Punch operator vs welder-machine operator

The differences between punch operators and welder-machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a punch operator, 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 $33,046 average annual salary of a punch operator.

The top three skills for a punch operator include quality checks, calipers and punch machine. The most important skills for a welder-machine operator are arc welding, safety equipment, and stainless steel.

Punch operator vs welder-machine operator overview

	Punch Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$33,046	$37,171
Hourly rate	$15.89	$17.87
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	44,679	68,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	46	40
Years of experience	2	6

Punch operator vs welder-machine operator salary

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

	Punch Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Average salary	$33,046	$37,171
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $44,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	Fontana, CA
Highest paying state	-	Nevada
Best paying company	-	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between punch operator and welder-machine operator education

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

	Punch Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	Dunwoody College of Technology

Punch operator vs welder-machine operator demographics

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

	Punch Operator	Welder-Machine Operator
Average age	46	40
Gender ratio	Male, 79.2% Female, 20.8%	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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 punch operator and welder-machine operator duties and responsibilities

Punch operator example responsibilities.

Set up and run cnc amada turret punch presses and sharpen own tooling, and do minor adjustments to program
Operate Amada Apelio, Vipros, EMLK, FOM2 3015NT, FOM2 RI 3015 NT and Trumpf 2030.
Measure thickness of material with calipers and micrometers while sanding to keep material within allowable tolerances.
Dye setting and machine set up.

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.

Punch operator vs welder-machine operator skills

Common punch operator skills

Quality Checks, 32%
Calipers, 19%
Punch Machine, 16%
CNC, 11%
Punch Press, 7%
ISO, 5%

Common welder-machine operator skills

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

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Punch Operator
Punch Operator vs Welder-Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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