Careers / Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$47,920
United States, 2025
Employment
31,600
United States, 2025
Typical education
Post-Secondary Certificate
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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 code
- 51-4122.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Typical tasks
- 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.
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$36,860
25th percentile
$40,560
75th percentile
$57,390
90th percentile
$66,540
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring3.4
- Operation and Control3.3
- Active Listening3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8
- Time Management2.6
- Active Learning2.6
- Coordination2.6
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 8 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
8
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.4 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Operation and Control | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $82,250 | 40 | 2025 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $75,200 | 230 | 2025 |
| New Orleans, LA | $74,910 | 60 | 2025 |
| AZ | $70,150 | 280 | 2025 |
| Charleston, SC | $66,570 | 40 | 2025 |
| Norwich, CT | $64,380 | 40 | 2025 |
| Winston, NC | $64,120 | 80 | 2025 |
| AK | $62,700 | 50 | 2025 |
| Buffalo, NY | $61,700 | 230 | 2025 |
| Boise City, ID | $61,530 | 40 | 2025 |
| St. Louis, MO | $60,600 | 180 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $60,180 | 130 | 2025 |
| WA | $58,990 | 50 | 2025 |
| Green Bay, WI | $58,890 | 50 | 2025 |
| IL | $58,840 | 180 | 2025 |
| OR | $58,650 | 250 | 2025 |
| Asheville, NC | $58,450 | 40 | 2025 |
| Springfield, MO | $58,320 | 50 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $57,900 | 440 | 2025 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $57,690 | 40 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.