Mig welder vs welder-machine operator

The differences between mig welders and welder-machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a mig welder, becoming a welder-machine operator takes usually requires 3-6 months. Additionally, a welder-machine operator has an average salary of $37,171, which is higher than the $35,476 average annual salary of a mig welder.

The top three skills for a mig welder include tape measure, arc welding and jigs. The most important skills for a welder-machine operator are arc welding, safety equipment, and stainless steel.

Mig welder vs welder-machine operator overview

	MIG Welder	Welder-Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$35,476	$37,171
Hourly rate	$17.06	$17.87
Growth rate	2%	-5%
Number of jobs	7,051	68,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	6

Mig welder vs welder-machine operator salary

Mig welders and welder-machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	MIG Welder	Welder-Machine Operator
Average salary	$35,476	$37,171
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $44,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Salt Lake City, UT	Fontana, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Nevada
Best paying company	Invacare	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between mig welder and welder-machine operator education

There are a few differences between a mig welder and a welder-machine operator in terms of educational background:

	MIG Welder	Welder-Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	Dunwoody College of Technology

Mig welder vs welder-machine operator demographics

Here are the differences between mig welders' and welder-machine operators' demographics:

	MIG Welder	Welder-Machine Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.0% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between mig welder and welder-machine operator duties and responsibilities

Mig welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Read and interpret blue prints weld steel and aluminum using GMAW process
Develop extensive experience in a wide variety of welding styles and positions including MIG, and TIG.
Use necessary equipment such as torches, grinders, chop saws, and plasma cutters for assembly and repairs.
Assemble flatbed trailers; perform MIG, aluminum, and steel welding; participate in various production duties as assigned
Calibrate welding machines to GMAW (calibration).

Welder-machine operator example responsibilities.

Weld required parts using GMAW, GTAW, and SMAW.
Require to weld a wide veriety of assemblies, fabricate parts and maintain equipment and fixtures employing GMAW and GTAW techniques.
Operate the welding robots and do rework with the MIG welder.
Weld both steel and aluminum pressure tanks for both train and truck air brake systems.
Dismantle metal assemblies and cut scrap metal, using thermal-cutting equipment such as flame-cutting torches or plasma-arc equipment.
Position, align, fit, and weld together parts, using jigs, welding torch, and hand tools.

Mig welder vs welder-machine operator skills

Common mig welder skills

Tape Measure, 11%
Arc Welding, 8%
Jigs, 8%
GMAW, 8%
Torches, 7%
Aluminum, 7%

Common welder-machine operator skills

Arc Welding, 7%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Stainless Steel, 6%
CNC, 6%
Tig Welding, 5%
Tape Measure, 5%