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The differences between welder fitters and lead 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 fitter and a lead welder. Additionally, a lead welder has an average salary of $45,718, which is higher than the $39,676 average annual salary of a welder fitter.
The top three skills for a welder fitter include MIG, hand tools and arc welding. The most important skills for a lead welder are aluminum, stainless steel, and safety equipment.
| Welder Fitter | Lead Welder | |
| Yearly salary | $39,676 | $45,718 |
| Hourly rate | $19.07 | $21.98 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 8,022 | 8,274 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A Lead Welder inspects welds to ensure that code and quality control standards are met. They also test and inspect welded surfaces and structures to discover flaws.
Welder fitters and lead welders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welder Fitter | Lead Welder | |
| Average salary | $39,676 | $45,718 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $55,000 | Between $33,000 And $62,000 |
| 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 fitter and a lead welder in terms of educational background:
| Welder Fitter | Lead Welder | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between welder fitters' and lead welders' demographics:
| Welder Fitter | Lead Welder | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% | Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1% |
| 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, 9.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.9% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |