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Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

Set up, operate, or tend welding, soldering, or brazing machines or robots that weld, braze, solder, or heat treat metal products, components, or assemblies. Includes workers who operate laser cutters or laser-beam machines.

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.

High 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 $47,920 Median per year · $23.04/hr Most earn $36,860–$66,540

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, and hand tools.
  • Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
  • Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements, as necessary.
  • Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.
  • Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines.
  • Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.

Job outlook

United States
9% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 2,500 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 manufacturing19.6%
  • Motor vehicle parts manufacturing12.6%
  • Machinery manufacturing12.0%
  • Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing5.8%
  • Self-employed (their own business)4.4%

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

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

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: 6 months to 1 year

This is an entry-level job. Many people start with a high school diploma and about 6 months to 1 year of related hands-on experience, such as helping in a fabrication shop.

  1. High school diploma with shop and math classes

    4 years

    Building a diploma with math, shop, and drafting or blueprint-reading classes gives you the basic skills employers look for in metal work.

  2. Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter

    3-6 months

    Entry-level fabrication work teaches you to measure, cut, and fit metal parts, and to read work orders, which prepares you to run welding and cutting machines.

  3. Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender

    6 months to 1 year of related experience before this job

    You set up machines or robots, load parts, monitor the process, and check finished welds or joints, often learning on the job from experienced workers.

Where it can lead

  1. Multiple Machine Tool Setter, Operator, or Tender

    6 months to 1 year of experience first

    You learn to set up and run several types of metal-working machines, which broadens your skills and makes you more valuable on the production floor.

  2. Industrial Machinery Mechanic

    1-2 years in production work, plus a certificate or apprenticeship of experience first

    You move from running machines to keeping them working by diagnosing, repairing, and maintaining equipment, which usually requires further training.

  3. Production Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    You lead a team on the shop floor, plan work schedules, and make sure safety and quality standards are met, which is usually earned through strong performance and leadership experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take welding, metal shop, or manufacturing classesHands-on practice with cutting, joining, and measuring metal is the closest preview of this job your school can offer.
  • Take math and drafting or blueprint readingGeometry, measurement, and reading technical drawings help you set up machines accurately.
  • Join a trade or skills clubMany schools have career and technical student organizations where you can practice skills, meet mentors, and sometimes compete in trade contests.
  • Get a part-time or summer job in a shop or warehouseAny job at a fabrication, manufacturing, or auto repair business teaches shop routines, teamwork, and safety habits.
  • Talk with a shop teacher or local welderAsk what certifications employers in your area want, so you can plan your classes around them.

In college

  • Enroll in a welding technology or metal fabrication certificate or associate degreeFormal training in welding processes, metallurgy, and blueprint reading is a common route into machine-based welding jobs.
  • Work in a campus shop, makerspace, or maintenance crewHands-on campus jobs let you practice equipment setup and tool safety while you study.
  • Earn a welding or safety certificationIndustry certifications and safety credentials, such as those commonly offered through trade schools, show employers you can work to standard.
  • Take an introduction to CNC or industrial automation courseMany modern welding and cutting machines and robots are programmed by computer, so basic programming skills make you more hireable.
  • Pursue a summer internship at a manufacturing plantSeeing a production line up close helps you learn how welding machines fit into a larger process and builds your resume.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask about job shadowing or a part-time helper job at a local fabrication, manufacturing, or auto body shop; hands-on exposure is what employers look for most.
  • Learn basic safety rules and get any safety training that is offered, since protecting yourself around heat, sparks, and fumes is a core part of this work.
  • Build comfort with reading measurements and simple blueprints now; math and precision are used every day on the job.

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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