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Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
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.
Other titles employers use
Braze Operator · Certified Welder · Fabricator · Finishing Technician (Finishing Tech) · Laser Operator · Machine Operator · Mig Welder · Spot Welder
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
- Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
- Record operational information on specified production reports.
- Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
- Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
- Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
- Design
Useful strengths
- Near Vision
- Control Precision
- Visualization
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Manual Dexterity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.6 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 4.3 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.2 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 54%
- A certificate or some college 46%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Operating system software
- Electronic mail software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Industrial control software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 3,100
- Job openings each year
- 290
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- −7.2%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 3,100 | 290 | −7.2% |
| California | 2,400 | 230 | −4.0% |
| Kentucky | 2,400 | 230 | — |
| Tennessee | 2,350 | 230 | — |
| Michigan | 1,970 | 180 | −9.6% |
| Iowa | 1,800 | 170 | −3.2% |
| Wisconsin | 1,780 | 170 | — |
| Ohio | 1,770 | 170 | −6.8% |
| Texas | 1,740 | 170 | 3.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 960 | 90 | −5.0% |
| Georgia | 880 | 90 | 7.3% |
| Mississippi | 790 | 80 | — |
| Nebraska | 790 | 80 | −1.3% |
| New York | 770 | 0 | −7.2% |
| Alabama | 720 | 70 | −1.4% |
| Arkansas | 580 | 50 | −6.5% |
| Arizona | 530 | 50 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 520 | 50 | — |
| North Carolina | 500 | 50 | −2.0% |
| Minnesota | 430 | 40 | −4.4% |
| Virginia | 420 | 40 | — |
| New Jersey | 310 | 30 | — |
| Utah | 270 | 30 | 12.5% |
| New Hampshire | 260 | 30 | −3.7% |
| South Dakota | 260 | 30 | — |
| Missouri | 240 | 20 | −17.2% |
| Oklahoma | 240 | 20 | −7.7% |
| South Carolina | 240 | 20 | — |
| Connecticut | 230 | 20 | — |
| Illinois | 230 | 20 | −4.2% |
| Rhode Island | 230 | 20 | — |
| Massachusetts | 210 | 20 | −8.7% |
| Oregon | 200 | 20 | 5.3% |
| Kansas | 190 | 20 | −5.0% |
| Washington | 170 | 20 | — |
| Colorado | 160 | 20 | — |
| Maryland | 160 | 20 | — |
| West Virginia | 150 | 20 | −6.3% |
| Louisiana | 100 | 10 | — |
| Idaho | 90 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 80 | 10 | −11.1% |
| Nevada | 70 | 10 | — |
| New Mexico | 40 | 0 | — |
| Maine | 30 | 0 | −25.0% |
| North Dakota | 10 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
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Where to study
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