Steel welder vs welder-assembler

The differences between steel welders and welder-assemblers 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 welder-assembler. Additionally, a steel welder has an average salary of $36,139, which is higher than the $33,580 average annual salary of a welder-assembler.

The top three skills for a steel welder include MIG, arc welding and aluminum. The most important skills for a welder-assembler are MIG, blueprint specifications, and aluminum.

Steel welder vs welder-assembler overview

	Steel Welder	Welder-Assembler
Yearly salary	$36,139	$33,580
Hourly rate	$17.37	$16.14
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,242	26,070
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Steel welder vs welder-assembler salary

Steel welders and welder-assemblers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Steel Welder	Welder-Assembler
Average salary	$36,139	$33,580
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $46,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Bremerton, WA	-
Highest paying state	Wyoming	-
Best paying company	GPAC	-
Best paying industry	Automotive	-

Differences between steel welder and welder-assembler education

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

	Steel Welder	Welder-Assembler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Steel welder vs welder-assembler demographics

Here are the differences between steel welders' and welder-assemblers' demographics:

	Steel Welder	Welder-Assembler
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%	Male, 86.9% Female, 13.1%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between steel welder and welder-assembler 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.

Welder-assembler example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Perform welding duties with GMAW, to weld shoot beads on mild steel.
Start on CNC machine operator, to head welding/assembly.
Operate welding machines, soldering machines and brazing machines.
Weld aircraft parts, inspect parts, assemble parts for furnace brazing.
Cut various pieces out of stock using band saws, torches, and plasma cutters.

Steel welder vs welder-assembler skills

Common steel welder skills

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

Common welder-assembler skills

MIG, 17%
Blueprint Specifications, 7%
Aluminum, 7%
Stainless Steel, 6%
Safety Equipment, 5%
Tig Welding, 4%