How to become a welder or related machine operator
Official title: Welders and related machine operators
Also called: Welder, Arc welder, Gas welder, Rig welder, Lead welder, Spot welder, Tack welder, Wire welder, Cable welder, Metal welder, Torch welder, Boiler welder
Welders operate welding equipment to weld ferrous and non-ferrous metals. This unit group also includes machine operators who operate previously set up production welding, brazing and soldering equipment. They are employed by companies that manufacture structural steel and platework, boilers, heavy machinery, aircraft and ships and other metal products, and by welding contractors and welding shops, or they may be self-employed. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main tasks
- Welders
- Read and interpret blueprints or welding process specifications
- Operate manual or semi-automatic welding equipment to fuse metal segments using processes such as gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), plasma arc welding (PAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), oxy-acetylene welding (OAW), resistance welding and submerged arc welding (SAW)
- Operate manual or semi-automatic flame-cutting equipment
- Operate brazing and soldering equipment
- Operate metal shaping machines such as brakes, shears and other metal straightening and bending machines
- Repair worn parts of metal products by welding on extra layers
- Welders may specialize in certain types of welding such as custom fabrication, ship building and repair, aerospace precision welding, pressure vessel welding, pipeline construction welding, structural construction welding, or machinery and equipment repair welding
How to become one
Welders Completion of secondary school is usually required. Completion of a three-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over three years of work experience in the trade and some college or industry courses in welding is usually required to be eligible for trade certification. Trade certification is compulsory in Alberta and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the territories. Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified welders upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination. Welding, brazing and soldering machine operators Some secondary school education is required. Several months of on-the-job training are usually provided. Experience as a machine operator helper may be required. Experience with robotics may be required.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Red Seal trade. Completion of a three-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over three years of work experience in the trade and some college or industry courses in welding is usually required to be eligible for trade certification. Red Seal endorsement is available. Apprenticeships are run by each province and territory.
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $58,500 a year The middle half earn $48,750 to $76,050.
- About 90,900 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 96,500 are projected by 2033. (+6.2%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: moderate risk of shortage.
Related jobs
- Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
- Tool and die makers
- Sheet metal workers
- Boilermakers
- Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
- Ironworkers
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Questions people ask
How do I become a welder or related machine operator?
Welders Completion of secondary school is usually required. Completion of a three-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over three years of work experience in the trade and some college or industry courses in welding is usually required to be eligible for trade certification. Trade certification is compulsory in Alberta and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the territories. Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified welders upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination. Welding, brazing and soldering machine operators Some secondary school education is required. Several months of on-the-job training are usually provided. Experience as a machine operator helper may be required. Experience with robotics may be required.
How much does a welder or related machine operator earn in Canada?
Median full-time pay is $58,500 a year (Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank)). The middle half earn $48,750 to $76,050.
Is a welder or related machine operator a growing career in Canada?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2033, from about 90,900 to about 96,500 people (Employment and Social Development Canada).
Do you need a degree to become a welder or related machine operator?
Usually not. Only 3% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Red Seal trade.
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03