Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

ManufacturingO*NET 51-4122.00United States

Set up, operate, or tend welding, soldering, or brazing machines or robots that weld, braze, solder, or heat treat metal products, components, or assemblies. Includes workers who operate laser cutters or laser-beam machines.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $47,654
Projected change: −6.7%
Typical education: High school diploma or less
Employment: 35.32K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
Record operational information on specified production reports.
Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements, as necessary.
Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.
Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.
Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.
Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines.
Assemble, align, and clamp workpieces into holding fixtures to bond, heat-treat, or solder fabricated metal components.
Conduct trial runs before welding, soldering, or brazing, and make necessary adjustments to equipment.
Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.
Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use.
Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments and hand tools.
Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, and hand tools.
Remove completed workpieces or parts from machinery, using hand tools.
Observe meters, gauges, or machine operations to ensure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications.
Transfer components, metal products, or assemblies, using moving equipment.
Devise or build fixtures or jigs used to hold parts in place during welding, brazing, or soldering.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $36,156
25th percentile: $40,079
50th percentile: $47,654
75th percentile: $57,630
90th percentile: $67,794

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $47,654 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−6.7%projected to decline

202535,324 jobs

2035 projected32,965 jobs

2,359 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less: 53.8%
Certificate: 35.8%
Some college: 10.4%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Welding
Fabrication
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding
Grinding Machine
Sheet Metal
Blueprinting
Calipers
Sawing
Blueprint Reading
Hand Tools
Lifting Ability
American Welding Society Codes
Soldering
Machinery
Machining
Engineering Drawings
Welding Equipment
Tape Measure
Composite Materials

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Equipment Selection: Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Structural Fitters171 postings
02Welding Technicians165 postings
03Fabricators163 postings
04Welders159 postings
05Fitters134 postings
06Composite Technicians77 postings
07Structures Mechanics75 postings
08Welding Instructors66 postings
09Fitters/Fabricators65 postings
10Metal Fabricators53 postings
11Structural Technicians52 postings
12Fabrication Specialists45 postings
13Operators38 postings
14Aluminum Welders36 postings
15Inspectors36 postings
16Blasters35 postings
17Mechanics35 postings
18Field Trainers34 postings
19Field Operators33 postings
20Builders32 postings

Top employers

01PDS Tech940 postings
02Aerotek648 postings
03Sabre Industries61 postings
04RTX58 postings
05Wellborn Cabinet58 postings
06Comfama40 postings
07The Structures Company36 postings
08GPAC32 postings
09Express Employment Professionals30 postings
10General Dynamics29 postings
11Silgan Holdings Inc26 postings
12Adecco24 postings
13At Precision24 postings
14Pratt & Whitney22 postings
15Cpp Syracuse21 postings
16United States Department of Defense20 postings
17Belcan19 postings
18Jabil18 postings
19John Crane18 postings
20Siemens Energy18 postings

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