Occupations · Production
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-4122.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 62% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $38,260 | 1,800 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $52,740 | 1,170 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | $41,040 | 1,050 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $44,890 | 830 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | $38,760 | 790 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $50,410 | 610 |
| Cleveland, OH | $47,050 | 550 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $51,220 | 530 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $50,060 | 520 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $49,120 | 460 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $42,710 | 450 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $61,320 | 450 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces.
- 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.
- Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements, as necessary.
- Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.
- Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.
- Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.
- Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2024-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2024-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 5
No longer listed 3
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| wave soldering machine operator | 8212.5 | exact |
| brazier | 7212.1 | close |
| spot welder | 7212.3.4 | close |
| electron beam welder | 7212.3.1 | close |
| welder | 7212.3 | close |
| solderer | 7212.2 | close |
| laser beam welder | 7212.3.2 | broader |
| oxy fuel burning machine operator | 7223.15 | broader |
| plasma cutting machine operator | 7223.16 | broader |
| spark erosion machine operator | 7223.20 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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