View Alert

Statewide occupation search

Sort your search results or select and compare details of two occupations. Find out if an occupation is in demand or not in demand in your local area, at Learn about an occupation.

Print

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

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.
Related: Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, & Systems Assemblers  Boilermakers  Engine & Other Machine Assemblers  Structural Metal Fabricators & Fitters  Welding, Soldering, & Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, & Tenders 
Industries: Manufacturing  Construction 

  • Summary

  • Details

    • Work Activities

    • Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring that there is no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreign matter.
    • Melt and apply solder to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products, using soldering equipment.
    • Repair products by dismantling, straightening, reshaping, and reassembling parts, using cutting torches, straightening presses, and hand tools.
    • Melt and apply solder along adjoining edges of workpieces to solder joints, using soldering irons, gas torches, or electric-ultrasonic equipment.
    • Melt and apply solder along adjoining edges of workpieces to solder joints, using soldering irons, gas torches, or electric-ultrasonic equipment.
    • Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.
    • Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
    • Repair products by dismantling, straightening, reshaping, and reassembling parts, using cutting torches, straightening presses, and hand tools.
    • Preheat workpieces prior to welding or bending, using torches or heating furnaces.
    • Ignite torches or start power supplies and strike arcs by touching electrodes to metals being welded, completing electrical circuits.
    • Repair products by dismantling, straightening, reshaping, and reassembling parts, using cutting torches, straightening presses, and hand tools.
    • Use fire suppression methods in industrial emergencies.
    • Guide and direct flames or electrodes on or across workpieces to straighten, bend, melt, or build up metal.
    • Connect and turn regulator valves to activate and adjust gas flow and pressure so that desired flames are obtained.
    • Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
    • Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
    • 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.
    • Melt and apply solder to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products, using soldering equipment.
    • Align and clamp workpieces together, using rules, squares, or hand tools, or position items in fixtures, jigs, or vises.
    • Grind, cut, buff, or bend edges of workpieces to be joined to ensure snug fit, using power grinders and hand tools.
    • Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.
    • 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.
    • Chip or grind off excess weld, slag, or spatter, using hand scrapers or power chippers, portable grinders, or arc-cutting equipment.
    • Set up and use ladders and scaffolding as necessary to complete work.
    • Operate metal shaping, straightening, and bending machines, such as brakes and shears.
    • Hammer out bulges or bends in metal workpieces.
    • Clean or degrease parts, using wire brushes, portable grinders, or chemical baths.
    • Ignite torches or start power supplies and strike arcs by touching electrodes to metals being welded, completing electrical circuits.
    • Clean or degrease parts, using wire brushes, portable grinders, or chemical baths.
    • Monitor the fitting, burning, and welding processes to avoid overheating of parts or warping, shrinking, distortion, or expansion of material.
    • Grind, cut, buff, or bend edges of workpieces to be joined to ensure snug fit, using power grinders and hand tools.
    • Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
    • Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
    • Chip or grind off excess weld, slag, or spatter, using hand scrapers or power chippers, portable grinders, or arc-cutting equipment.
    • Check grooves, angles, or gap allowances, using micrometers, calipers, and precision measuring instruments.
    • Position and secure workpieces, using hoists, cranes, wire, and banding machines or hand tools.
    • Grind, cut, buff, or bend edges of workpieces to be joined to ensure snug fit, using power grinders and hand tools.
    • Weld separately or in combination, using aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, and other alloys.
    • Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
    • Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.

    Skills

    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    Abilities

    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    Knowledge

    • Administration and Management
      • 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.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • 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.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • 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.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    1 to 12 months on-the-job training
    Education and Training Opportunities

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    61730/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    29.68/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    8,730
    Yearly Projected Openings
    910

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Cautiousness
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Alternating current AC arc welder
    • Anvils
    • Bench vises
    • Blow torch
    • Calipers
    • Cutting die
    • Deburring tool
    • Desktop computers
    • Direct current DC arc welder
    • Drill press or radial drill
    • Electrode holder
    • Flame cutting machine
    • Flow sensors
    • Forklifts
    • Frequency converters
    • Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus
    • Goggles
    • Hacksaw
    • Hammers
    • Hand clamps
    • Hoists
    • Hydraulic press brake
    • Hydraulic press frames
    • Impact wrenches
    • Induction heaters
    • Jacks
    • Ladders
    • Laser printers
    • Laser welding machine
    • Levels
    • Light trucks or sport utility vehicles
    • Manlift or personnel lift
    • Manual press brake
    • Metal band sawing machine
    • Metal inert gas welding machine
    • Metal slitting saw
    • Metal stamps
    • Microcontrollers
    • Micrometers
    • Mill saw file
    • Milling machines
    • Nibblers
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Plasma arc welding machine
    • Pneumatic drill
    • Pneumatic hammer
    • Pneumatic sanding machines
    • Positioning jig
    • Potentiometers
    • Power buffers
    • Power chippers
    • Power drills
    • Power grinders
    • Power saws
    • Pressure or steam cleaners
    • Protective gloves
    • Protractors
    • Pry bars
    • Pullers
    • Punches or nail sets or drifts
    • Pyrometers
    • Ratchets
    • Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
    • Respirators
    • Rulers
    • Safety glasses
    • Scaffolding
    • Screwdrivers
    • Scribers
    • Shears
    • Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
    • Socket sets
    • Soldering iron
    • Speed sensors
    • Spot welding machine
    • Squares
    • Straight edges
    • Tape measures
    • Taps
    • Temperature gauge
    • Templates
    • Thickness measuring devices
    • Threading machine
    • Threading taps
    • Tinners snips
    • Tongs
    • Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
    • Track cranes
    • Tube bending machine
    • Tungsten inert gas welding machine
    • Two way radios
    • Ultrasonic welding machine
    • Utility knives
    • Voltage or current meters
    • Welder torch
    • Welding electrode
    • Welding generator
    • Welding masks
    • Welding or cutting tip
    • Welding robots
    • Welding wire
    • Wetsuits
    • Winches
    • Wire brushes
    • Wire cutters
    • Workshop cranes

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Spreadsheet software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Find Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs Education and Training for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Powered by Monster and You
Privacy policy | Terms of use | Equal opportunity, complaint and discrimination information | Contact us
WorkSource Products and Services Complaint Information | Federal USDOL and other funding
SecureAccess Washington | A proud partner of the American job center network | Access Washington
© 2026 WorkSource