Steel welder vs welder operator

The differences between steel 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 steel welder and a welder operator. Additionally, a steel welder has an average salary of $36,139, which is higher than the $31,669 average annual salary of a welder operator.

The top three skills for a steel welder include MIG, arc welding and aluminum. The most important skills for a welder operator are MIG, arc welding, and hand tools.

Steel welder vs welder operator overview

	Steel Welder	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$36,139	$31,669
Hourly rate	$17.37	$15.23
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,242	51,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Steel welder vs welder operator salary

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

	Steel Welder	Welder Operator
Average salary	$36,139	$31,669
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $46,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Bremerton, WA	Chicopee, MA
Highest paying state	Wyoming	Wyoming
Best paying company	GPAC	Capco
Best paying industry	Automotive	Automotive

Differences between steel welder and welder operator education

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

	Steel Welder	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Steel welder vs welder operator demographics

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

	Steel Welder	Welder Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
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, 10.6% 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 steel welder and welder operator 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 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.

Steel welder vs welder operator skills

Common steel welder skills

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

Common welder operator skills

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