Will “Welding Operator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

61% Chance of Automation

“Welding Operator” will maybe be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #342 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

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Job Description

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.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 51-4122.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 38,380.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 18.00
Currently, there are 46,920 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Welding Operator”

Transfer components, metal products, or assemblies, using moving equipment.
Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, and hand tools.
Observe meters, gauges, or machine operations to ensure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications.
Remove completed workpieces or parts from machinery, using hand tools.
Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use.
Anneal finished workpieces to relieve internal stress.
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.
Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.
Load or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components.
Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments and hand tools.
Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.
Start, monitor, and adjust robotic welding production lines.
Conduct trial runs before welding, soldering, or brazing and make necessary adjustments to equipment.
Record operational information on specified production reports.
Immerse completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and clean components.
Fill hoppers and position spouts to direct flow of flux or manually brush flux onto seams of workpieces.
Dress electrodes, using tip dressers, files, emery cloths, or dressing wheels.
Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.
Tend auxiliary equipment used in welding processes.
Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces.
Compute and record settings for new work, applying knowledge of metal properties, principles of welding, and shop mathematics.
Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines.
Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
Devise or build fixtures or jigs used to hold parts in place during welding, brazing, or soldering.
Assemble, align, and clamp workpieces into holding fixtures to bond, heat-treat, or solder fabricated metal components.

Related Technology & Tools

Safety goggles
Workpiece positioning jigs
Fillet weld gauges
Vise grip pliers
Cold-welding machines
Hand clamps
Arc welding equipment
Laser-beam machines
Brazing robots
Computerized numerical control CNC oxy-fuel systems
Resistance welding machines
Spot welding guns
Slip joint pliers
Heating furnaces
Single-cut mill saw files
C clamps
Bench vises
Welding helmets
Ball peen hammers
Side cutting pliers
Diffusion-welding machines
Soldering robots
Measuring tapes
Safety gloves
Center punches
Tungsten inert gas TIG welding equipment
Welding torch tips
Gas welding torches
Wire brushes
Layout squares
Walk-behind lift trucks
Vernier micrometers
Welding tip dressers
Outside micrometer calipers
Laser cutters
Brazing machines
Soldering machines
Desktop computers
Welding robots
Welding electrodes
Hydraulic booms
Welding tip cleaning files
Hand scrapers
Micrometers
Undercut gauges
Portable welding machines
Product loading equipment
Magnifiers
Tongs
Adjustable widemouth pliers
Rulers
Chipping hammers
Hydraulic winches
Power grinders
Resistance welding guns
Power hoists
Claw hammers
Face masks
Dial calipers

Email software
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
Word processing software
Microsoft Office
Tool center point TCP setting software
Data entry software