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?
- Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
- Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring that there is no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreign matter.
- Melt lead bars, wire, or scrap to add lead to joints or to extrude melted scrap into reusable form.
- Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
- Dismantle metal assemblies or cut scrap metal, using thermal-cutting equipment, such as flame-cutting torches or plasma-arc equipment.
- Monitor the fitting, burning, and welding processes to avoid overheating of parts or warping, shrinking, distortion, or expansion of material.
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Skills Needed to be a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter
Below is a list of the skills most Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters say are important on the job.
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.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Getter Welder
- Welder-Fitter
- Journeyman Pipe Welder
- Flame Burner
- Mechanic/Welder
Job Demand for Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters
There were about 404,800 jobs for Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter in 2016 (in the United States). 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.
Salary for a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter
The typical yearly salary for Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters is somewhere between $28,560 and $63,740.
Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters who work in Alaska, District of Columbia, or Hawaii, make the highest salaries.
How much do Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters make in each U.S. state?
| 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
Learn what Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter education requirements there are.
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 some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Similar Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Welder, Cutter, or Welder Fitter might also be interested in the following careers:
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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