Welder-assembler vs combo welder

The differences between welder-assemblers and combo 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-assembler and a combo welder. Additionally, a combo welder has an average salary of $46,985, which is higher than the $33,580 average annual salary of a welder-assembler.

The top three skills for a welder-assembler include MIG, blueprint specifications and aluminum. The most important skills for a combo welder are GMAW, FCAW, and arc welding.

Welder-assembler vs combo welder overview

	Welder-Assembler	Combo Welder
Yearly salary	$33,580	$46,985
Hourly rate	$16.14	$22.59
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	26,070	8,266
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Welder-assembler vs combo welder salary

Welder-assemblers and combo welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Welder-Assembler	Combo Welder
Average salary	$33,580	$46,985
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $43,000	Between $34,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	Olympia, WA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	SpaceX
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between welder-assembler and combo welder education

There are a few differences between a welder-assembler and a combo welder in terms of educational background:

	Welder-Assembler	Combo Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Welder-assembler vs combo welder demographics

Here are the differences between welder-assemblers' and combo welders' demographics:

	Welder-Assembler	Combo Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 86.9% Female, 13.1%	Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8%
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, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 25.2% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between welder-assembler and combo welder duties and responsibilities

Welder-assembler example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Perform welding duties with GMAW, to weld shoot beads on mild steel.
Start on CNC machine operator, to head welding/assembly.
Operate welding machines, soldering machines and brazing machines.
Weld aircraft parts, inspect parts, assemble parts for furnace brazing.
Cut various pieces out of stock using band saws, torches, and plasma cutters.

Combo welder example responsibilities.

Certify GTAW & GMAW welding on aluminum casting in a production shop.
Weld structure and pipe FCAW and TIG (carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum).
Perform full penetration welds with SMAW and flux core welding applications.
Have supervised a team of at least 6 skil TIG and MIG welders.
Start and complete x-ray welds correctly the first time using the GTAW and SMAW weld processes.
Certify SMAW & GTAW on boiler tube and heaters; blueprint reading and fitting on the boiler construction.

Welder-assembler vs combo welder skills

Common welder-assembler skills

MIG, 17%
Blueprint Specifications, 7%
Aluminum, 7%
Stainless Steel, 6%
Safety Equipment, 5%
Tig Welding, 4%

Common combo welder skills

GMAW, 13%
FCAW, 10%
Arc Welding, 8%
Engineering Drawings, 7%
Carbon Steel, 7%
MIG, 5%