Reserve tube welder vs welder operator

The differences between reserve tube welders and welder operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a reserve tube welder and a welder operator. Additionally, a reserve tube welder has an average salary of $50,556, which is higher than the $31,669 average annual salary of a welder operator.

The top three skills for a reserve tube welder include tig welding, TIG and stainless steel. The most important skills for a welder operator are MIG, arc welding, and hand tools.

Reserve tube welder vs welder operator overview

	Reserve Tube Welder	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$50,556	$31,669
Hourly rate	$24.31	$15.23
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,193	51,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Reserve tube welder vs welder operator salary

Reserve tube welders and welder operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Reserve Tube Welder	Welder Operator
Average salary	$50,556	$31,669
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $67,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Chicopee, MA
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	Capco
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between reserve tube welder and welder operator education

There are a few differences between a reserve tube welder and a welder operator in terms of educational background:

	Reserve Tube Welder	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Reserve tube welder vs welder operator demographics

Here are the differences between reserve tube welders' and welder operators' demographics:

	Reserve Tube Welder	Welder Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between reserve tube welder and welder operator duties and responsibilities

Reserve tube welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Weld with the TIG process throughout.
Complete demo of superheat, reheat and header tubes.
Position and clamp workpieces together and properly assemble them in in jigs and fixtures.
Perform inconel overlie welding in overhead position in penthouse area of boiler using the smaw welding process.
Straighten or reshape bend pressure vessel plates or structure parts, using hammers, jacks, or torches.

Welder operator example responsibilities.

Manage aluminum structural/pipe fabrication turnaround: cross-country CGIT/IPB megawatt electrical power conductors.
Weld carbon steel pipes using GTAW and SMAW.
Weld with (GMAW) on aluminum.
Maintain certifications in SMAW, GMAW, and GTAW.
Perform TIG and MIG welding processes on fabrications according to the blueprints specifications.
Weld heavy industrial clamps together using the MIG and TIG process on AR400 grade steel.

Reserve tube welder vs welder operator skills

Common reserve tube welder skills

Tig Welding, 33%
TIG, 11%
Stainless Steel, 7%
Arc Welding, 7%
Carbon Steel, 6%
GMAW, 4%

Common welder operator skills

MIG, 12%
Arc Welding, 9%
Hand Tools, 8%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Tig Welding, 6%
GMAW, 5%