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The differences between welder helpers and structural 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 helper and a structural welder. Additionally, a structural welder has an average salary of $42,868, which is higher than the $29,684 average annual salary of a welder helper.
The top three skills for a welder helper include grind welds, MIG and grinders. The most important skills for a structural welder are SMAW, FCAW, and MIG.
| Welder Helper | Structural Welder | |
| Yearly salary | $29,684 | $42,868 |
| Hourly rate | $14.27 | $20.61 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 21,605 | 9,651 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 60% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A welder helper's role is to perform support tasks for lead welders at a construction site or similar setting. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around setting up and preparing rigs, operating devices and tools, maintaining the workspace's cleanliness, and following orders from lead welders. There may also be instances where a welder helper must pre-heat materials, lift heavy objects, participate in loading and unloading packages, and ensure that the welders are equipped with the necessary tools. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with managers and adhere to the site's safety regulations and policies.
The job of structural welders is to design, layout, and fabricate the metal framework for industrial and commercial buildings. They work for a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, shipbuilding, and construction. Their duties and responsibilities include testing welding and safety equipment, cutting, assembling, repairing building components such as girders and beams, and checking for gap and angle allowances. They either use manual or automated equipment to perform some of these tasks, such as power saws for cutting metals. Structural welders are also responsible for assessing the condition of the equipment.
Welder helpers and structural welders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welder Helper | Structural Welder | |
| Average salary | $29,684 | $42,868 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $38,000 | Between $31,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Kiewit | Turner Construction |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a welder helper and a structural welder in terms of educational background:
| Welder Helper | Structural Welder | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 60% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between welder helpers' and structural welders' demographics:
| Welder Helper | Structural Welder | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.1% Female, 7.9% | Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 26.0% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |