Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
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.
How to read this profile
BLS projects U.S. employment for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers to increase by 2.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 437,700 to 448,100 jobs. Its estimate of 40,300 annual openings includes replacement needs, so it does not represent current vacancies, contract postings, or freelance demand. The wage ($53,750), education (High school diploma or equivalent), and related experience (None) figures on this profile describe typical U.S. employees. O*NET skills describe the occupation; they do not assess an individual worker's proficiency.
Base employment (2024)
437,700
Projected employment (2034)
448,100
Projected change (2024–2034)
2%
Annual openings (projected average)
40,300
Pay & Preparation
$53,750
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Essential Skills
Quality Control Analysis (3.12/5) • Monitoring (3/5) • Critical Thinking (2.88/5) • Judgment and Decision Making (2.88/5) • Operations Monitoring (2.75/5) • Time Management (2.75/5)
O*NET describes occupational requirements; these ratings do not measure current job-posting frequency or an individual worker’s proficiency.
BLS projections are long-term estimates; annual openings include growth and replacement needs and are not current vacancies.
Market data tells you what is happening.
SmartBid shows you where you fit.
Evaluate opportunities using demand, competition, client quality, and your experience—then focus your effort where you have the strongest chance to win.
Find my best opportunities