Welder Job Profile

Welders use special equipment to apply high heat that joins metal parts in a broad range of industrial applications. More than 100 different processes may be used in welder jobs, and employers typically look for experience in particular techniques when a welding job opens.

Manufacturing creates the most welder employment, but thousands of other welder job opportunities can be found in construction, wholesale trade, and repair and maintenance. Factories employing welders often run two or three shifts of eight to 12 hours each.

Welders must wear protective equipment to shield themselves against the hazards of the intense heat and light that are intrinsic to welding jobs.

Welder Education

Jobs in welding vary widely in their educational requirements. All training may be on the job for entry-level positions. Higher-level welder careers may require years of formal education in vocational or technical schools or colleges. Some welder jobs require a general welding certification or a certificate in a specialty such as robotic welding.

Welder Job Market

Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers held 337,300 jobs in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Their number is projected to increase by 50,700 by 2020.

Welder Salaries

Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers earned median wages of $35,920 in 2011, according to the BLS. The top 10 percent earned $55,240.