Tack welder vs welder operator

The differences between tack 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 tack welder and a welder operator. Additionally, a welder operator has an average salary of $31,669, 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 welder operator are MIG, arc welding, and hand tools.

Tack welder vs welder operator overview

	Tack Welder	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$30,795	$31,669
Hourly rate	$14.81	$15.23
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,051	51,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Tack welder vs welder operator salary

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

	Tack Welder	Welder Operator
Average salary	$30,795	$31,669
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $40,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Chicopee, MA
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	Capco
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between tack welder and welder operator education

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

	Tack Welder	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Tack welder vs welder operator demographics

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

	Tack Welder	Welder Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
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, 10.6% 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 tack welder and welder operator 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.

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.

Tack welder vs welder operator skills

Common tack welder skills

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

Common welder operator skills

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