Weld lay out worker vs welder operator

The differences between weld lay out workers 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 weld lay out worker and a welder operator. Additionally, a weld lay out worker has an average salary of $42,919, which is higher than the $31,669 average annual salary of a welder operator.

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

Weld lay out worker vs welder operator overview

	Weld Lay Out Worker	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$42,919	$31,669
Hourly rate	$20.63	$15.23
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	25,905	51,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Weld lay out worker vs welder operator salary

Weld lay out workers and welder operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Weld Lay Out Worker	Welder Operator
Average salary	$42,919	$31,669
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $58,000	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 weld lay out worker and welder operator education

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

	Weld Lay Out Worker	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Weld lay out worker vs welder operator demographics

Here are the differences between weld lay out workers' and welder operators' demographics:

	Weld Lay Out Worker	Welder Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 93.4% Female, 6.6%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
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, 10.6% 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 weld lay out worker and welder operator 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.

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.

Weld lay out worker vs welder operator skills

Common weld lay out worker skills

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

Common welder operator skills

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