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The differences between welders 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 and a structural welder. Additionally, a structural welder has an average salary of $42,868, which is higher than the $39,696 average annual salary of a welder.
The top three skills for a welder include arc welding, aluminum and hand tools. The most important skills for a structural welder are SMAW, FCAW, and MIG.
| Welder | Structural Welder | |
| Yearly salary | $39,696 | $42,868 |
| Hourly rate | $19.08 | $20.61 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 9,463 | 9,651 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.25 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 46% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Welders are skilled workers who primarily work on metals and other metalworks. One of the most commonly known activities that welders do is fusing materials that are made of metal. They usually work on buildings, large pipes, and cars. They also fix holes or any other imperfection on metal materials. They do these by applying heat using welding torches or any other special tools that they have. Welders are also responsible for studying blueprints related to the items they will work on, ensuring that all needed materials are available, practicing occupational safety and health protocols, and maintaining the welding tools they use.
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.
Welders and structural welders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welder | Structural Welder | |
| Average salary | $39,696 | $42,868 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $31,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Woburn, MA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | California Resources | Turner Construction |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Construction |
There are a few differences between a welder and a structural welder in terms of educational background:
| Welder | Structural Welder | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 46% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between welders' and structural welders' demographics:
| Welder | Structural Welder | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1% | Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 3.0% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% | 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% |