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The differences between welders and welder fitters 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 welder fitter. Additionally, a welder has an average salary of $39,696, which is higher than the $39,676 average annual salary of a welder fitter.
The top three skills for a welder include arc welding, aluminum and hand tools. The most important skills for a welder fitter are MIG, hand tools, and arc welding.
| Welder | Welder Fitter | |
| Yearly salary | $39,696 | $39,676 |
| Hourly rate | $19.08 | $19.07 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 9,463 | 8,022 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.25 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 46% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| 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.
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.
Welders and welder fitters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welder | Welder Fitter | |
| Average salary | $39,696 | $39,676 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $28,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Woburn, MA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | California Resources | Jefferson Lab |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between a welder and a welder fitter in terms of educational background:
| Welder | Welder Fitter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 46% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between welders' and welder fitters' demographics:
| Welder | Welder Fitter | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1% | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% |
| 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, 10.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |