WHAT IS A WELDING TECHNICIAN?

Typical job responsibilities include:

Designs and conduct experiments / tests and evaluates data to assist welding engineering personnel in development and application of new / improved welding equipment and materials; welding techniques, procedures, and practices; and specifications for material heat treating. Assists engineering personnel in testing and evaluating various materials, metals, and alloys. Recommends adoption of new developments and applications of various welding / materials joining procedures to engineering personnel and demonstrates practicability of recommendations. Inspects welded joints and conducts tests to ensure welds meet company standards, national code requirements (AWS. ASME, etc), and customer specifications. Records inspection and test results and prepares and submits reports to welding engineering / manufacturing personnel. Prepares technical reports as result of research and development and preventive maintenance investigations. Conducts certification tests for qualification of personnel with national code requirements. Assists with manual or automated welding equipment set-up, operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance in support of overall manufacturing operations. Programming and monitoring of automated welding machinery.

Educational Requirements: Associate degree in Welding / Materials Joining Technology or experienced and skilled welder with knowledge in materials, manufacturing, testing (destructive and non-destructive), and various AWS/ASME standards or specifications

Recommended Areas of Strong mechanical aptitude, experience in conducting

Knowledge and/or Skill: experiments; understanding of mechanical design; knowledge of manufacturing operations; materials science, chemistry, mathematics, physics, electricity / electronics; engineering / manufacturing technology.

Salary/Wage Data:

Location / Pay
Period / 2006 /
10% / 25% / Median / 75% / 90% /
United States / Hourly / $14.68 / $20.14 / $26.08 / $31.76 / $37.06
Yearly / $30,500 / $41,900 / $54,200 / $66,100 / $77,100

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections (Education/Training Level, Educational Attainment); National Center for Education Statistics (Typical Instructional Programs),Onet, America’s Career InfoNet.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant

Numbers 0302792, 0302803, and 0703018. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or

recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect

the views of the National Science Foundation. August 2007