What Does a Welder Do?

Welders play a role in the construction and manufacturing of many of the structures and products people rely on daily across the country. The strong metal joints they fuse can be found in everything from highways and bridges to planes, trains, and automobiles.^[1] It can be hands-on, fulfilling work, as welders play a vital role in keeping the country moving.^[2]

Welder Job Description

Welders use numerous types of welding processes to fuse the metal joints and components found in a range of industries and products. In addition, they adhere to safety standards, perform practices to prepare materials and equipment for welding, and inspect and adjust welded products to ensure they are safe and sound.^[3]

What is Welding?

The answer to this question can help you understand what a welder does. Welding entails melting metal pieces with heat. As the molten metal cools and solidifies, the metals become permanently bonded.

Welders have more than 100 ways to fuse metals, but arc welding is the most common method. Arc welding employs electric currents as the heat source. A metal electrode delivers the current from the power supply to the metal.^[4] Electrodes can be consumable, meaning they melt and become a part of the welded joint. Some consumable electrodes are coated with chemicals called flux that burn off to create a gas that protects the weld from contaminants. Non-consumable electrodes retain their form and can be used again.^[5] The type of electrode used can set one arc welding process apart from another.^[6][7][8][9]

Common Arc Welding Processes

Arc Welding Process	Electrode Type	Applications
Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)	Consumable, Stick Electrode	Refrigeration, Automotive, Plumping, Construction, Pipe & Structural Welding
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)	Consumable, Wire Electrode	Automotive Repair, Construction, Maritime, Robotics & Plumbing
Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)	Consumable, Flux-Filled, Wire Electrode	Manufacturing & Shipbuilding
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)	Non-Consumable, Tungsten Electrode	Vehicle Manufacturing, Bicycle & Pipe Welding

Midwest Technical Institute offers welding training programs at its campuses in the cities of Springfield, East Peoria, and Moline, Illinois. Welding training is also available at the school’s Springfield, Missouri, campus. MTI students receive welding certification from the school in SMAW, GTAW, and FCAW.

What Are Welder Duties?

What does a day in the life of a welder look like? While the specific duties of a welding job can vary by the industry and the project, a welder’s work can be broken down into three main categories that would typically take place in a somewhat sequential order.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15]}

Preparation	Welding	Post-Welding Tasks
Analyze Blueprints & Welding Specifications	Lay Out, Position & Align Components to Be Welded Using Straightedges & a Combination of Rulers, Squares & Calipers	Examine Workpieces for Defects & Discontinuities
Calculate Dimensions of Materials to Be Welded to Verify They Meet Specifications	Ignite Torches or Power Supplies	Use Templates or Straightedges to Measure that Workpieces Meet Welding Specifications
Put on Safety Gear: Heat-Resistant Gloves, Facial Masks, Goggles, Protective Lenses, Helmets, Heavy, Oil-Protective Clothing & Safety Boots	Use Thermal-Cutting Equipment to Cut or Scrap Metals	Clean & Treat Workpieces: Remove Slag or Dross, Buff, Polish, or Use a Heat Treatment
Clear Workspace of Debris & Obstructions	Heat Bent, Grind, or Bolt Components	Clean & Maintain Equipment and Machinery
Inspect Structures to Be Welded	Operate Hand & Power Tools & Other Welding Equipment (Manual or Semi-Automatic)	Clean Workspace
Select, Inspect & Calibrate Appropriate Equipment & Tools for the Job	Fuse, Cast, Fabricate, or Forge Components in Vertical, Flat, or Overhead Positions	Communicate with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Disassemble Equipment for Maintenance & Repair	Fill Holes to Increase the Size of Metal Parts	Turn in Work
Clean or Treat Metals & Workpieces to Be Welded	Monitor One’s Work to Prevent Overheating	Remove & Put Away Safety Gear

When Do Welder’s Work?

Clocking 40 hours or more a week is common for most welders. Since the majority of welders work in manufacturing, and factories can run continuously throughout the days, nights, and weekends, many welders might work weekend or evening shifts.^[16]

Where Are Welders Needed?

Considering that more than half of U.S. products are made with welding, it’s no wonder that many industries need welders.^[17] Sixty-one percent work in manufacturing. Below are some of the most common sectors of manufacturing that employ welders.

Top Manufacturing Employers of Welders

Manufacturing Sector	Percentage of Employment
Fabricated Metal Architectural and Structural Products	13.04 Percent
Machinery for Mining, Agriculture & Construction	9.92 Percent
Motor Vehicle Trailers and Bodies	13.22 Percent
General Use Machinery	6.45 Percent

^[18]

Other Employers of Welders

Type of Employer	Percentage of Employment
Specialty Trade Contractors	7 Percent
Self-Employed Welders	5 Percent
Repair & Maintenance Businesses	4 Percent
Wholesalers of Durable Goods	4 Percent

^[19]

Welders may work in one location every day or travel to other cities or even countries to practice their trade. Examples of traveling welding jobs include shipbuilding and repair; pipeline installation; motorsports; underwater welding; and military support. They may work indoors in factories or shops or outdoors constructing structures, such as building or bridges.^[20][21]

Find out more about welding career outlook by reading our blog post, Is Welding a Good Career Path?

Working in the Welding Industry

As you can see, the work of welders is largely hands-on and somewhat physically demanding. In return for their efforts, welders often get to enjoy the fulfillment of seeing a project through from start to finish and of contributing to the creation of the goods and structures the nation relies on. MTI’s Journeyman Welder Program can be completed in just 7 months of welding training.

Learn more about how to become a welder.