Manufacturing51-4121.00Specialization

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

$48,940
Median Pay
Less than 6 months
Training
🟑
AI-Augmented

This is a specialization of

Production Professionals

Career Overview Video

AI Impact Assessment

AI Resilience Score

Score 3/6: low AI task exposure, limited human advantage means AI will assist but humans remain essential

🟑AI-Augmented

How we calculated this:

AI Exposure
Low+2

9% of tasks can be accelerated by AI

Job Growth
Stable+1

+2% projected (2024-2034)

Human Advantage
Weak+0

EPOCH score: 8/25

Total Score3/6
Methodology: v2.0 - GPTs are GPTs / BLS / EPOCH Additive ScoringUpdated: 2026-01-09

Key Responsibilities

  • Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
  • Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
  • Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
  • Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
  • Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.
  • Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
  • Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
  • Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.
  • Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring that there is no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreign matter.
  • Align and clamp workpieces together, using rules, squares, or hand tools, or position items in fixtures, jigs, or vises.

Education & Training

Typical Entry Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Time to Job Ready

0-1 years

Based on Job Zone 2. For formal education duration only, see education_duration.

Technology Skills

Microsoft ExcelERP systemsWelding procedure softwareBlueprint reading toolsQuality documentation systems

Key Abilities

Arm-Hand SteadinessNear VisionProblem SensitivityFinger DexterityManual DexterityControl PrecisionOral ComprehensionDeductive ReasoningSelective AttentionInductive Reasoning

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Compensation Details

$36,830
10th Percentile
$48,940
Median
$72,970
90th Percentile

Based on 421,730 employed workers

Also Known As

Acetylene BurnerAcetylene CutterAcetylene OperatorAcetylene Torch BurnerAcetylene Torch OperatorAcetylene Torch SoldererAluminum WelderArc CutterArc WedlerArc Welder

Data from O*NET 30.1 and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics

O*NET Code: 51-4121.00