Steel welder vs mig welder

The differences between steel welders and mig 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 steel welder and a mig welder. Additionally, a steel welder has an average salary of $36,139, which is higher than the $35,476 average annual salary of a mig welder.

The top three skills for a steel welder include MIG, arc welding and aluminum. The most important skills for a mig welder are tape measure, arc welding, and jigs.

Steel welder vs mig welder overview

	Steel Welder	MIG Welder
Yearly salary	$36,139	$35,476
Hourly rate	$17.37	$17.06
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,242	7,051
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 47%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Steel welder vs mig welder salary

Steel welders and mig welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Steel Welder	MIG Welder
Average salary	$36,139	$35,476
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $46,000	Between $28,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Bremerton, WA	Salt Lake City, UT
Highest paying state	Wyoming	Alaska
Best paying company	GPAC	Invacare
Best paying industry	Automotive	Automotive

Differences between steel welder and mig welder education

There are a few differences between a steel welder and a mig welder in terms of educational background:

	Steel Welder	MIG Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 47%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Steel welder vs mig welder demographics

Here are the differences between steel welders' and mig welders' demographics:

	Steel Welder	MIG Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%	Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.9% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.0% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between steel welder and mig welder duties and responsibilities

Steel welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Gas cutting, brazing, layout work, blueprint reading.
Operate brake press, drill press, and punch press in order to efficiently bend steel & aluminum.
Perform MIG and stick welds and erecting structural steel utilize for building skeletons including specific/ detail measurements for accuracy.
Blue print reading for all WPS orders.

Mig welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Read and interpret blue prints weld steel and aluminum using GMAW process
Develop extensive experience in a wide variety of welding styles and positions including MIG, and TIG.
Use necessary equipment such as torches, grinders, chop saws, and plasma cutters for assembly and repairs.
Assemble flatbed trailers; perform MIG, aluminum, and steel welding; participate in various production duties as assigned
Calibrate welding machines to GMAW (calibration).

Steel welder vs mig welder skills

Common steel welder skills

MIG, 15%
Arc Welding, 10%
Aluminum, 9%
GMAW, 6%
FCAW, 6%
Hand Tools, 6%

Common mig welder skills

Tape Measure, 11%
Arc Welding, 8%
Jigs, 8%
GMAW, 8%
Torches, 7%
Aluminum, 7%