Welder first class vs combination welder

The differences between welders first class and combination 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 first class and a combination welder. Additionally, a combination welder has an average salary of $45,432, which is higher than the $45,016 average annual salary of a welder first class.

The top three skills for a welder first class include flux core, arc welding and SMAW. The most important skills for a combination welder are arc welding, tack, and minor maintenance.

Welder first class vs combination welder overview

	Welder First Class	Combination Welder
Yearly salary	$45,016	$45,432
Hourly rate	$21.64	$21.84
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	38,450	7,117
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Welder first class vs combination welder salary

Welders first class and combination welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Welder First Class	Combination Welder
Average salary	$45,016	$45,432
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $60,000	Between $32,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	Bremerton, WA
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	Maxum Enterprises, LLC
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between welder first class and combination welder education

There are a few differences between a welder first class and a combination welder in terms of educational background:

	Welder First Class	Combination Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Welder first class vs combination welder demographics

Here are the differences between welders first class' and combination welders' demographics:

	Welder First Class	Combination Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3%	Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 2.6% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between welder first class and combination welder duties and responsibilities

Welder first class example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Programme and operate automatic GTAW, and GMAW machines.
Fuse metals together using GMAW and FCAW processes within code guidelines.
Apply repairs to various types of vessels, utilizing FCAW, and SMAW processes.
Operate brazing and soldering equipment.
Train in tig and stick pipe welding.

Combination welder example responsibilities.

Fitter-Qualify in SMAW, FCAW, GMAW, as per AWS D1.1.
Repair wrecked tank cars using plasma, torches, welders, and air arc.
Fabricate numerous shop projects using all processes in variety of positions on carbon, aluminum, and stainless.
Assist lead welder in various welding, brazing, grinding, thermal, gouging, and arc cutting operations.
Can position pieces to weld into jigs, holding fixtures, guides and steps using measuring instruments and hand tools.
Assemble or secure pipes, tubes, fittings, specifications, by welding, brazing, soldering, or threading joints.

Welder first class vs combination welder skills

Common welder first class skills

Flux Core, 9%
Arc Welding, 8%
SMAW, 6%
FCAW, 5%
GMAW, 5%
Stainless Steel, 5%

Common combination welder skills

Arc Welding, 14%
Tack, 10%
Minor Maintenance, 7%
MIG, 6%
Gmaw Welding, 5%
Engineering Drawings, 4%

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Welder First Class
Welder First Class vs Combination Welder

Updated January 8, 2025

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