Welding, soldering and brazing workers use heat to melt and fuse separate pieces of metal together. Careers in this industry are fast-paced and demanding, and they can be very rewarding for those who enjoy working with their hands.
Welders need manual dexterity, excellent hand-eye coordination and good vision. If you are in good physical shape and enjoy hands-on, detail-oriented projects, search for training in welding and machinery. Be on your way to an exciting metalworking career today.
Career Opportunities
Skilled welders choose and set up the welding equipment, perform the weld, and then examine it to make sure that the weld was done correctly and meets specifications. Within all the metalworking careers, arc welding is the most common operation performed, but there are approximately 100 different types of welding that can be done by trained metalworkers.
Additional metalworking careers include machinists, machine setters and operators, tool and die makers, sheet metal workers, and boilermakers. Professionals in other electrical and electronic careers can also benefit from welding training because they often assemble parts using soldering.
Salary Range and Growth Expectations
In May 2004, average hourly earnings of welders were $14.72. According the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for welders as a whole should continue to grow. However, demand for low-skilled welders should decrease dramatically as many companies move toward automation.
This decline will be partially balanced out by the fact that the demand for skilled welders and machine workers with formal training should increase because the more intricate work cannot be automated.
Welding Schools and Machine Trade Schools
An increasing need for highly skilled welders ensures that those with formal training will have a better chance of getting the position they desire. The lowest levels of welding and machine trade jobs can be performed with only a few weeks of machinist school or on-the-job training. However, those with less training are not able to work with different materials or make decisions like those with more metalworking training and can only perform the most routine of tasks.
Additional recognized training and experience is required for the more skilled welding positions. Machine and metalworkers with these qualifications can perform many more aspects of the positions and may also be trained to work in a larger variety of materials.