Welder-machine operator vs cell operator

The differences between welder-machine operators and cell operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cell operator has an average salary of $37,866, which is higher than the $37,171 average annual salary of a welder-machine operator.

The top three skills for a welder-machine operator include arc welding, safety equipment and stainless steel. The most important skills for a cell operator are hand tools, math, and quality standards.

Welder-machine operator vs cell operator overview

	Welder-Machine Operator	Cell Operator
Yearly salary	$37,171	$37,866
Hourly rate	$17.87	$18.20
Growth rate	-5%	7%
Number of jobs	68,316	66,532
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	40	43
Years of experience	6	-

Welder-machine operator vs cell operator salary

Welder-machine operators and cell operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Welder-Machine Operator	Cell Operator
Average salary	$37,171	$37,866
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $31,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Fontana, CA	Bothell, WA
Highest paying state	Nevada	Washington
Best paying company	BWX Technologies	Cummins
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between welder-machine operator and cell operator education

There are a few differences between a welder-machine operator and a cell operator in terms of educational background:

	Welder-Machine Operator	Cell Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Business
Most common college	Dunwoody College of Technology	-

Welder-machine operator vs cell operator demographics

Here are the differences between welder-machine operators' and cell operators' demographics:

	Welder-Machine Operator	Cell Operator
Average age	40	43
Gender ratio	Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4%	Male, 68.8% Female, 31.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	3%	5%

Differences between welder-machine operator and cell operator duties and responsibilities

Welder-machine operator example responsibilities.

Weld required parts using GMAW, GTAW, and SMAW.
Require to weld a wide veriety of assemblies, fabricate parts and maintain equipment and fixtures employing GMAW and GTAW techniques.
Operate the welding robots and do rework with the MIG welder.
Weld both steel and aluminum pressure tanks for both train and truck air brake systems.
Dismantle metal assemblies and cut scrap metal, using thermal-cutting equipment such as flame-cutting torches or plasma-arc equipment.
Position, align, fit, and weld together parts, using jigs, welding torch, and hand tools.

Cell operator example responsibilities.

Work with QC on parts.
Capture torque data for SPC charts.
Read and implement PC (product criteria).
Work with engineering to make specialty repair parts for hoists.
Adjust CNC machines as needed to ensure that parts are made to spec.
Assist in editing CNC programs and develop new part setups and tooling while working closely with manufacturing engineers.

Welder-machine operator vs cell operator skills

Common welder-machine operator skills

Arc Welding, 7%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Stainless Steel, 6%
CNC, 6%
Tig Welding, 5%
Tape Measure, 5%

Common cell operator skills

Hand Tools, 12%
Math, 10%
Quality Standards, 8%
CNC, 8%
Calipers, 7%
Micrometers, 6%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Welder-Machine Operator
Welder-Machine Operator vs Cell Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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