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Medium Risk Stable

Welder

Welders use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join metal parts together using heat, pressure, or both.

$49,000
Median Salary
430,000
Total Employed
3
Career Transitions
AI Risk Score
0 %
Medium Risk

Higher risk than 67% of jobs in our database

How we calculate this score →
Pivot Score 61/100

Moderate pivot potential — some transitions require new skills.

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Automation Risk Analysis

Real-time market signals

AI Can Do This Today
6/10 High
Job Postings
-5%
since 2022
Automation Timeline
5-10 years
until major impact

Why This Job Faces Uncertainty

Robotic welding systems handling 50%+ of automotive welding

Collaborative robots (cobots) assisting in precision welding tasks

AI-controlled welding achieving consistent quality without human variation

Skilled welder shortage accelerating automation adoption

Leaving This Role: 80K-120K in production welding
Competition Level: Low - specialized skill set transfers to oversight roles
Your Head Start: Good - custom/repair welding remains human-dependent

Don't panic. Here's your plan.

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Job Market Data

Real trends from multiple job platforms

Moderate Demand
Current Employment
424K
BLS (2026)
Projected Growth
0%
2024-2034
Annual Openings
0
per year (growth + replacements)

Listing Trends

4 sources tracked
🇺🇸 United States
13.2K listings
Adzuna (13.2K)
🇩🇪 Germany
25.5K listings
Adzuna (16.1K) Arbeitsagentur (9.4K)
🇫🇷 France
18.3K listings
Adzuna (12.3K) France Travail (5.9K)
🇪🇸 Spain
929 listings
Adzuna (929)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
10.5K listings
Adzuna (10.2K) Reed (270)
Sources: AdzunaArbeitsagenturFrance TravailReed
Updated Feb 25, 2026

Career Transitions

Safe career paths based on your existing skills

Welding Inspector

3-6 months
35%
Salary Change +30%
Skill Overlap
80%

Skills to Learn

Weld Quality AssessmentNDT MethodsCode Compliance

Robotics Maintenance Technician

6-12 months
30%
Salary Change +25%
Skill Overlap
50%

Skills to Learn

Robot ProgrammingMechanical SystemsTroubleshooting

Pipefitter

3-6 months
32%
Salary Change +15%
Skill Overlap
70%

Skills to Learn

Pipe SystemsBlueprint ReadingPressure Testing

Essential Reading

Deepen your knowledge with these recommended books.

Welding For Dummies

Steven Farnsworth

"Accessible guide covering MIG, TIG, and stick welding. Great for expanding your technique repertoire."

Get This Book

AWS Welding Handbook

American Welding Society

"The industry standard reference. Essential for pursuing AWS certifications and advancing your career."

Get This Book

Modern Welding

Andrew D. Althouse, Carl H. Turnquist, William A. Bowditch, Kevin E. Bowditch, Mark A. Bowditch

"Widely regarded as the bible of welding textbooks, this authoritative reference covers every welding and cutting process, welding symbols, testing, inspection, and career guidance essential for professional welders."

Get This Book

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't affect our recommendations.

Recommended Courses

Start your transition today with these courses

★ Start Here Gold Standard

Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) Prep

AWS

Duration 6 months
Price $1,200
Rating ★ 4.8

Skills You'll Learn

Weld InspectionCode RequirementsVisual TestingDocumentation
Enroll Now →

Robotic Welding Programming

Udemy

Duration 10 hours
Price $24.99
Rating ★ 4.4

Skills You'll Learn

Robot ProgrammingWeld Path PlanningParameter Setup
Enroll Now →

Advanced Welding Techniques

Lincoln Electric

Duration 40 hours
Price $450
Rating ★ 4.7

Skills You'll Learn

TIG WeldingMIG WeldingSpecialty Metals
Enroll Now →

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