Wire welder vs lead welder

The differences between wire welders and lead 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 lead welder. Additionally, a lead welder has an average salary of $45,718, 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 lead welder are aluminum, stainless steel, and safety equipment.

Wire welder vs lead welder overview

	Wire Welder	Lead Welder
Yearly salary	$38,882	$45,718
Hourly rate	$18.69	$21.98
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,282	8,274
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Wire welder vs lead welder salary

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

	Wire Welder	Lead Welder
Average salary	$38,882	$45,718
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $33,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between wire welder and lead welder education

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

	Wire Welder	Lead Welder
Most common degree	Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Wire welder vs lead welder demographics

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

	Wire Welder	Lead Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%	Male, 95.9% Female, 4.1%
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, 9.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.9% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between wire welder and lead 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.

Lead welder example responsibilities.

Create weekly work schedules, process payroll information, manage inventory counts and job cost for each project.
Certify in restaurant grade stainless steel and aluminum TIG welding, carbon stick welding and stainless and carbon MIG welding.
Weld with solid wire (GMAW), flux core (FCAW) and stick (SMAW).
Used MIG and TIG welding to fit electrical and mechanical components.
Execute daily operations of MIG, and TIG welding, and rework welding.
Develop and record documentation for PQR's and WPS's.

Wire welder vs lead welder skills

Common wire welder skills

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

Common lead welder skills

Aluminum, 7%
Stainless Steel, 7%
Safety Equipment, 6%
Blueprint Specifications, 5%
GMAW, 5%
Tig Welding, 5%