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

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$47060	3200	-9.0%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$47060

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

3200

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

-9.0%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Related Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Detailed Work Activities

Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
Operate welding equipment.
Load materials into production equipment.
Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
Direct operational or production activities.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Record operational or production data.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
Assemble metal or plastic parts or products.
Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
Lay out parts to prepare for assembly.
Conduct test runs of production equipment.
Solder parts or workpieces.
Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
Select production equipment according to product specifications.
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
Reshape metal workpieces to established specifications.
Operate grinding equipment.
Operate cutting equipment.
Clean production equipment.
Maintain production or processing equipment.
Lubricate production equipment.
Adjust equipment controls to regulate gas flow.
Adjust flow of electricity to tools or production equipment.
Design tools, fixtures, or other devices for production equipment.
Assemble machine tools, parts, or fixtures.
Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.
Apply solutions to production equipment.
Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
Heat material or workpieces to prepare for or complete production.
Immerse objects or workpieces in cleaning or coating solutions.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

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.
Record operational information on specified production reports.
Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.
Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements, as necessary.
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.
Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.
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.
Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use.
Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, and hand tools.
Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments 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.
Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces.
Tend auxiliary equipment used in welding processes.
Compute and record settings for new work, applying knowledge of metal properties, principles of welding, and shop mathematics.
Anneal finished workpieces to relieve internal stress.
Load or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components.
Fill hoppers and position spouts to direct flow of flux or manually brush flux onto seams of workpieces.
Start, monitor, and adjust robotic welding production lines.
Dress electrodes, using tip dressers, files, emery cloths, or dressing wheels.
Immerse completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and clean components.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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