Tank welder vs welder helper

The differences between tank welders and welder helpers 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 welder helper. Additionally, a tank welder has an average salary of $35,819, which is higher than the $29,684 average annual salary of a welder helper.

The top three skills for a tank welder include tig welding, carbon steel and ground storage tanks. The most important skills for a welder helper are grind welds, MIG, and grinders.

Tank welder vs welder helper overview

	Tank Welder	Welder Helper
Yearly salary	$35,819	$29,684
Hourly rate	$17.22	$14.27
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	11,165	21,605
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 60%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Tank welder vs welder helper salary

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

	Tank Welder	Welder Helper
Average salary	$35,819	$29,684
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $50,000	Between $22,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Bakersfield, CA
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	Kiewit
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between tank welder and welder helper education

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

	Tank Welder	Welder Helper
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 60%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Tank welder vs welder helper demographics

Here are the differences between tank welders' and welder helpers' demographics:

	Tank Welder	Welder Helper
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%	Male, 92.1% Female, 7.9%
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, 8.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 26.0% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between tank welder and welder helper 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.

Welder helper example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Weld structural material including carbon steel and stainless steel using SMAW, and MIG processes.
Perform welder duties using SMAW, PAC, GMAW, oxy-fuel cutting, and GTAW processes.
Work on vessels welding using SMAW and FCAW
Can also Tig weld and use the process FCAW
Perform welder helper duties using electric, oxyacetylene, MIG and TIG welding processes.

Tank welder vs welder helper skills

Common tank welder skills

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

Common welder helper skills

Grind Welds, 10%
MIG, 9%
Grinders, 9%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Arc Welding, 7%
GMAW, 6%