Production Occupations·SOC 51-4122

Best degree programs for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, ranked by enrollment

1 college programs and 911 schools train Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $47,920 median wage, 31,600 U.S. jobs. Federal data.

1 college programs at 911 schools train welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders, graduating 64,198 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Welding Technology/Welder. The job pays a median of $47,920 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Graduates / yr
64,198
from every feeder program
Median annual wage
$47,920
BLS OEWS May 2025
Projected growth
-9.0%
Decline
Openings / yr
3,200
new plus replacement
Schools
911
with a feeder program
States with jobs
43
BLS reports wages

About welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders

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.

Also calledFabricatorMig WelderSpot WelderMachine OperatorBuilderRod WelderMill OperatorWeld OperatorBraze OperatorField OperatorFurnace BrazerLaser Operator

Fields of study that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.

Precision Production
CIP 48.05
Precision Metal Working
64,198graduates / yr
911 schools · 1 specialization · 100.0% of pipeline
Grad earnings $36,566

1 degree programs that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
Welding Technology/Welder
CIP 48.0508
64,198
100.0%
911$36,566$9,429

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Tulsa Welding School - Houston
Houston, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1,087Welding Technology/Welder70%$34,116—
2Tulsa Welding School - Jacksonville
Jacksonville, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1,050Welding Technology/Welder72%$33,589—
3Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder programs
779Welding Technology/Welder40%——
4Maysville Community and Technical College
Maysville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
754Welding Technology/Welder56%——
5Arclabs
Piedmont, SC Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
669Welding Technology/Welder76%$26,425—
6Tulsa Welding School - Tulsa
Tulsa, OK Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
591Welding Technology/Welder68%$34,362—
7Texas State Technical College
Waco, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
588Welding Technology/Welder46%——
8Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
546Welding Technology/Welder47%——
9Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Lexington, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
535Welding Technology/Welder43%——
10San Jacinto Community College
Pasadena, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
534Welding Technology/Welder30%——
11South Texas College
McAllen, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
521Welding Technology/Welder27%——
12Northwood Technical College
Rice Lake, WI Public · 1 feeder programs
496Welding Technology/Welder56%——
13Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny, IA Public · 1 feeder programs
494Welding Technology/Welder39%——
14Tulsa Welding School - Dallas Campus
Irving, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
470Welding Technology/Welder———
15Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College
Bowling Green, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
415Welding Technology/Welder58%——
16Front Range Community College
Westminster, CO Public · 1 feeder programs
408Welding Technology/Welder35%——
17Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
Elizabethtown, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
380Welding Technology/Welder59%——
18Northshore Technical Community College
Lacombe, LA Public · 1 feeder programs
369Welding Technology/Welder40%——
19Pueblo Community College
Pueblo, CO Public · 1 feeder programs
361Welding Technology/Welder31%——
20Refrigeration School Inc
Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
359Welding Technology/Welder76%$26,791—
21Somerset Community College
Somerset, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
340Welding Technology/Welder43%——
22Lone Star College System
The Woodlands, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
339Welding Technology/Welder21%——
23Jefferson Community and Technical College
Louisville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
333Welding Technology/Welder35%——
24Gateway Community and Technical College
Florence, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
324Welding Technology/Welder59%——
25West Georgia Technical College
Waco, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
319Welding Technology/Welder35%——
26West Kentucky Community and Technical College
Paducah, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
308Welding Technology/Welder50%——
27Southern Regional Technical College
Thomasville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
307Welding Technology/Welder31%——
28Mesa Community College
Mesa, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs
306Welding Technology/Welder16%——
29Austin Community College District
Austin, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
304Welding Technology/Welder20%——
30Del Mar College
Corpus Christi, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
303Welding Technology/Welder11%——
31Owensboro Community and Technical College
Owensboro, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
301Welding Technology/Welder54%——
32J F Ingram State Technical College
Deatsville, AL Public · 1 feeder programs
296Welding Technology/Welder21%——
33Southern Careers Institute - Harlingen
Harlingen, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
294Welding Technology/Welder60%$24,989—
34Aims Community College
Greeley, CO Public · 1 feeder programs
292Welding Technology/Welder40%——
35Hobart Institute of Welding Technology
Troy, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
290Welding Technology/Welder90%$20,935—
36Midwest Technical Institute - Illinois
Springfield, IL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
289Welding Technology/Welder69%$28,377—
37Cerritos College
Norwalk, CA Public · 1 feeder programs
278Welding Technology/Welder31%——
38Advanced Career Institute
Visalia, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
274Welding Technology/Welder81%——
39Portland Community College
Portland, OR Public · 1 feeder programs
265Welding Technology/Welder18%——
40Tidewater Tech - Trades
Norfolk, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
257Welding Technology/Welder71%$25,765—
41Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College
Cumberland, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
244Welding Technology/Welder47%——
42Summit College
San Bernardino, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
244Welding Technology/Welder62%$25,402—
43Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.
Houston, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
244Welding Technology/Welder60%$22,532—
44Coastal Pines Technical College
Waycross, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
243Welding Technology/Welder48%——
45Northland Pioneer College
Holbrook, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs
243Welding Technology/Welder22%——
46Chattahoochee Technical College
Marietta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
240Welding Technology/Welder38%——
47Houston City College
Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
239Welding Technology/Welder17%——
48Piedmont Technical College
Greenwood, SC Public · 1 feeder programs
234Welding Technology/Welder33%——
49Central Community College
Grand Island, NE Public · 1 feeder programs
233Welding Technology/Welder48%——
50Mech - Tech College
Caguas, PR Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
231Welding Technology/Welder72%$13,886—

What welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual wage
$47,920
Mean annual
$50,220
Median hourly
$23.04/hr
People employed
31,600
What the range looks like
10th pct$36,860Median$47,92090th pct$66,540

Top-paying metro areas

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$75,200median
230 jobs
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT
$64,380median
40 jobs
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$54,970median
60 jobs
St. Louis, MO-IL
$60,600median
180 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$54,390median
280 jobs
New Orleans-Metairie, LA
$74,910median
60 jobs
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
$61,700median
230 jobs
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$60,180median
130 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
-9.0%
Decline
Openings per year
3,200
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
-3,500
38,900 → 35,400
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Plus moderate-term on-the-job training

Where the jobs are, state by state

Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.

This occupation state by state: pay, jobs, and schools
StateMedian payJobsConcentrationSchoolsGraduates / yr
Texas$51,3101,7500.61×7110,474
Kentucky$50,7401,0002.46×184,780
Georgia$45,8508400.85×254,191
California$48,9402,2900.62×733,669
North Carolina$47,5808200.82×593,137
Illinois$58,8401800.15×423,006
Florida$41,4207400.36×512,522
Arizona$70,1502800.42×152,019
Arkansas$46,8802100.81×261,885
Colorado$49,8601000.17×161,815
Alabama$40,0501,2502.91×191,787
South Carolina$46,2603400.73×161,755
Louisiana$48,7403200.81×121,751
Wisconsin$57,6401,1501.92×171,657
Oklahoma$40,4004601.33×291,552
Kansas$46,7101600.55×261,440
Ohio$48,1902,1901.94×541,345
Tennessee$47,1801,9502.93×261,222
Washington$58,990500.07×221,211
Iowa$51,7401,3104.12×161,196
Virginia$49,1604100.49×201,085
Indianamoderate$43,9602,8404.36×3923
Pennsylvania$47,5301,1200.91×33914
Mississippi$37,3904802.03×15807
Michigan$42,5303,1503.52×28713
Minnesota$57,5606701.11×20712
Nebraska$57,2806503.13×6695
Oregon$58,6502500.63×15664
Utah$40,6001200.33×11597
Missouri$56,2105600.94×14527
New York$52,0807400.37×11468
Nevadamoderate$47,8701700.54×4424
New Jersey$53,6805100.58×8363
Montana$35,670——10227
Connecticutmoderate$47,9005901.72×3202
Idaho$50,8501000.55×7194
Marylandmoderate$47,1104300.77×3161
Alaska$62,700500.71×5137
South Dakotamoderate$52,5201501.61×3110
New Hampshiremoderate$47,5002902.08×3101
West Virginia$46,4601200.84×1298
Maine$48,410600.49×579
Massachusettslimited$50,4804800.65×15

Skills and tools

From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.

What they do day to day

  • Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
  • Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
  • Record operational information on specified production reports.
  • Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
  • Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
  • 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.
  • Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.

Skills

  • Monitoring3.0
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Speaking3.0
  • Reading Comprehension3.0
  • Active Learning2.6
  • Writing2.3
  • Mathematics2.1

Knowledge areas

  • Production and Processing3.8
  • Administration and Management3.5
  • Design3.1
  • Public Safety and Security2.9
  • English Language2.8
  • Mechanical2.8

Abilities

  • Near Vision3.8
  • Control Precision3.6
  • Visualization3.3
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness3.3
  • Manual Dexterity3.3
  • Multilimb Coordination3.1

Core activities

  • Controlling Machines and Processes4.1
  • Getting Information4.1
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.0
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.0
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.9
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.8

Tools and technology

hotmarks an O*NET hot technology
LinuxhotMicrosoft ExcelhotMicrosoft Office softwarehotMicrosoft OutlookhotMicrosoft PowerPointhotMicrosoft WindowshotMicrosoft WordhotSAP softwarehotEmail softwareTool center point TCP setting software

How to get in

How to become a Welding

Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 1 majors mapped to Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 48.0508Welding Technology/Welder

Related careers

Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.

51-4121
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
$53,750416,210 jobs+2.2%
51-4035
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$52,80012,460 jobs-14.4%
51-2041
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
$51,33052,360 jobs-16.3%
51-4034
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
$50,62016,710 jobs-13.6%
51-2011
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
$65,38034,020 jobs-14.5%
49-9041
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
$64,520439,640 jobs+16.1%

Common questions

What degree do you need to become a Welding?+

High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Welding Technology/Welder, which awarded 64,198 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Welding?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Precision Metal Working. Together they graduate about 64,198 people a year.

How much do welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn?+

The median is $47,920 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $36,860 at the 10th percentile to $66,540 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders growing?+

BLS projects a -9.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 3,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career?+

911 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Fabricator, Mig Welder, Spot Welder, Machine Operator among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-4122.

↑ Zoom outAll occupationsProduction Occupations
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders by stateTexasKentuckyGeorgiaCaliforniaNorth CarolinaIllinoisFloridaArizonaArkansasColoradoAlabamaSouth Carolina
Related careersWelders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersMilling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticStructural Metal Fabricators and FittersLathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticAircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems AssemblersIndustrial Machinery Mechanics
Programs that lead herePrecision Metal Working

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

    Official source →

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

    Official source →

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

    Official source →

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

    Official source →

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

    Official source →

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

    Official source →

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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