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The differences between welder apprentices and welder fitters 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 welder fitter. Additionally, a welder fitter has an average salary of $39,676, 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 welder fitter are MIG, hand tools, and arc welding.
| Welder Apprentice | Welder Fitter | |
| Yearly salary | $34,266 | $39,676 |
| Hourly rate | $16.47 | $19.07 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 14,044 | 8,022 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| 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.
A Welder Fitter specializes in manipulating steel, aluminum, and other materials into various industries' structural forms. The majority of a welder's responsibilities are mostly manual work, which can have risks as they use torches or lasers for their daily tasks, and there are also instances when they have to climb high structures. Furthermore, a Welder Fitter must have keen attention to detail and communication skills as they must coordinate with fellow workers most of the time.
Welder apprentices and welder fitters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welder Apprentice | Welder Fitter | |
| Average salary | $34,266 | $39,676 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $43,000 | Between $28,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Jefferson Lab |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a welder apprentice and a welder fitter in terms of educational background:
| Welder Apprentice | Welder Fitter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between welder apprentices' and welder fitters' demographics:
| Welder Apprentice | Welder Fitter | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% |
| 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, 10.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |