Welder operator demographics and statistics in the US
Welder operator demographics research summary. Zippia estimates welder operator demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our welder operator estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about welder operators after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 262,743 welder operators currently employed in the United States.
- 14.4% of all welder operators are women, while 85.6% are men.
- The average welder operator age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of welder operators is White (63.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.6%), Black or African American (10.6%) and Unknown (4.0%).
- Welder operators are most in-demand in Steele, AL.
- The automotive industry is the highest-paying for welder operators.
- 3% of all welder operators are LGBT.
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Welder operator demographics by:
Welder operator gender statistics
14.4% of welder operators are women and 85.6% of welder operators are men.
- Male, 85.6%
- Female, 14.4%
Welder operator gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 85.6% |
| Female | 14.4% |
Welder operator gender pay gap
Women earn 90¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$31,485
Female income
$28,235
Welder operator gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in welder operator positions over time. Currently, 14.4% of welder operators are female.
Welder operator gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 85.71% | 14.29% |
| 2011 | 86.01% | 13.99% |
| 2012 | 83.93% | 16.07% |
| 2013 | 85.19% | 14.81% |
| 2014 | 85.64% | 14.36% |
| 2015 | 86.78% | 13.22% |
| 2016 | 86.37% | 13.63% |
| 2017 | 86.01% | 13.99% |
| 2018 | 84.45% | 15.55% |
| 2019 | 83.87% | 16.13% |
| 2020 | 83.96% | 16.04% |
| 2021 | 85.59% | 14.41% |
Welder operator related jobs gender ratio
We compared welder operators with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, head machinist and die repair machinist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Special Process Person | 31% | 69% |
| Welder Operator | 86% | 14% |
| Research And Development Machinist | 99% | 1% |
| Die Repair Machinist | 99% | 1% |
| Head Machinist | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Welder operator demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among welder operators is White, which makes up 63.3% of all welder operators. Comparatively, 17.6% of welder operators are Hispanic or Latino and 10.6% of welder operators are Black or African American.
- White, 63.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.6%
- Black or African American, 10.6%
- Unknown, 4.0%
- Asian, 2.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
Welder operator race
| Welder operator race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 63.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.6% |
| Black or African American | 10.6% |
| Unknown | 4.0% |
| Asian | 2.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.7% |
Welder operator race and ethnicity over time
See how welder operator racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Welder operator race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.07% | 11.38% | 3.24% | 15.30% |
| 2011 | 67.62% | 11.24% | 2.72% | 14.93% |
| 2012 | 67.86% | 11.24% | 2.79% | 14.29% |
| 2013 | 67.44% | 11.21% | 2.84% | 15.46% |
| 2014 | 67.49% | 11.54% | 2.61% | 15.38% |
| 2015 | 66.72% | 11.26% | 2.62% | 16.07% |
| 2016 | 67.11% | 11.46% | 2.77% | 15.46% |
| 2017 | 67.76% | 10.16% | 2.82% | 15.60% |
| 2018 | 67.99% | 10.09% | 2.51% | 15.80% |
| 2019 | 68.29% | 10.25% | 2.81% | 15.44% |
| 2020 | 65.45% | 10.68% | 2.34% | 15.74% |
| 2021 | 63.32% | 10.57% | 2.82% | 17.58% |
Welder operator wage gap by race
According to our data, white welder operators have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american welder operators have the lowest average salary at $30,537.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $31,294 |
| White | $32,062 |
| Black or African American | $30,537 |
| Asian | $31,914 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $31,644 |
Average welder operator age
See how the average age of welder operators varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Welder operator age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 44 | 46.5 |
| Unknown | 36 | 35.5 |
| Asian | 50 | 47 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 47 |
| White | 39 | 37 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 39.5 |
Welder operator age breakdown
The average age of welder operators is 40+ years years old, representing 51% of the welder operator population.
Welder operator age breakdown
| Welder Operator Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 51% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 23% |
Welder operator educational attainment
The most common degree for welder operators is high school diploma, with 50% of welder operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 13%.
- High School Diploma, 50%
- Associate, 17%
- Diploma, 13%
- Bachelor's, 10%
- Other Degrees, 10%
Welder operators by degree level
| Welder operator degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 50% |
| Associate | 17% |
| Diploma | 13% |
| Bachelor's | 10% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
Welder operator jobs you might like
Welder operator wage gap by degree level
According to the data, welder operators with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $33,113 annually. With a Associate degree, welder operators earn a median annual income of $32,212 compared to $31,560 for welder operators with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,560 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,113 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,212 |
Welder operator employment statistics
Most welder operators work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where welder operators work
Below, you can see the size of companies where welder operators work.
Welder operator jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 25% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Welder operator jobs by company type
Employees with the welder operator job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most welder operators prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Welder operator jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 20% |
| Private | 78% |
| Government | 1% |
Welder operator jobs by industry
The most common industries for welder operators are manufacturing, automotive and professional.
Welder operator industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 26% |
| Automotive | 12% |
| Construction | 12% |
| Professional | 12% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Energy | 5% |
| Transportation | 4% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Government | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Welder operator turnover and employment statistics
Welder operator unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for welder operators between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Welder operator unemployment rate by year
| Year | Welder operator unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.84% |
| 2011 | 12.42% |
| 2012 | 10.02% |
| 2013 | 8.95% |
| 2014 | 6.75% |
| 2015 | 6.41% |
| 2016 | 6.74% |
| 2017 | 5.37% |
| 2018 | 4.24% |
| 2019 | 4.83% |
| 2020 | 7.11% |
| 2021 | 6.82% |
Average welder operator tenure
The average welder operator stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,115 welder operators resumes in Zippia's database.
Welder operator tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 33% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Welder operator LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of welder operators that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Welder Operator | 2.57% | - |
| Plastic Tool Maker | 2.99% | 14,497 |
| Injection Machine Operator | 3.20% | 58,188 |
| Die Repair Machinist | 3.26% | 26,311 |
| Cold Mill Operator | 3.27% | 26,938 |
| Machine Tool Operator | 5.87% | 66,471 |
| Key Filer | 6.48% | 9,341 |
Similar welder operator jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic Tool Maker | 2.99% | 14,497 |
| Injection Machine Operator | 3.20% | 58,188 |
| Die Repair Machinist | 3.26% | 26,311 |
| Cold Mill Operator | 3.27% | 26,938 |
| Machine Tool Operator | 5.87% | 66,471 |
| Key Filer | 6.48% | 9,341 |
Foreign languages spoken by welder operators
The most common foreign language among welder operators is Spanish at 69.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Portuguese at 7.7% and Thai is the third-most popular at 7.7%.
- Spanish, 69.2%
- Portuguese, 7.7%
- Thai, 7.7%
- French, 7.7%
- Tagalog, 7.7%
Welder operator languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 69.2% |
| Portuguese | 7.7% |
| Thai | 7.7% |
| French | 7.7% |
| Tagalog | 7.7% |
