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Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

O*NET files this work under Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers: people who 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. The skills rated most useful are quality control analysis, monitoring, and judgment and decision making. A regular part of the work is to operate safety equipment and use safe work habits. With a code of RCI, this is mostly a job for people drawn to hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. Conventional interests also help, rated 3.7 out of 7. Getting in usually takes a few months to a year of learning on the job, a level O*NET calls some preparation. It tends to suit people who want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, and it offers little for anyone seeking helping, teaching or caring for people.

What they do

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.

Main tasks

  • Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
  • Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
  • Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
  • Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
  • 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.
  • Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.

Skills

  • Quality Control Analysis
  • Monitoring
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Critical Thinking
  • Time Management
  • Operations Monitoring

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on quality control analysis and monitoring.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You want helping people to be at the center of your work. Social rates 1.1 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RCI takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED). This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Assembly Line Brazer
  • Brazer
  • Fabrication Welder
  • Maintenance Welder
  • MIG Welder (Metal Inert Gas Welder)

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.