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The differences between welder helpers and tig 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 tig welder. Additionally, a tig welder has an average salary of $38,192, 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 tig welder are tig welding, carbon steel, and GTAW.
| Welder Helper | TIG Welder | |
| Yearly salary | $29,684 | $38,192 |
| Hourly rate | $14.27 | $18.36 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 21,605 | 7,053 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 60% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| 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.
A tungsten inert gas (TIG) welder is someone who assembles and welds metal parts for use in manufacturing or construction projects. The duties and responsibilities of a TIG welder include ensuring the quality of metal parts before assembling them, reading and interpreting blueprints, and observing safety procedures. The requirements to qualify for the position include knowledge of metallurgy, good hand-eye coordination, and good mathematical skills. A high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) certification is the minimum education requirement for the job.
Welder helpers and tig welders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welder Helper | TIG Welder | |
| Average salary | $29,684 | $38,192 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $38,000 | Between $29,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | Tualatin, OR |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Kiewit | Alfa Laval |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Retail |
There are a few differences between a welder helper and a tig welder in terms of educational background:
| Welder Helper | TIG Welder | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 60% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between welder helpers' and tig welders' demographics:
| Welder Helper | TIG Welder | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.1% Female, 7.9% | Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7% |
| 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, 9.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 2.9% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |