Will “Operator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

61% Chance of Automation

“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 “Operator”

Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines.
Tend auxiliary equipment used in welding processes.
Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements as necessary.
Conduct trial runs before welding, soldering, or brazing and make necessary adjustments to equipment.
Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, and hand tools.
Transfer components, metal products, or assemblies, using moving equipment.
Devise or build fixtures or jigs used to hold parts in place during welding, brazing, or soldering.
Remove completed workpieces or parts from machinery, using hand tools.
Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
Load or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components.
Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.
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.
Assemble, align, and clamp workpieces into holding fixtures to bond, heat-treat, or solder fabricated metal components.
Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.
Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use.
Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
Observe meters, gauges, or machine operations to ensure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications.
Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments and hand tools.
Fill hoppers and position spouts to direct flow of flux or manually brush flux onto seams of workpieces.
Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.
Dress electrodes, using tip dressers, files, emery cloths, or dressing wheels.
Immerse completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and clean components.
Record operational information on specified production reports.
Anneal finished workpieces to relieve internal stress.
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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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