Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
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.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $30K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $36K
Median Salary: $44K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $53K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $66K
Demand
Core Tasks
Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.
Weld separately or in combination, using aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, and other alloys.
Connect and turn regulator valves to activate and adjust gas flow and pressure so that desired flames are obtained.
Ignite torches or start power supplies and strike arcs by touching electrodes to metals being welded, completing electrical circuits.
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.
Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
Monitor the fitting, burning, and welding processes to avoid overheating of parts or warping, shrinking, distortion, or expansion of material.
Chip or grind off excess weld, slag, or spatter, using hand scrapers or power chippers, portable grinders, or arc-cutting equipment.
Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring that there is no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreign matter.
Preheat workpieces prior to welding or bending, using torches or heating furnaces.
Align and clamp workpieces together, using rules, squares, or hand tools, or position items in fixtures, jigs, or vises.
Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
Develop templates and models for welding projects, using mathematical calculations based on blueprint information.
Guide and direct flames or electrodes on or across workpieces to straighten, bend, melt, or build up metal.
Melt and apply solder to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products, using soldering equipment.
Position and secure workpieces, using hoists, cranes, wire, and banding machines or hand tools.
Clean or degrease parts, using wire brushes, portable grinders, or chemical baths.
Melt and apply solder along adjoining edges of workpieces to solder joints, using soldering irons, gas torches, or electric-ultrasonic equipment.
Use fire suppression methods in industrial emergencies.
Grind, cut, buff, or bend edges of workpieces to be joined to ensure snug fit, using power grinders and hand tools.
Repair products by dismantling, straightening, reshaping, and reassembling parts, using cutting torches, straightening presses, and hand tools.
Check grooves, angles, or gap allowances, using micrometers, calipers, and precision measuring instruments.
Operate metal shaping, straightening, and bending machines, such as brakes and shears.
Set up and use ladders and scaffolding as necessary to complete work.
Hammer out bulges or bends in metal workpieces.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Production and Processing
67%
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Design
57%
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mechanical
57%
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Mathematics
56%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management
52%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service
51%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
51%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Engineering and Technology
49%
Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Building and Construction
44%
Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Education and Training
44%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Top 10 Skills
Monitoring
59%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking
58%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Quality Control Analysis
58%
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Active Listening
57%
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.
Operations Monitoring
57%
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Judgment and Decision Making
54%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operation and Control
54%
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Reading Comprehension
54%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
54%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management
54%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Top 10 Abilities
Near Vision
73%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Arm-Hand Steadiness
70%
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Control Precision
67%
The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Manual Dexterity
65%
The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Finger Dexterity
64%
The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Problem Sensitivity
64%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Visualization
62%
The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Multilimb Coordination
60%
The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Information Ordering
59%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Oral Comprehension
58%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Top 10 Work Activities
Handling and Moving Objects
79%
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Controlling Machines and Processes
78%
Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Getting Information
72%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
71%
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
70%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Performing General Physical Activities
69%
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
65%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
65%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
65%
Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
62%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Detailed Work Activities
Operate welding equipment.
Maintain safety.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Select production equipment according to product specifications.
Ignite fuel to activate heating equipment.
Adjust equipment controls to regulate gas flow.
Determine metal or plastic production methods.
Monitor equipment operation to ensure that products are not flawed.
Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
Trim excess material from workpieces.
Operate grinding equipment.
Clean workpieces or finished products.
Heat material or workpieces to prepare for or complete production.
Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
Design templates or patterns.
Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
Clean production equipment.
Melt metal, plastic, or other materials to prepare for production.
Solder parts or workpieces.
Reshape metal workpieces to established specifications.
Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
Repair parts or assemblies.
Operate metal or plastic forming equipment.
Assemble temporary equipment or structures.
Shape metal workpieces with hammers or other small hand tools.
Operate firefighting equipment.
Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
Majors
Major
Interests
Realistic
100%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
39%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Investigative
29%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Enterprising
22%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic
15%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social
15%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Top 10 Work Styles
Attention to Detail
88%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability
82%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation
75%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Integrity
75%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Independence
74%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative
73%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Adaptability/Flexibility
72%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Persistence
72%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Innovation
71%
Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Self Control
71%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Work Values
Support
69%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Relationships
46%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions
46%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Independence
41%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement
36%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition
36%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
