Second class welder vs structural welder

The differences between second class 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 second class welder and a structural welder. Additionally, a second class welder has an average salary of $45,861, which is higher than the $42,868 average annual salary of a structural welder.

The top three skills for a second class welder include tig welding, MIG and TIG. The most important skills for a structural welder are SMAW, FCAW, and MIG.

Second class welder vs structural welder overview

	Second Class Welder	Structural Welder
Yearly salary	$45,861	$42,868
Hourly rate	$22.05	$20.61
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	35,166	9,651
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Second class welder vs structural welder salary

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

	Second Class Welder	Structural Welder
Average salary	$45,861	$42,868
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $62,000	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 second class welder and structural welder education

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

	Second Class Welder	Structural Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Second class welder vs structural welder demographics

Here are the differences between second class welders' and structural welders' demographics:

	Second Class Welder	Structural Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 80.9% Female, 19.1%	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	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 second class welder and structural welder duties and responsibilities

Second class welder example responsibilities.

Read blueprints and build sections of the JHSV and LCS from those blueprints.
Learned to weld using torches, gouging aluminum welding & steel welding.
Receive training in safety protection, such as use of respirators, confine spaces, condo and scissor lifts.
Maintain individual and subordinates combat readiness.
Repair and maintain equipment critical to combat operations and damage control.
Perform MIG and stick welds and erecting structural steel utilize for building skeletons including specific/ detail measurements for accuracy.

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.

Second class welder vs structural welder skills

Common second class welder skills

Tig Welding, 58%
MIG, 19%
TIG, 19%
Combat, 4%

Common structural welder skills

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

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Second Class Welder
Second Class Welder vs Structural Welder

Updated January 8, 2025

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