7 Of The Best Welding Jobs [2024]

A typical welder earns about $47,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and some welding jobs pay six figures. With hundreds of thousands of welding positions available now and steady growth projections over the coming decade, now is a great time to begin a career as a welder. Here's a closer look at the various types of welding jobs out there and how you can land one.

Quickstart Guide To Getting A Welding Job

1. Freshen up your resume. Stand out from your competition by making sure your resume is up-to-date. If you need resume help, we recommend using a resume writing service.
2. Search for new opportunities on ZipRecruiter. If you want to land a welding job, start your job search on ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter is one of the top rated job search site and it’s free for job seekers.

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What Does A Welder Do?

Simply put, a welder joins pieces of metal together. But it's a little more complex than it sounds. Many welders require some sort of postsecondary education or certifications to succeed in their field, especially if they plan to work in a specialty area.

7 Of The Best Welding Jobs

Here are some of the best welding jobs available today:

1. Welder Helper

Average annual salary: $36,887/year

Education required: At least a high school diploma or GED

Primary duties: Welder helpers are in charge of assisting more experienced welders in their work. It's not the most lucrative position, but it's a great way for someone with no prior welding experience to get their foot in the door.

2. Manufacturing Welder

Average annual salary: $48,514/year

Education required: At least a high school diploma or GED

Primary duties: Manufacturing welders work in a variety of industries, including telecommunications, automotive, and mining. Their exact duties vary depending on the field they're in, but there's no shortage of these jobs.

3. Boilermaker

Average annual salary: $56,223/year

Education required: At least a high school diploma or GED

Primary duties: Boilermakers build large boilers, vats, and metal containers. This work doesn't require advanced education, but it's a little more specialized than manufacturing work, so it pays a little better.

4. Military Support Welder

Average annual salary: $46,302/year

Education required: At least a high school diploma or GED

Primary duties: Military support welders work with the U.S. military to help them design and repair their equipment. Some military support welders, especially those willing to work in the middle of a war zone, can receive substantial compensation.

5. Aerospace Welder

Average annual salary: $46,302/year

Education required: At least a high school diploma or GED and ideally, a lot of experience or advanced certifications

Primary duties: Aerospace welders work on rockets and other aerospace technology. Because of the danger involved if something goes wrong, welders who move into this specialty are usually highly skilled.

6. Structural Welder

Average annual salary: $50,730/year

Education required: At least a high school diploma or GED and likely an associate's degree in welding

Primary duties: Structural welders weld steel structures and often work in the construction industry. They can work on steel buildings, like skyscrapers, as well as on bridges and ships.

7. Welding Instructor

Average annual salary: $61,549/year

Education required: At least a high school diploma or GED and likely some welding certifications and extensive on-the-job experience

Primary duties: Welding instructors are often experienced welders who have decided to share their knowledge with the next generation. They teach welding techniques and some are even able to work from home.

For more welding jobs, check out our guide for the highest paying welding jobs.

Types Of Welding Jobs

Welders work in a variety of environments, ranging from factories and pipelines to shipyards and oil rigs. Here are some of the many types of welding jobs available:

• Aerospace welder
• Assembler/fabricator
• Automotive welder
• Boilermaker
• Fitter welder
• Industrial shutdown welder
• Manufacturing welder
• Military support welder
• Nuclear welder
• Pipe welder
• Rig welder
• Robotic welding technician
• Ship welder
• Structural welder
• Tack welder
• TIG welder
• Underwater welder
• Welding engineer
• Welder helper
• Welding inspector
• Welder instructor
• Welding technician

Best Places To Find Welding Jobs

If you're interested in finding a welding job near you, review our article on the best job posting sites or check out one of the following job boards.

ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter has tens of thousands of welding jobs located all over the country. It also enables job seekers to upload their resumes so they can quickly apply to jobs that interest them, and it has powerful filters so you can quickly narrow down search results.

For more information, read our ZipRecruiter review.

Discover Your Dream Job

Find freelance gigs and apply with 1 click! New jobs posted daily.

Get Started With ZipRecruiter

Indeed

Indeed is another popular job search website that has thousands of welding jobs as well as jobs in many other fields. You can search jobs for free and also upload your resume so employers can find you.

For more information, check out our Indeed review.

Jobs In Welding

JobsinWelding.com is a niche job board operated by the American Welding Society. It offers welding jobs in a variety of specialties and locations. But it doesn't have quite as many opportunities as the other job boards listed here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will welding be in demand in the future?

Welding jobs are expected to grow about 8% from 2020 to 2030, which is about as fast as average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This suggests that welding will remain an in-demand career.

Is becoming a welder worth it?

Welders can earn a comfortable income, especially if they choose to specialize. Some even earn six figures, though these welders usually have a lot of advanced training.

Is welding a stable career?

Welding is a stable and growing career and there are plenty of opportunities to specialize. Those who are motivated can find plenty of well-paying welding jobs out there.

Will robots replace welding?

While robots are now being used in welding, they haven't replaced human welders and they're not expected to in the foreseeable future.

The Bottom Line

There's a ton of opportunities in welding right now and that's only going to grow over time. If you're interested in launching your welding career, give ZipRecruiter a try. And if you want to increase your chance of success, check out our best resume writing services to help your application stand out from the crowd.