Robotic welder vs welder operator

The differences between robotic 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 robotic welder and a welder operator. Additionally, a robotic welder has an average salary of $33,303, which is higher than the $31,669 average annual salary of a welder operator.

The top three skills for a robotic welder include MIG, GMAW and calipers. The most important skills for a welder operator are MIG, arc welding, and hand tools.

Robotic welder vs welder operator overview

	Robotic Welder	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$33,303	$31,669
Hourly rate	$16.01	$15.23
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,380	51,229
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Robotic welder vs welder operator salary

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

	Robotic Welder	Welder Operator
Average salary	$33,303	$31,669
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $41,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Chicopee, MA
Highest paying state	Wyoming	Wyoming
Best paying company	Sanmina	Capco
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Automotive

Differences between robotic welder and welder operator education

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

	Robotic Welder	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 49%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Robotic welder vs welder operator demographics

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

	Robotic Welder	Welder Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 2.6% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	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 robotic welder and welder operator duties and responsibilities

Robotic welder example responsibilities.

Weld aluminum, stainless steel and regular steel.
Assist in the integration, start-up and debug of plant floor welding equipment, including weld controls, MIG welding robots.
Hand-Weld MIG/ TIG as needed.
Set up fixturing to weld aluminum concrete forms to print.
Bolt, clamp and tack weld parts to secure position for welding.
Programme Motoman (robot) to TIG the flanges on exhaust headers.

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.

Robotic welder vs welder operator skills

Common robotic welder skills

MIG, 11%
GMAW, 7%
Calipers, 7%
Tig Welding, 7%
Tack, 6%
Clamp, 5%

Common welder operator skills

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