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The differences between welder apprentices 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 welder apprentice and a structural welder. Additionally, a structural welder has an average salary of $42,868, which is higher than the $34,266 average annual salary of a welder apprentice.
The top three skills for a welder apprentice include MIG, hand tools and arc welding. The most important skills for a structural welder are SMAW, FCAW, and MIG.
| Welder Apprentice | Structural Welder | |
| Yearly salary | $34,266 | $42,868 |
| Hourly rate | $16.47 | $20.61 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 14,044 | 9,651 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A welder apprentice analyzes engineering specifications and engineering drawings to plan layout and assembly welding operations. Besides using rulers, calipers, combination squares, and straight edges to secure, position, and layout parts and assemblies as per the assignment specifications, welder apprentices also perform their duties based on established safety procedures and quality standards. They use arc welding, gas welding, electric welding, and other welding forms to weld and track-weld assemblies and different components. Moreover, a welder apprentice uses precision measuring instruments, calipers, and micrometers to find gap variance.
The job of structural welders is to design, layout, and fabricate the metal framework for industrial and commercial buildings. They work for a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, shipbuilding, and construction. Their duties and responsibilities include testing welding and safety equipment, cutting, assembling, repairing building components such as girders and beams, and checking for gap and angle allowances. They either use manual or automated equipment to perform some of these tasks, such as power saws for cutting metals. Structural welders are also responsible for assessing the condition of the equipment.
Welder apprentices and structural welders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welder Apprentice | Structural Welder | |
| Average salary | $34,266 | $42,868 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $43,000 | Between $31,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Turner Construction |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a welder apprentice and a structural welder in terms of educational background:
| Welder Apprentice | Structural Welder | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between welder apprentices' and structural welders' demographics:
| Welder Apprentice | Structural Welder | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% | Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 61.4% 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% |