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The differences between welding engineers and welders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a welding engineer has an average salary of $84,923, which is higher than the $39,696 average annual salary of a welder.
The top three skills for a welding engineer include arc welding, GMAW and GTAW. The most important skills for a welder are arc welding, aluminum, and hand tools.
| Welding Engineer | Welder | |
| Yearly salary | $84,923 | $39,696 |
| Hourly rate | $40.83 | $19.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 39,405 | 9,463 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.25 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A welding engineer is responsible for planning and monitoring welding projects and assisting the welding team by facilitating procedures and analyzing designs for construction. Welding engineers consult with the clients for their needs and requirements, including their budget limitations, to identify cost-efficient resources with high-quality standards. They also conduct quality control processes and define failure sources for an immediate resolution to avoid potential hazards and operational delays. A welding engineer must have excellent communication and analytical skills, especially in measuring the scope of the project and meet deadlines efficiently.
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.
Welding engineers and welders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welding Engineer | Welder | |
| Average salary | $84,923 | $39,696 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $138,000 | Between $29,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Houston, TX | Woburn, MA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | T.D. Williamson | California Resources |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a welding engineer and a welder in terms of educational background:
| Welding Engineer | Welder | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Industrial Technology | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | University of Washington | - |
Here are the differences between welding engineers' and welders' demographics:
| Welding Engineer | Welder | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7% | Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 13.3% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 3% |