Spot welder vs welder-machine operator

The differences between spot welders and welder-machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a spot welder, 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 $32,277 average annual salary of a spot welder.

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

Spot welder vs welder-machine operator overview

	Spot Welder	Welder-Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$32,277	$37,171
Hourly rate	$15.52	$17.87
Growth rate	2%	-5%
Number of jobs	8,126	68,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	6

Spot welder vs welder-machine operator salary

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

	Spot Welder	Welder-Machine Operator
Average salary	$32,277	$37,171
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $39,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Fridley, MN	Fontana, CA
Highest paying state	Wyoming	Nevada
Best paying company	General Electric	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between spot welder and welder-machine operator education

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

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

Spot welder vs welder-machine operator demographics

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

	Spot Welder	Welder-Machine Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 69.2% Female, 30.8%	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	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 spot welder and welder-machine operator duties and responsibilities

Spot welder example responsibilities.

Operate a laser CNC fabricator, press brake and occasionally TIG and MIG welding equipment.
Set up and operate CNC, mechanical, and hydraulic press brake.
Operate CNC punch and CNC shearer.
Spot welder, MIG welder, line assembly, metal repair and final line inspector.
Weld metal wires together in jigs to make magazine racks, cages and various products.
Used hoists, microscopes, calipers, ban see, and hand hold and bench grinders.

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.

Spot welder vs welder-machine operator skills

Common spot welder skills

Spot Welding, 35%
Spot Welders, 6%
Quality Standards, 5%
Assembly Line, 5%
MIG, 5%
Safety Equipment, 4%

Common welder-machine operator skills

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