Production
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Also called: Braze Operator, Certified Welder, Fabricator, Finishing Technician (Finishing Tech)
US median pay
$47,920
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-8.9%
declining
Openings a year (US)
2,500
32,900 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- 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.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.4/5
- Operation and Control3.2/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8/5
- Time Management2.6/5
- Coordination2.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.4/5
- Equipment Maintenance2.4/5
Knowledge
- Production and Processing3.8/5
- Administration and Management3.5/5
- Design3.1/5
- Public Safety and Security2.9/5
- English Language2.8/5
- Mechanical2.8/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Post-secondary certificate36%
- High school diploma32%
- Less than high school22%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.