Welding lead burner vs welder operator

The differences between welding lead burners and welder operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a welding lead burner and a welder operator. Additionally, a welding lead burner has an average salary of $46,563, which is higher than the $31,669 average annual salary of a welder operator.

The top three skills for a welding lead burner include MIG, plasma arc and safety equipment. The most important skills for a welder operator are MIG, arc welding, and hand tools.

Welding lead burner vs welder operator overview

	Welding Lead Burner	Welder Operator
Yearly salary	$46,563	$31,669
Hourly rate	$22.39	$15.23
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	2,004	51,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Welding lead burner vs welder operator salary

Welding lead burners and welder operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Welding Lead Burner	Welder Operator
Average salary	$46,563	$31,669
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $63,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Chicopee, MA
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	Capco
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between welding lead burner and welder operator education

There are a few differences between a welding lead burner and a welder operator in terms of educational background:

	Welding Lead Burner	Welder Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Welding lead burner vs welder operator demographics

Here are the differences between welding lead burners' and welder operators' demographics:

	Welding Lead Burner	Welder Operator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1%	Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between welding lead burner and welder operator duties and responsibilities

Welding lead burner example responsibilities.

Manage process selection according to material specifications, as well as WPS and PQR.
Change parts on HAAS auto lath and VF model CNC.
Used propane and oxygen torches to cut metal into smaller pieces.
Operate oxygen acetylene torches and plasma cutters.
Develop unit layout and supervise Mumbai for detail design.

Welder operator example responsibilities.

Manage aluminum structural/pipe fabrication turnaround: cross-country CGIT/IPB megawatt electrical power conductors.
Weld carbon steel pipes using GTAW and SMAW.
Weld with (GMAW) on aluminum.
Maintain certifications in SMAW, GMAW, and GTAW.
Perform TIG and MIG welding processes on fabrications according to the blueprints specifications.
Weld heavy industrial clamps together using the MIG and TIG process on AR400 grade steel.

Welding lead burner vs welder operator skills

Common welding lead burner skills

MIG, 23%
Plasma Arc, 15%
Safety Equipment, 14%
Arc Welding, 10%
Overhead Positions, 10%
CNC, 8%

Common welder operator skills

MIG, 12%
Arc Welding, 9%
Hand Tools, 8%
Safety Equipment, 7%
Tig Welding, 6%
GMAW, 5%