Tack welder vs pipe welder

The differences between tack welders and pipe 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 tack welder and a pipe welder. Additionally, a pipe welder has an average salary of $46,364, which is higher than the $30,795 average annual salary of a tack welder.

The top three skills for a tack welder include tack welding, tape measure and FCAW. The most important skills for a pipe welder are carbon steel, MIG, and hand tools.

Tack welder vs pipe welder overview

	Tack Welder	Pipe Welder
Yearly salary	$30,795	$46,364
Hourly rate	$14.81	$22.29
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,051	7,738
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Tack welder vs pipe welder salary

Tack welders and pipe welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Tack Welder	Pipe Welder
Average salary	$30,795	$46,364
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $40,000	Between $33,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	-	North Kingstown, RI
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Forum Energy Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between tack welder and pipe welder education

There are a few differences between a tack welder and a pipe welder in terms of educational background:

	Tack Welder	Pipe Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Tack welder vs pipe welder demographics

Here are the differences between tack welders' and pipe welders' demographics:

	Tack Welder	Pipe Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8%	Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 2.7% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between tack welder and pipe welder duties and responsibilities

Tack welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Clean room tig welding of semiconductor gas lines.
Heated, form and dresses metal parts using torches or arc welding equipment.
Tack together pipe with tig rig.
Work in prefab assembly line in steal and aluminum shops.
Assist lead welder in welding, brazing and arc cutting activities.

Pipe welder example responsibilities.

Silver solder, TIG, SMAW, GMAW, FCAW weld mild steel stainless steel aluminum and copper nickel respectively.
Weld carbon and stainless steel pipe in position and roll out machines utilizing GTAW, GMAW, FCAW and SMAW processes.
Skil in all types of welding, including MIG, TIG, stick, aluminum and stainless steel.
Work with TIG and MIG welding systems, as well as forklifts and overhead cranes up to 30 tons.
Work safely under OSHA safety and PPE standards.
Used aluminum GMAW for structural supports and some larger fabrications.

Tack welder vs pipe welder skills

Common tack welder skills

Tack Welding, 21%
Tape Measure, 19%
FCAW, 16%
PPE, 9%
Tack-Weld, 6%
Blueprint Specifications, 6%

Common pipe welder skills

Carbon Steel, 16%
MIG, 10%
Hand Tools, 8%
TIG, 6%
SMAW, 6%
GTAW, 6%