Second class welder vs welder operator

The differences between second class 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 second class welder and a welder operator. Additionally, a second class welder has an average salary of $45,861, which is higher than the $31,669 average annual salary of a welder operator.

The top three skills for a second class welder include tig welding, MIG and TIG. The most important skills for a welder operator are MIG, arc welding, and hand tools.

Second class welder vs welder operator overview

	Second Class Welder	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$45,861	$31,669
Hourly rate	$22.05	$15.23
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	35,166	51,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Second class welder vs welder operator salary

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

	Second Class Welder	Welder Operator
Average salary	$45,861	$31,669
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $62,000	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 second class welder and welder operator education

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

	Second Class Welder	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Second class welder vs welder operator demographics

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

	Second Class Welder	Welder Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 80.9% Female, 19.1%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
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, 10.6% 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 second class welder and welder operator 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.

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.

Second class welder vs welder operator skills

Common second class welder skills

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

Common welder operator skills

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