Welder apprentice vs welder operator

The differences between welder apprentices 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 welder apprentice and a welder operator. Additionally, a welder apprentice has an average salary of $34,266, which is higher than the $31,669 average annual salary of a welder operator.

The top three skills for a welder apprentice include MIG, hand tools and arc welding. The most important skills for a welder operator are MIG, arc welding, and hand tools.

Welder apprentice vs welder operator overview

	Welder Apprentice	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$34,266	$31,669
Hourly rate	$16.47	$15.23
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	14,044	51,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Welder apprentice vs welder operator salary

Welder apprentices and welder operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Welder Apprentice	Welder Operator
Average salary	$34,266	$31,669
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $43,000	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 welder apprentice and welder operator education

There are a few differences between a welder apprentice and a welder operator in terms of educational background:

	Welder Apprentice	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Welder apprentice vs welder operator demographics

Here are the differences between welder apprentices' and welder operators' demographics:

	Welder Apprentice	Welder Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
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, 10.6% 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 welder apprentice and welder operator duties and responsibilities

Welder apprentice example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Transition from GMAW to GTAW for use on tubular steel and aluminum welding projects.
Experience in utilizing skills in shortarc, Fluxcore, stick and minimal experience in Tig welding.
Operate metal brake, various welding machines, grinders, cutting torches, drills, and portable plasma cutter.
Acquire skill in handling different types of welders and cutting torches and the ability to process from blue prints.
Hook up and set welding SMAW machines.

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.

Welder apprentice vs welder operator skills

Common welder apprentice skills

MIG, 12%
Hand Tools, 9%
Arc Welding, 7%
Brazing, 4%
Tack, 4%
Safety Equipment, 4%

Common welder operator skills

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