Wire welder vs combination welder

The differences between wire welders and combination welders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a wire welder and a combination welder. Additionally, a combination welder has an average salary of $45,432, which is higher than the $38,882 average annual salary of a wire welder.

The top three skills for a wire welder include MIG, calipers and FCAW. The most important skills for a combination welder are arc welding, tack, and minor maintenance.

Wire welder vs combination welder overview

	Wire Welder	Combination Welder
Yearly salary	$38,882	$45,432
Hourly rate	$18.69	$21.84
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,282	7,117
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Wire welder vs combination welder salary

Wire welders and combination welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wire Welder	Combination Welder
Average salary	$38,882	$45,432
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $32,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	Bremerton, WA
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	Maxum Enterprises, LLC
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between wire welder and combination welder education

There are a few differences between a wire welder and a combination welder in terms of educational background:

	Wire Welder	Combination Welder
Most common degree	Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Wire welder vs combination welder demographics

Here are the differences between wire welders' and combination welders' demographics:

	Wire Welder	Combination Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%	Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 3.6% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 2.6% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between wire welder and combination welder duties and responsibilities

Wire welder example responsibilities.

Secure loads of 6"to 12"casing , 4"PVC liner and water on service truck.
Operate MIG welder to produce parts and or products.
Certificate courses in any repute institute in MIG welding are favore.
Skil with cutting torch, over head cranes, and welding machine, grinder, and tape measure
Perform MIG and stick welds and erecting structural steel utilize for building skeletons including specific/ detail measurements for accuracy.
Perform preventive maintenance, electronic robotic operation, pneumatic system operation, and initial quality control.

Combination welder example responsibilities.

Fitter-Qualify in SMAW, FCAW, GMAW, as per AWS D1.1.
Repair wrecked tank cars using plasma, torches, welders, and air arc.
Fabricate numerous shop projects using all processes in variety of positions on carbon, aluminum, and stainless.
Assist lead welder in various welding, brazing, grinding, thermal, gouging, and arc cutting operations.
Can position pieces to weld into jigs, holding fixtures, guides and steps using measuring instruments and hand tools.
Assemble or secure pipes, tubes, fittings, specifications, by welding, brazing, soldering, or threading joints.

Wire welder vs combination welder skills

Common wire welder skills

MIG, 51%
Calipers, 14%
FCAW, 13%
Cranes, 10%
Structural Steel, 3%
Assembly Line, 3%

Common combination welder skills

Arc Welding, 14%
Tack, 10%
Minor Maintenance, 7%
MIG, 6%
Gmaw Welding, 5%
Engineering Drawings, 4%