Welding Technologist

Alternative Job Titles for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

• Braze Operator
• Certified Welder
• Fabricator
• Finishing Technician (Finishing Tech)
• Laser Operator
• Machine Operator
• Mig Welder
• Spot Welder
• Weld Technician (Weld Tech)
• Welding Operator

Job Tasks and Activities for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

• Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces.
• Adjust equipment controls to regulate gas flow.
• Adjust flow of electricity to tools or production equipment.
• Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
• Anneal finished workpieces to relieve internal stress.
• Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces.
• Apply solutions to production equipment.
• Assemble machine tools, parts, or fixtures.
• Assemble metal or plastic parts or products.
• Assemble, align, and clamp workpieces into holding fixtures to bond, heat-treat, or solder fabricated metal components.
• Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
• Clean production equipment.
• Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, and hand tools.
• Compute and record settings for new work, applying knowledge of metal properties, principles of welding, and shop mathematics.
• Conduct test runs of production equipment.
• Conduct trial runs before welding, soldering, or brazing, and make necessary adjustments to equipment.
• Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
• Design tools, fixtures, or other devices for production equipment.
• Devise or build fixtures or jigs used to hold parts in place during welding, brazing, or soldering.
• Direct operational or production activities.
• Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
• Dress electrodes, using tip dressers, files, emery cloths, or dressing wheels.
• Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
• Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
• Fill hoppers and position spouts to direct flow of flux or manually brush flux onto seams of workpieces.
• Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use.
• Heat material or workpieces to prepare for or complete production.
• Immerse completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and clean components.
• Immerse objects or workpieces in cleaning or coating solutions.
• Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
• Lay out parts to prepare for assembly.
• Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements, as necessary.
• Load materials into production equipment.
• Load or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components.
• Lubricate production equipment.
• Maintain production or processing equipment.
• Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.
• Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
• Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
• Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
• Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.
• Observe meters, gauges, or machine operations to ensure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications.
• Operate cutting equipment.
• Operate grinding equipment.
• Operate welding equipment.
• Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.
• Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
• Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
• Record operational information on specified production reports.
• Record operational or production data.
• Remove completed workpieces or parts from machinery, using hand tools.
• Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
• Reshape metal workpieces to established specifications.
• Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
• Select production equipment according to product specifications.
• Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.
• Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments and hand tools.
• Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.
• Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
• Solder parts or workpieces.
• Start, monitor, and adjust robotic welding production lines.
• Tend auxiliary equipment used in welding processes.
• Transfer components, metal products, or assemblies, using moving equipment.
• Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines.

Interests for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

• Realistic
  Designing, building, or repairing equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors.
• Conventional
  Following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting.

Skills for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

In order of importance

• Operations Monitoring
  Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
  Importance: 60/100
• Operation and Control
  Using equipment or systems.
  Importance: 56/100
• Active Listening
  Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
  Importance: 50/100
• Complex Problem Solving
  Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
  Importance: 50/100
• Speaking
  Talking to others.
  Importance: 50/100
• Critical Thinking
  Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
  Importance: 50/100
• Reading Comprehension
  Reading work-related information.
  Importance: 50/100
• Monitoring
  Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
  Importance: 50/100
• Judgment and Decision Making
  Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
  Importance: 44/100
• Time Management
  Managing your time and the time of other people.
  Importance: 41/100
• Coordination
  Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
  Importance: 41/100
• Active Learning
  Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
  Importance: 41/100
• Equipment Maintenance
  Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
  Importance: 35/100
• Social Perceptiveness
  Understanding people's reactions.
  Importance: 35/100
• Troubleshooting
  Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
  Importance: 31/100
• Writing
  Writing things for co-workers or customers.
  Importance: 31/100
• Quality Control Analysis
  Testing how well a product or service works.
  Importance: 31/100
• Repairing
  Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
  Importance: 31/100
• Systems Evaluation
  Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
  Importance: 28/100
• Management of Personnel Resources
  Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
  Importance: 28/100
• Instructing
  Teaching people how to do something.
  Importance: 28/100
• Equipment Selection
  Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
  Importance: 28/100
• Mathematics
  Using math to solve problems.
  Importance: 28/100
• Systems Analysis
  Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
  Importance: 28/100
• Learning Strategies
  Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
  Importance: 25/100
• Management of Material Resources
  Managing equipment and materials.
  Importance: 25/100
• Negotiation
  Bringing people together to solve differences.
  Importance: 25/100
• Persuasion
  Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
  Importance: 25/100
• Service Orientation
  Looking for ways to help people.
  Importance: 25/100
• Operations Analysis
  Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
  Importance: 22/100
• Science
  Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
  Importance: 19/100
• Technology Design
  Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
  Importance: 16/100
• Management of Financial Resources
  Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
  Importance: 16/100
• Installation
  Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
  Importance: 3/100
• Programming
  Writing computer programs.
  Importance: 3/100

Knowledge for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

In order of importance

• Production and Processing
  Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  Importance: 70/100
• Administration and Management
  Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  Importance: 63/100
• Design
  Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  Importance: 53/100
• Public Safety and Security
  Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  Importance: 48/100
• Mechanical
  Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  Importance: 46/100
• English Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  Importance: 46/100
• Engineering and Technology
  Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  Importance: 42/100
• Customer and Personal Service
  Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  Importance: 42/100
• Mathematics
  Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  Importance: 40/100
• Education and Training
  Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  Importance: 37/100
• Administrative
  Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  Importance: 35/100
• Personnel and Human Resources
  Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
  Importance: 34/100
• Computers and Electronics
  Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  Importance: 30/100
• Building and Construction
  Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  Importance: 27/100
• Physics
  Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
  Importance: 26/100
• Sales and Marketing
  Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  Importance: 23/100
• Chemistry
  Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  Importance: 17/100
• Transportation
  Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  Importance: 16/100
• Law and Government
  Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  Importance: 16/100
• Economics and Accounting
  Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
  Importance: 15/100
• Communications and Media
  Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  Importance: 12/100
• Foreign Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
  Importance: 11/100
• Telecommunications
  Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
  Importance: 8/100
• Medicine and Dentistry
  Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  Importance: 7/100
• Food Production
  Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
  Importance: 5/100
• History and Archeology
  Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
  Importance: 5/100
• Geography
  Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
  Importance: 4/100
• Biology
  Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  Importance: 3/100
• Therapy and Counseling
  Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  Importance: 3/100
• Psychology
  Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  Importance: 2/100
• Philosophy and Theology
  Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
  Importance: 2/100
• Sociology and Anthropology
  Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
  Importance: 1/100
• Fine Arts
  Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
  Importance: 1/100

Physical Abilities for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

In order of importance

• Near Vision
  Seeing details up close.
  Importance: 69/100
• Control Precision
  Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
  Importance: 66/100
• Manual Dexterity
  Holding or moving items with your hands.
  Importance: 56/100
• Visualization
  Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
  Importance: 56/100
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  Keeping your arm or hand steady.
  Importance: 56/100
• Selective Attention
  Paying attention to something without being distracted.
  Importance: 53/100
• Multilimb Coordination
  Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
  Importance: 53/100
• Problem Sensitivity
  Noticing when problems happen.
  Importance: 53/100
• Information Ordering
  Ordering or arranging things.
  Importance: 53/100
• Finger Dexterity
  Putting together small parts with your fingers.
  Importance: 50/100
• Rate Control
  Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
  Importance: 50/100
• Category Flexibility
  Grouping things in different ways.
  Importance: 50/100
• Far Vision
  Seeing details that are far away.
  Importance: 50/100
• Trunk Strength
  Using your lower back and stomach.
  Importance: 50/100
• Speech Recognition
  Recognizing spoken words.
  Importance: 50/100
• Extent Flexibility
  Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  Importance: 50/100
• Speech Clarity
  Speaking clearly.
  Importance: 50/100
• Perceptual Speed
  Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
  Importance: 50/100
• Oral Expression
  Communicating by speaking.
  Importance: 50/100
• Reaction Time
  Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
  Importance: 50/100
• Inductive Reasoning
  Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
  Importance: 50/100
• Deductive Reasoning
  Using rules to solve problems.
  Importance: 50/100
• Flexibility of Closure
  Seeing hidden patterns.
  Importance: 47/100
• Written Comprehension
  Reading and understanding what is written.
  Importance: 47/100
• Auditory Attention
  Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
  Importance: 47/100
• Oral Comprehension
  Listening and understanding what people say.
  Importance: 47/100
• Static Strength
  Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
  Importance: 47/100
• Depth Perception
  Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
  Importance: 44/100
• Hearing Sensitivity
  Telling the difference between sounds.
  Importance: 41/100
• Dynamic Strength
  Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
  Importance: 38/100
• Written Expression
  Communicating by writing.
  Importance: 38/100
• Visual Color Discrimination
  Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
  Importance: 31/100
• Response Orientation
  Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
  Importance: 31/100
• Originality
  Creating new and original ideas.
  Importance: 28/100
• Stamina
  Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
  Importance: 28/100
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  Keeping your balance or staying upright.
  Importance: 28/100
• Explosive Strength
  Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
  Importance: 28/100
• Fluency of Ideas
  Coming up with lots of ideas.
  Importance: 28/100
• Glare Sensitivity
  Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
  Importance: 28/100
• Speed of Closure
  Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
  Importance: 28/100
• Time Sharing
  Doing two or more things at the same time.
  Importance: 28/100
• Memorization
  Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
  Importance: 25/100
• Mathematical Reasoning
  Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
  Importance: 25/100
• Gross Body Coordination
  Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
  Importance: 25/100
• Number Facility
  Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
  Importance: 25/100
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
  Importance: 25/100
• Peripheral Vision
  Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
  Importance: 25/100
• Spatial Orientation
  Knowing where things are around you.
  Importance: 22/100
• Night Vision
  Seeing at night or under low light.
  Importance: 22/100
• Sound Localization
  Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
  Importance: 19/100
• Speed of Limb Movement
  Quickly moving your arms and legs.
  Importance: 16/100
• Dynamic Flexibility
  Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  Importance: 10/100

Tools and Technology used by Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

• Spot welding machine
• Calipers
• Welding robots
• Welding or brazing tip cleaner file
• Welding electrode
• Mill saw file
• Micrometers
• Tape measures
• Welding or cutting tip
• Induction heaters
• Hoists
• Blow torch
• Facial shields
• Cleaning scrapers
• Welding masks
• Squares
• Slip or groove joint pliers
• Electron beam welding EBW machine
• Thickness measuring devices
• Protective gloves
• Lifts
• Goggles
• Hydraulic truck cranes
• Laser welding machine
• Punches or nail sets or drifts
• Laser cutting machine
• Loading equipment
• Demolition hammers
• Locking pliers
• Cold pressure or contact welding machine
• Ball peen hammer
• Welding tip dresser or accessories
• Tungsten inert gas welding machine
• Automatic soldering machine
• Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus
• End cut pliers
• Braze welding machine
• Winches
• Positioning jig
• Claw hammer
• Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
• C clamps
• Bench vises
• Hand clamps
• Magnifiers
• Tongs
• Rulers
• Power grinders
• Adjustable widemouth pliers
• Desktop computers
• Wire brushes
• Operating system software
  • Linux
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft operating system
• Presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
• Electronic mail software
  • Email software
  • Microsoft Outlook
• Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Spreadsheet software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • SAP software
• Office suite software
  • Microsoft Office software
• Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word
  • Word processing software
• Industrial control software
  • Tool center point TCP setting software

Employment Industries for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

• Machinery manufacturing (3331,2,4,9)
  4,800 employed
• Motor vehicle parts manufacturing
  4,400 employed
• Fabricated metal product manufacturing (3323,4)
  3,900 employed
• Fabricated metal product manufacturing (3321,2,5,6,9)
  2,800 employed
• Motor vehicle manufacturing
  2,700 employed
• Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing
  2,300 employed
• Temporary help services
  1,400 employed
• Machine shops
  1,100 employed