Plastic welder vs structural welder

The differences between plastic welders and structural 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 plastic welder and a structural welder. Additionally, a plastic welder has an average salary of $44,588, which is higher than the $42,868 average annual salary of a structural welder.

The top three skills for a plastic welder include water tanks, RAN and extrusion. The most important skills for a structural welder are SMAW, FCAW, and MIG.

Plastic welder vs structural welder overview

	Plastic Welder	Structural Welder
Yearly salary	$44,588	$42,868
Hourly rate	$21.44	$20.61
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,251	9,651
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Plastic welder vs structural welder salary

Plastic welders and structural welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plastic Welder	Structural Welder
Average salary	$44,588	$42,868
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $59,000	Between $31,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Turner Construction
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between plastic welder and structural welder education

There are a few differences between a plastic welder and a structural welder in terms of educational background:

	Plastic Welder	Structural Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Plastic welder vs structural welder demographics

Here are the differences between plastic welders' and structural welders' demographics:

	Plastic Welder	Structural Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3%	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 2.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between plastic welder and structural welder duties and responsibilities

Plastic welder example responsibilities.

Perform TPM using companies' procedures.
Fabricate plastic pickling tanks using extrusion guns, drills, saws and other power tools
Perform MIG and stick welds and erecting structural steel utilize for building skeletons including specific/ detail measurements for accuracy.
Fabricate and repair of down hole tools, support for machine shops NDT testing
Assign and assist welders, NDT technicians, machinist and helpers with daily job assignments.
Operate the robotic welding machine which make the seat frame for all Honda vehicles

Structural welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Fabricate and assemble small parts and components with the GMAW, SMAW, FCAW and aluminum weld process.
Bound structural as well as nonstructural parts by means of welding according to drawings using MIG and TIG welding of steel.
Weld, and fabricate pressure vessels using GMAW process.
Fix various stock trailers and other equipment that come in for repairs using FCAW, and GMAW.
Weld separately or in combination using aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, and other alloys.

Plastic welder vs structural welder skills

Common plastic welder skills

Water Tanks, 61%
RAN, 15%
Extrusion, 15%
Torches, 9%

Common structural welder skills

SMAW, 9%
FCAW, 8%
MIG, 8%
Arc Welding, 8%
GMAW, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%