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What Do Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter Do?
Occupation Description Use hand-welding or flame-cutting equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
Daily Life Of a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter
- Lay out, position, align, and secure parts and assemblies prior to assembly, using straightedges, combination squares, calipers, and rulers.
- Check grooves, angles, or gap allowances, using micrometers, calipers, and precision measuring instruments.
- Repair products by dismantling, straightening, reshaping, and reassembling parts, using cutting torches, straightening presses, and hand tools.
- Set up and use ladders and scaffolding as necessary to complete work.
- Connect and turn regulator valves to activate and adjust gas flow and pressure so that desired flames are obtained.
- Analyze engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders, and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly, and welding operations.
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Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter Required Skills
These are the skills Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters say are the most useful in their careers:
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Basin Finish Operator-Tig Welder
- Fitter-Welder
- Welder-Assembler
- Scrap Cutter
- Mechanic/Welder
Is There Going to be Demand for Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 404,800 jobs in the United States for Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 22,500 new jobs for Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 45,800 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter are Rhode Island, Utah, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Maine, or Ohio. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter Average Salary
The average yearly salary of a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter ranges between $28,560 and $63,740.
Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters who work in Alaska, District of Columbia, or Hawaii, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $41,050 |
| Alaska | $67,330 |
| Arizona | $43,150 |
| Arkansas | $40,340 |
| California | $46,560 |
| Colorado | $50,300 |
| Connecticut | $52,920 |
| Delaware | $52,180 |
| District of Columbia | $60,780 |
| Florida | $39,660 |
| Georgia | $37,500 |
| Hawaii | $59,120 |
| Idaho | $37,740 |
| Illinois | $42,960 |
| Indiana | $40,900 |
| Iowa | $39,240 |
| Kansas | $43,830 |
| Kentucky | $39,640 |
| Louisiana | $52,810 |
| Maine | $48,220 |
| Maryland | $50,550 |
| Massachusetts | $53,060 |
| Michigan | $39,670 |
| Minnesota | $45,490 |
| Mississippi | $44,350 |
| Missouri | $40,580 |
| Montana | $44,310 |
| Nebraska | $41,850 |
| Nevada | $48,700 |
| New Hampshire | $48,340 |
| New Jersey | $47,050 |
| New Mexico | $54,240 |
| New York | $48,040 |
| North Carolina | $41,470 |
| North Dakota | $50,860 |
| Ohio | $41,380 |
| Oklahoma | $46,040 |
| Oregon | $45,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,630 |
| Rhode Island | $51,000 |
| South Carolina | $43,960 |
| South Dakota | $38,420 |
| Tennessee | $40,780 |
| Texas | $46,140 |
| Utah | $45,210 |
| Vermont | $43,210 |
| Virginia | $46,360 |
| Washington | $51,230 |
| West Virginia | $48,150 |
| Wisconsin | $43,490 |
| Wyoming | $60,960 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- IBM Notes
- Recordkeeping software
- Scientific Software Group Filter Drain FD
Becoming a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter
What education is needed to be a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter?
What work experience do I need to become a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter?
Where Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters Work
The table below shows the approximate number of Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters employed by various industries.
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: US Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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