Metal welder vs lead welder

The differences between metal 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 metal welder and a lead welder. Additionally, a lead welder has an average salary of $45,718, which is higher than the $36,706 average annual salary of a metal welder.

The top three skills for a metal welder include MIG, hand tools and arc welding. The most important skills for a lead welder are aluminum, stainless steel, and safety equipment.

Metal welder vs lead welder overview

	Metal Welder	Lead Welder
Yearly salary	$36,706	$45,718
Hourly rate	$17.65	$21.98
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	9,585	8,274
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Metal welder vs lead welder salary

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

	Metal Welder	Lead Welder
Average salary	$36,706	$45,718
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $45,000	Between $33,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between metal welder and lead welder education

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

	Metal Welder	Lead Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Metal welder vs lead welder demographics

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

	Metal Welder	Lead Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7%	Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 2.6% White, 64.0% 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 metal welder and lead welder duties and responsibilities

Metal welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Fabricate various jigs for various stools and chairs, school desks and cages.
Set up jigs to weld pallets for individual orders, also mark measured and stamp material for jobs.
Perform MIG and stick welds and erecting structural steel utilize for building skeletons including specific/ detail measurements for accuracy.
Blue print reading for all WPS orders.

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.

Metal welder vs lead welder skills

Common metal welder skills

MIG, 22%
Hand Tools, 12%
Arc Welding, 10%
Stainless Steel, 10%
Tack, 9%
GMAW, 8%

Common lead welder skills

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