Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters

Wages
In 2015, the average annual wage in a Alabama was $35,920 with most people making betweeen $24,140 and $52,190
Wages by Industry
  • Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing $34,000.00
  • Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing $36,220.00
  • Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance $36,480.00
  • Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing $32,690.00
  • Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing $36,220.00
  • Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing $35,840.00
Education Required
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Common Majors
  • Welding Technology/Welder
  • Welding Engineering Technology/Technician
About the job

Use hand-welding or flame-cutting equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.


What you'll do
    • Dismantle metal assemblies or cut scrap metal, using thermal-cutting equipment such as flame-cutting torches or plasma-arc equipment.
    • Estimate materials needed for production and manufacturing and maintain required stocks of materials.
    • Gouge metals, using the air-arc gouging process.
    • Hammer out bulges or bends in metal workpieces.
    • Join parts such as beams and steel reinforcing rods in buildings, bridges, and highways, bolting and riveting as necessary.
    • Melt lead bars, wire, or scrap to add lead to joints or to extrude melted scrap into reusable form.
    • Mix and apply protective coatings to products.
    • Operate brazing and soldering equipment.
    • Signal crane operators to move large workpieces.
    • Use fire suppression methods in industrial emergencies.
Things you need to know
    • Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • 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.
    • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Abilities you'll need to have
    • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
    • Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
    • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
    • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
    • Active Listening - 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.
    • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
    • Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.