs welder fitter overview

	Machine Welder	Welder Fitter
Yearly salary	$31,852	$39,676
Hourly rate	$15.31	$19.07
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	37,692	8,022
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Machine welder vs welder fitter salary

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

	Machine Welder	Welder Fitter
Average salary	$31,852	$39,676
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $39,000	Between $28,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	-	Vancouver, WA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Jefferson Lab
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between machine welder and welder fitter education

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

	Machine Welder	Welder Fitter
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Machine welder vs welder fitter demographics

Here are the differences between machine welders' and welder fitters' demographics:

	Machine Welder	Welder Fitter
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3%	Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9%
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, 10.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between machine welder and welder fitter 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.

Welder fitter example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Align parts in relation to each other, using jacks, turnbuckles, clips, wedges, and mauls.
Align and fit according to specifications using jacks, turnbuckles, wedges, drift pins, pry bars and hammers.
Weld and fit per drawing: GTAW aluminum, stainless, steel, and copper-nickel pipe.
Fabricate parts and equipment using GTAW process on thin metals such as aluminum & other precious metals.
Manufacture mobile home frames using fixtures, heat beam for a perfect chamber while applying welding procedures of SMAW and GMAW.

Machine welder vs welder fitter skills

Common machine welder skills

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

Common welder fitter skills

MIG, 13%
Hand Tools, 7%
Arc Welding, 5%
GMAW, 5%
Aluminum, 5%
Stainless Steel, 5%