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The differences between pipefitter/welders and welders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pipefitter/welder has an average salary of $53,768, which is higher than the $39,696 average annual salary of a welder.
The top three skills for a pipefitter/welder include hand tools, carbon steel and MIG. The most important skills for a welder are arc welding, aluminum, and hand tools.
| Pipefitter/Welder | Welder | |
| Yearly salary | $53,768 | $39,696 |
| Hourly rate | $25.85 | $19.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 7,996 | 9,463 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.25 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A Pipefitter Welder installs, assembles, fabricates, maintains, and repairs mechanical piping systems. They may also supervise a team of helpers or assistants, and might also be responsible for training them.
Welders are skilled workers who primarily work on metals and other metalworks. One of the most commonly known activities that welders do is fusing materials that are made of metal. They usually work on buildings, large pipes, and cars. They also fix holes or any other imperfection on metal materials. They do these by applying heat using welding torches or any other special tools that they have. Welders are also responsible for studying blueprints related to the items they will work on, ensuring that all needed materials are available, practicing occupational safety and health protocols, and maintaining the welding tools they use.
Pipefitter/welders and welders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pipefitter/Welder | Welder | |
| Average salary | $53,768 | $39,696 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $72,000 | Between $29,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Woburn, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | California Resources |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a pipefitter/welder and a welder in terms of educational background:
| Pipefitter/Welder | Welder | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between pipefitter/welders' and welders' demographics:
| Pipefitter/Welder | Welder | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2% | Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 1.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 3.0% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 3% |