Tank welder vs structural welder

The differences between tank welders and structural 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 tank welder and a structural welder. Additionally, a structural welder has an average salary of $42,868, which is higher than the $35,819 average annual salary of a tank welder.

The top three skills for a tank welder include tig welding, carbon steel and ground storage tanks. The most important skills for a structural welder are SMAW, FCAW, and MIG.

Tank welder vs structural welder overview

	Tank Welder	Structural Welder
Yearly salary	$35,819	$42,868
Hourly rate	$17.22	$20.61
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	11,165	9,651
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Tank welder vs structural welder salary

Tank welders and structural welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Tank Welder	Structural Welder
Average salary	$35,819	$42,868
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $50,000	Between $31,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Turner Construction
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between tank welder and structural welder education

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

	Tank Welder	Structural Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Tank welder vs structural welder demographics

Here are the differences between tank welders' and structural welders' demographics:

	Tank Welder	Structural Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.3% Asian, 2.7% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	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%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between tank welder and structural welder duties and responsibilities

Tank welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Fit and weld storage tanks, stacks using see, fcaw, & Gmaw processes
Weld tanks using GMAW process ensuring no leaks in weldments.
Rig and install boiler sections and associate pumps and equipment.
Maintain PPE, proper safety policy, and procedures and keep.
Rig material to be hoist by crane and set into place.

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.

Tank welder vs structural welder skills

Common tank welder skills

Tig Welding, 12%
Carbon Steel, 10%
Ground Storage Tanks, 9%
Cranes, 9%
Arc Welding, 8%
Stainless Steel, 8%

Common structural welder skills

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