Steel welder vs structural welder

The differences between steel 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 steel welder and a structural welder. Additionally, a structural welder has an average salary of $42,868, which is higher than the $36,139 average annual salary of a steel welder.

The top three skills for a steel welder include MIG, arc welding and aluminum. The most important skills for a structural welder are SMAW, FCAW, and MIG.

Steel welder vs structural welder overview

	Steel Welder	Structural Welder
Yearly salary	$36,139	$42,868
Hourly rate	$17.37	$20.61
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,242	9,651
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Steel welder vs structural welder salary

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

	Steel Welder	Structural Welder
Average salary	$36,139	$42,868
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $46,000	Between $31,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Bremerton, WA	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	Wyoming	Massachusetts
Best paying company	GPAC	Turner Construction
Best paying industry	Automotive	Construction

Differences between steel welder and structural welder education

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

	Steel Welder	Structural Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Steel welder vs structural welder demographics

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

	Steel Welder	Structural Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%
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, 10.1% 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 steel welder and structural 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.

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.

Steel welder vs structural welder skills

Common steel welder skills

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

Common structural welder skills

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