Metal Workers and Plastic Workers

How to become a Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender

Official title: Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Also called: Braze Operator, Certified Welder, Fabricator, Finishing Technician (Finishing Tech), Laser Operator, Machine Operator, Mig Welder, Spot Welder, Weld Technician (Weld Tech), Welding Operator

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Metal and plastic workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive 1 year of on-the-job training. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers typically need postsecondary training.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

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

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Welding Machine Operator, Arc.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $47,920 a year The middle half earn $40,560 to $57,390.
About 32,900 people work in this job now, and about 30,000 are projected by 2035. (-8.9%)
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 Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender?

How much does a Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $47,920 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $40,560 to $57,390.

Is a Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 9% by 2035, from about 32,900 to about 30,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender?

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

Will AI change the work of a Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender?

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.