Structural welder vs welder-assembler

The differences between structural 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 structural welder and a welder-assembler. Additionally, a structural welder has an average salary of $42,868, which is higher than the $33,580 average annual salary of a welder-assembler.

The top three skills for a structural welder include SMAW, FCAW and MIG. The most important skills for a welder-assembler are MIG, blueprint specifications, and aluminum.

Structural welder vs welder-assembler overview

	Structural Welder	Welder-Assembler
Yearly salary	$42,868	$33,580
Hourly rate	$20.61	$16.14
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	9,651	26,070
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Structural welder vs welder-assembler salary

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

	Structural Welder	Welder-Assembler
Average salary	$42,868	$33,580
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $58,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Philadelphia, PA	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	Turner Construction	-
Best paying industry	Construction	-

Differences between structural welder and welder-assembler education

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

	Structural Welder	Welder-Assembler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Structural welder vs welder-assembler demographics

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

	Structural Welder	Welder-Assembler
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%	Male, 86.9% Female, 13.1%
Race ratio	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%	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 structural welder and welder-assembler duties and responsibilities

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.

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.

Structural welder vs welder-assembler skills

Common structural welder skills

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

Common welder-assembler skills

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