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Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $53,750 Median per year · $25.84/hr Most earn $39,240–$77,530

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Melt and apply solder along adjoining edges of workpieces to solder joints, using soldering irons, gas torches, or electric-ultrasonic equipment.
  • Melt and apply solder along adjoining edges of workpieces to solder joints, using soldering irons, gas torches, or electric-ultrasonic equipment.
  • Melt and apply solder to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products, using soldering equipment.
  • Guide and direct flames or electrodes on or across workpieces to straighten, bend, melt, or build up metal.
  • Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
  • Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 40,300 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Fabricated metal product manufacturing21.9%
  • Machinery manufacturing12.9%
  • Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing5.1%
  • Self-employed (their own business)4.3%
  • Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment (except automotive and electronic) repair and maintenance3.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

On-siteExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Welding is a hands-on job you can start with a high school diploma plus some on-the-job training. Most people spend about 1 to 2 years gaining experience in related work before they are doing welding on their own.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish school and take shop, math, and blueprint-reading classes, which build the basics you'll use on the job.

  2. Welding Machine Operator

    6 months to 1 year

    Run and monitor welding and soldering machines under supervision, learning how metal joins, settings, and safety rules work.

  3. Welder, Cutter, Solderer, and Brazer

    Usually reached after about 1 to 2 years of total experience

    Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, and brazing tools to join or repair metal parts, working from drawings and passing quality checks.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Welder

    3 to 5 years of experience first

    You guide other welders, check their work, and handle harder jobs, which requires strong skills and good communication.

  2. Welding Inspector

    5 years or more of experience first

    You check welds against codes and specifications, which usually requires extra certification and deep knowledge of welding methods.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take welding or metal shop classesHands-on practice with torches and metal builds skills you'd use on the job, and shows future employers you're serious.
  • Take math and geometryMeasuring, angles, and reading plans are part of everyday welding work.
  • Join a skills or trade club like SkillsUSAClubs like this let you practice trade skills and meet people in the industry, and many schools have one.
  • Find a summer or after-school job at a shop or farmAny job around metal, machinery, or construction teaches teamwork and safety habits that welding employers look for.
  • Ask a local welder for a job shadowSeeing the work up close helps you decide if the career fits you and gives you a contact for later.

In college

  • Take a welding technology or metal fabrication courseCommunity colleges often offer welding programs that teach technique, safety, and blueprint reading in one place.
  • Earn a welding certificationIndustry certifications, often offered through schools or testing centers, show employers you can do quality work.
  • Get a part-time job in a fabrication or repair shopPaid shop experience builds the 1 to 2 years of work history that employers commonly expect.
  • Join a student trade or engineering clubGroups like SkillsUSA or a campus maker club let you practice skills and network with people in the trades.
  • Learn basic CAD or blueprint readingBeing able to read drawings and understand specifications helps you move from helper to skilled welder faster.

Tips for getting started

  • Take any welding, metal shop, or drafting classes your school offers, and practice reading blueprints, since employers look for both.
  • Look for part-time or summer jobs at metal shops, auto body shops, or fabrication companies, even as a helper, to get real shop experience early.
  • Keep your safety habits strong from day one, such as wearing protective gear and following shop rules, because employers value reliable, careful workers.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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