Weld lay out worker vs structural welder

The differences between weld lay out workers 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 weld lay out worker and a structural welder. Additionally, a weld lay out worker has an average salary of $42,919, which is higher than the $42,868 average annual salary of a structural welder.

The top three skills for a weld lay out worker include arc welding, flame cutting and safety equipment. The most important skills for a structural welder are SMAW, FCAW, and MIG.

Weld lay out worker vs structural welder overview

	Weld Lay Out Worker	Structural Welder
Yearly salary	$42,919	$42,868
Hourly rate	$20.63	$20.61
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	25,905	9,651
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Weld lay out worker vs structural welder salary

Weld lay out workers and structural welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Weld Lay Out Worker	Structural Welder
Average salary	$42,919	$42,868
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $58,000	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 weld lay out worker and structural welder education

There are a few differences between a weld lay out worker and a structural welder in terms of educational background:

	Weld Lay Out Worker	Structural Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Weld lay out worker vs structural welder demographics

Here are the differences between weld lay out workers' and structural welders' demographics:

	Weld Lay Out Worker	Structural Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 93.4% Female, 6.6%	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%
Race ratio	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%	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 weld lay out worker and structural welder duties and responsibilities

Weld lay out worker example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Prepare surfaces for painting; applies primer, intermediate, and finish coats with brush, or roller.
Utilize a wide variety of hand and air tools, oxy-acetylene welding and cutting tools during equipment repair and rebuilding.
Perform MIG and stick welds and erecting structural steel utilize for building skeletons including specific/ detail measurements for accuracy.
Combine welding techniques, knowledge of metallurgy and engineering requirements to produce quality work.

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.

Weld lay out worker vs structural welder skills

Common weld lay out worker skills

Arc Welding, 44%
Flame Cutting, 27%
Safety Equipment, 5%
TIG, 3%
GMAW, 3%
SMAW, 3%

Common structural welder skills

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

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Weld Lay Out Worker
Weld Lay Out Worker vs Structural Welder

Updated January 8, 2025

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