Production, fabrication and field welding
Welders are counted together with cutters, solderers and brazers, a group with 437,700 jobs. Welders fuse metal with heat from torches or an electric arc; cutters use an electric arc, plasma or burning gases to cut and trim metal, and to dismantle large objects such as ships and railroad cars; solderers and brazers join pieces with a melted filler metal, often for small precision parts or dissimilar metals. Sample job titles show the welding side of the group: MIG welder, TIG welder, fabrication welder, maintenance welder and welder fitter.
The setting shapes the job. Manufacturing employs 63% of the group, in plants such as those that make metal products and machinery. These jobs are indoors, often in booths that contain sparks and glare, and many plants run two or three shifts a day. Specialty trade contractors employ 8%; their welders work on construction sites, outdoors in all weather and sometimes on scaffolds or platforms high off the ground. Repair and maintenance businesses employ 4%, and another 4% are self-employed.
Where the jobs and the pay are
Texas has by far the most welding jobs: 52,000, with a median wage of $53,340 and a location quotient of 1.38. California follows with 26,060 jobs and a higher median of $58,060, then Ohio (20,330 jobs, median $50,340), Pennsylvania (17,850, median $52,900) and Florida (16,420, median $50,640). Ohio's location quotient of 1.37 is almost as high as Texas's, reflecting its manufacturing base. The highest medians are in Alaska ($80,840), Hawaii ($79,000) and Connecticut ($64,880).
Nationally, the middle half earn between $46,790 and $63,010. Official statistics give no pay data by experience. In practice, the processes you master, the certifications you hold and whether you are willing to work shifts, overtime or in harsh locations influence where you land in that range.
Training and certification: what employers want
Many employers prefer or require a high school diploma plus technical training. Programs are offered by high school technical education classes, vocational-technical institutes, community colleges and private welding schools, and the U.S. Armed Forces offer welding-related training too. Useful courses include blueprint reading, shop mathematics and mechanical drawing, along with a basic understanding of electricity. Apprenticeships are another route; some accept beginners, others are aimed at graduates of a welding program. Whichever route you take, expect a learning period with each new employer: even entry-level workers with formal technical training still receive several months of on-the-job training.
Certification matters more in welding than in many trades because your work can be tested objectively. Professional organizations offer courses leading to general certification, and the American Welding Society's Certified Welder program tests welds against a specific code or specification. Some employers require general or specific certification for particular jobs and may pay for training and testing. OSHA requires electrical safety training; other OSHA courses are available but generally not required. Some states and localities also license welders, so check local rules before you move for a job. On a resume, list each process (stick, MIG, TIG, flux core), each position you are qualified in, the metals and thicknesses you have welded and your certifications.
Automation and the outlook
Employment is projected to grow just 2% over the next decade, slower than average, adding 10,300 jobs. Automation in manufacturing is one reason: repetitive welds on identical parts are the easiest to hand to machines. On the other side, the nation's aging infrastructure will need welders to rebuild bridges, highways and buildings, and plants that make metal products and machinery will keep hiring. The net result is about 40,300 openings a year, most of them to replace welders who retire or leave the trade. The safest positions are those that require judgment and adaptability: field welding, repair, all-position and pipe work.
The honest downsides
Welding exposes you to fumes, very hot materials and intense light from the arc, and 62% of workers are exposed to contaminants every day. Safety procedures and gear such as welding helmets, hearing protection and heat-resistant gloves reduce the risk but do not remove it. The work is physically tiring, with heavy lifting and long periods bent, stooped or working overhead. Shift work is common in factories, and 72% of workers face time pressure every day. Growth is slow, so pay rises come from skills and certifications rather than a tight labor market.