Skilled Trades & Technical

Welder

Join metal parts with intense heat and electric arcs to build bridges, pipelines, ships, and machines

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What does a Welder do?

Welders work in factories, shipyards, construction sites, and repair shops. They read blueprints, set up equipment, and lay clean weld beads that must pass inspection. The job takes a steady hand, good eyesight, and patience, and some welders earn extra pay by getting special certifications.

A day in the life

6:30 AMRead the blueprint and pick the welding method for the job
7:00 AMGrind and clean the metal edges so the weld will hold
8:00 AMTack pieces together, then weld long joints on a steel frame
11:00 AMCheck finished welds for cracks and gaps
1:00 PMWeld a thick pipe seam in a test position for a certification
3:00 PMClean the work area and turn off the gas and power

What's great

  • Quick training through a certificate program
  • Many industries need welders
  • Extra pay for special certifications
  • Satisfying work you can see and touch

The hard parts

  • Burns from sparks and hot metal
  • Fumes and bright arc light hurt without protection
  • Standing or crouching in awkward positions
  • Work may involve travel or night shifts

What is a Welder's salary and outlook?

$29k – $72k
Salary Range
Certificate / Trade school
Typical Education
Stable

Typical pay in this guide runs from about $28,800 to $72,000 a year, with a midpoint around $48,000. These are planning figures for students, not a job offer or an official wage.

CareerLens rates the outlook as Stable.

For the official national outlook, see BLS Occupational Data.

How do you become a Welder?

A common path is 6-month to 2-year welding program plus welding certification tests. The ladder often runs from Welder's Helper to Certified Welder, then Welding Inspector or Lead Welder, and Welding Shop Owner or Fabrication Manager. Other routes: Union pipefitter or ironworker apprenticeship; High school shop class, then on-the-job training; Military welding or shipyard training; Earn a welding inspector certification later.

  • Union pipefitter or ironworker apprenticeship
  • High school shop class, then on-the-job training
  • Military welding or shipyard training
  • Earn a welding inspector certification later

Career path

Entry level
Welder's Helper
Mid career
Certified Welder
Senior
Welding Inspector or Lead Welder
Executive
Welding Shop Owner or Fabrication Manager

Will AI replace a Welder?

How much will AI change this job?

A little

AI will change only a small part of this job. Most of the work stays hands-on and human.

Welding stays hands-on, with AI only helping a little.

Welding is a hands-on job that needs skill, strength, and careful attention to real metal and heat. AI cannot weld a joint or feel how hot metal is behaving. It may help with planning jobs or checking designs, but the actual welding stays a human task.

AI can help with

  • Planning project steps and material lists
  • Checking blueprints or design files for errors
  • Tracking inventory of tools and supplies

What stays human

  • Actually welding metal pieces together safely
  • Judging heat, angle, and pressure by feel
  • Fixing unexpected problems on a job site

Skills to build now

  • Take shop, metals, or industrial arts classes
  • Practice careful, steady hand-eye coordination through hobbies
  • Learn basic math for measuring and reading blueprints

Based on public research from Anthropic and OpenAI, drafted with AI, checked automatically, and read by a person. How we know

This describes how the work may change. It is not a prediction that the job will disappear.