Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Explore safer careers (5)
Lower estimated automation risk
Why it fits
Transfers metal forming, joining, layout, measuring, shop safety, drawings, and installation or fabrication routines.
Why it fits
Fits experienced operators leading welding cells, safety briefings, work assignments, output, training, and quality records.
Why it fits
Reuses metal properties, measurements, tolerances, machine setup, blueprints, tools, and careful process control.
Why it fits
Applies blueprint reading, measurements, templates, metal parts, tolerances, cutting plans, and fabrication sequencing.
Why it fits
Uses weld quality checks, visual inspection, measurements, specifications, defect records, sampling, and production documentation.
Occupation snapshot
What does this snowflake show?
What's this?
We rate jobs using four factors. These are:
- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions
These are some key things to think about when job hunting.
Risk & user votes
Calculated automation risk
Imminent Risk (81-100%): This occupation appears highly exposed to end-to-end replacement by AI, software, robotics, or other computer-controlled systems. Roles in this range often involve predictable, repeatable, or rules-based work with limited need for human judgement, trust, creativity, or adaptation to messy real-world conditions. This does not mean every job will disappear immediately, but it is a strong signal to consider safer alternatives or start building more resilient skills.
More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.
Human strengths important in this job
These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.
Thinking creatively
Quite importantWhy this matters
Decision-making and problem solving
Quite importantWhy this matters
Developing objectives and strategies
Quite importantWhy this matters
What users think
Based on 99 votes
Our visitors have voted they are unsure if this occupation will be automated. However, the automation risk level we have generated suggests a much higher chance of automation: 84% chance of automation.
What do you think the risk of automation is?
What is the likelihood that Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?
Sentiment
Based on user votes over time
View sentiment trend
How opinions have changed over time
Pay & outlook
Wages
In 2024, the median annual wage for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders was $47,060 ($23 per hour).
The median annual wage for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders was 4.9% lower than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.
View wage trend
Wages over time
Growth
The number of 'Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders' job openings is expected to decline 9.0% by 2034
View employment trend
Total employment, and estimated job openings
Updated projections are due 09-2025.
Volume
As of 2024 there were 36,290 people employed as 'Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders' within the United States.
This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country
Put another way, around 1 in 4 thousand people are employed as 'Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders'.
People also viewed
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.
O*NET-SOC code: 51-4122.00
What people are saying (3)
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