Metal Workers and Plastic Workers

How to become a Welder, Cutter, Solderer or Brazer

Official title: Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Also called: Assembly Line Brazer, Brazer, Fabrication Welder, Maintenance Welder, MIG Welder (Metal Inert Gas Welder), Solderer, TIG Welder (Tungsten Inert Gas Welder), Welder, Welder Fitter, Wirer

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.

Main tasks

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.

How to become one

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, combined with technical and on-the-job training, to enter the occupation.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Welder, Arc.
Apprenticeship: Welder (Existing Title: Welder, Combination).
Apprenticeship: Welder-Fitter.
Licence: A licence is required in 7 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $53,750 a year The middle half earn $46,790 to $63,010.
About 437,700 people work in this job now, and about 448,100 are projected by 2035. (+2.4%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Welder, Cutter, Solderer or Brazer?

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, combined with technical and on-the-job training, to enter the occupation.

How much does a Welder, Cutter, Solderer or Brazer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $53,750 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $46,790 to $63,010.

Is a Welder, Cutter, Solderer or Brazer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 2% by 2035, from about 437,700 to about 448,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Welder, Cutter, Solderer or Brazer?

Usually not. Only 4% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Welder, Arc.

Will AI change the work of a Welder, Cutter, Solderer or Brazer?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.