Life As a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter
Position 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.
What Do Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters Do On a Daily Basis?
- Preheat workpieces prior to welding or bending, using torches or heating furnaces.
- Clean or degrease parts, using wire brushes, portable grinders, or chemical baths.
- Estimate materials needed for production and manufacturing and maintain required stocks of materials.
- Repair products by dismantling, straightening, reshaping, and reassembling parts, using cutting torches, straightening presses, and hand tools.
- Remove rough spots from workpieces, using portable grinders, hand files, or scrapers.
- Ignite torches or start power supplies and strike arcs by touching electrodes to metals being welded, completing electrical circuits.
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Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter Needed Skills
Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
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.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Types of Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter
- Oxyacetylene Torch Operator
- Fitter/Welder
- TIG Welder (Tungsten Inert Gas Welder)
- Retrofit Welder
- Welder Operator
Are There Job Opportunities 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. The BLS estimates 45,800 yearly job openings in this field.
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.
Average Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters Salary
The salary for Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters ranges between about $28,560 and $63,740 a year.
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 |
What Tools do Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters Use?
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
How to Become a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter
Individuals working as a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter have obtained the following education levels:
What work experience do I need to become a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter?
Who Employs Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters?
Below are examples of industries where Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters work:
Related Careers
Those interested in being a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter may also be interested in:
Those who work as a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
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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