What does a pipe welder do?
According to schematics and analyzing specifications, a pipe welder is responsible for maintaining and repairing pipe systems and components. Pipe welders inspect the quality of the materials, assemble tools for welding preparations, ensure the safety of the welding method and structural units, and strictly adhere to safety operations procedures. They also examine finished welds to identify any defects and perform adjustments as needed. A pipe welder must have a broad knowledge of the mechanical industry to operate machinery and construct a safe piping system.
Pipe welder responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real pipe welder resumes:
- Silver solder, TIG, SMAW, GMAW, FCAW weld mild steel stainless steel aluminum and copper nickel respectively.
- Weld carbon and stainless steel pipe in position and roll out machines utilizing GTAW, GMAW, FCAW and SMAW processes.
- Skil in all types of welding, including MIG, TIG, stick, aluminum and stainless steel.
- Work with TIG and MIG welding systems, as well as forklifts and overhead cranes up to 30 tons.
- Work safely under OSHA safety and PPE standards.
- Used aluminum GMAW for structural supports and some larger fabrications.
- Utilize flux core welding machine to tack nipples, flanges and pipes.
- Preheat workpieces prior to welding or bending, using torches or heating furnaces.
- Pipe welding - downhill GMAW solid wire root pass follow by uphill FCAW to fill cap.
- Perform welding task on steam pipe, structural steel, certify stainless steel, aluminum and pipe welding.
- Shop duties including ordering consumables for all MIG & TIG machines, shop supplies, and doing inventory.
- Weld and tack weld metal parts together, using spot welding gun and hand, electric and gas welding equipment.
- Fabricate stainless and mild steel potable water heaters using MIG or the stick welding process in all positions per blue print.
- Travel throughout the country to TIG weld by installing CIP systems in truck bay areas of manufacturing facilities.
- Connect pipes together, to structures, flanges, or other fixtures using standard SMAW practices according to ASME standards.
Pipe welder skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Pipe Welders are proficient in Carbon Steel, MIG, and Hand Tools. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Manual dexterity, and Technical skills.
We break down the percentage of Pipe Welders that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Carbon Steel, 16%
Certified combo welder, can weld carbon steel, stainless, stainless duplex, copper nickel, aluminum, structure steel.
- MIG, 10%
Pipe Welder: Independently Performed vertical up, horizontal, overhead and flat welding utilizing MIG, stick and TIG welders.
- Hand Tools, 8%
Cut and bore holes in structures prior to pipe installation, ensuring structural integrity, using hand tools and power tools.
- TIG, 6%
Complete indicated area, TIG Pipe welding stainless steel root pass with flux wire hot fill and cap with 308 wire.
- SMAW, 6%
Welded carbon and stainless steel pipe in position and roll out machines utilizing GTAW, GMAW, FCAW and SMAW processes.
- GTAW, 6%
Qualified on these alloys to hire in but welded mostly CuNi, CuNi to Carbon and Stainless pipe via GTAW.
Most pipe welders use their skills in "carbon steel," "mig," and "hand tools" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential pipe welder responsibilities here:
Detail oriented. The most essential soft skill for a pipe welder to carry out their responsibilities is detail oriented. This skill is important for the role because "welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers perform precision work, often with straight edges." Additionally, a pipe welder resume shows how their duties depend on detail oriented: "provided detailed isometric drawings of piping layout, footage of pipe and material inventory. "
Manual dexterity. Another essential skill to perform pipe welder duties is manual dexterity. Pipe welders responsibilities require that "welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers must have a steady hand to hold a torch in place." Pipe welders also use manual dexterity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "operated manual, tig, and mig welding equipment to fuse metal segment together. "
Physical strength. For certain pipe welder responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical strength." The day-to-day duties of a pipe welder rely on this skill, as "welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers must be able to lift heavy pieces of metal and move welding or cutting equipment." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what pipe welders do: "worked with the safety coordinator to insure all welding was done according to osha standards and weld strength test were passed. "
The three companies that hire the most pipe welders are:
- Aerotek9 pipe welders jobs
- Moores Electrical And Mechanical6 pipe welders jobs
- SpaceX6 pipe welders jobs
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Compare different pipe welders
Pipe welder vs. Fabricator
A fabricator specializes in manufacturing and assembling equipment or devices, ensuring every product's quality and efficiency. There are instances when a fabricator is required to make multiple gears, conduct verification processes on product schematics and specifications, perform quality control inspections, and test the product in different environments. Furthermore, a fabricator needs to coordinate with all workforce members to remain informed on any changes or updates in the production operations while adhering to the company's policies and safety standards.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between pipe welders and fabricator. For instance, pipe welder responsibilities require skills such as "fcaw," "safety equipment," "rough spots," and "install pipe." Whereas a fabricator is skilled in "basic math," "calipers," "math," and "tape measure." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Fabricators really shine in the finance industry with an average salary of $42,665. Comparatively, pipe welders tend to make the most money in the construction industry with an average salary of $56,027.On average, fabricators reach similar levels of education than pipe welders. Fabricators are 3.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Pipe welder vs. Welder first class
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, pipe welder responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "mig," "hand tools," "aluminum," and "install pipe." Meanwhile, a welder first class has duties that require skills in areas such as "stainless steel," "air arc," "tack," and "aluminum mig." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Welders first class earn similar levels of education than pipe welders in general. They're 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pipe welder vs. Welder-assembler
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from pipe welder resumes include skills like "hand tools," "install pipe," "stainless steel pipe," and "pipe systems," whereas a welder-assembler is more likely to list skills in "blueprint specifications," "stainless steel," "assembly line," and "tack. "
Welder-assemblers typically earn similar educational levels compared to pipe welders. Specifically, they're 4.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pipe welder vs. Welder assistant
Types of pipe welder
Updated January 8, 2025
