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.
U.S. Workers
36,290
Median Salary
$47,060
10-Year Growth
-9.0%
Annual Openings
3,200
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
29 of 29 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated CMMs, machine-vision systems, and sensor-based testing can perform dimensional and many quality inspections to verify conformance in modern production environments.
Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
AI: Fully automatable - AI and CAM software can reliably parse digital blueprints, work orders, and schedules to extract specifications and generate machine instructions for production.
Observe meters, gauges, or machine operations to ensure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications.
AI: Fully automatable - Sensors and computer-vision systems can continuously observe meters and machine operations and autonomously detect deviations from specifications.
Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines.
AI: Fully automatable - AI and integrated control systems can input operating instructions and actuate controls remotely or via actuators, fully automating adjustments and start sequences on modern equipment.
Compute and record settings for new work, applying knowledge of metal properties, principles of welding, and shop mathematics.
AI: Fully automatable - AI models and rule-based systems can compute required settings from material properties and welding principles and record them for production use.
Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.
AI: Fully automatable - Digital control systems and automated control loops allow AI to set currents, gas flows, timing, and shut-offs autonomously in most contemporary equipment.
Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.
AI: Fully automatable - Programmed marking tools, laser/print systems, and coordinate-based guidance can accurately mark weld points from CAD data without manual scribing in many production contexts.
Transfer components, metal products, or assemblies, using moving equipment.
AI: Fully automatable - Material handling is highly automatable with conveyors, robots, AGVs, and automated lifts that routinely transfer components and assemblies in factories.
Record operational information on specified production reports.
AI: Fully automatable - Recording operational data and generating specified production reports are routine software tasks that can be fully automated by AI and logging systems.
Conduct trial runs before welding, soldering, or brazing and make necessary adjustments to equipment.
AI: Fully automatable - Modern welding systems and AI can perform trial runs and automatically tune equipment parameters in many production contexts, enabling full automation of this task.
Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can fully automate selection by consulting material property databases and decision charts to map metal types and thicknesses to appropriate torch tips, alloys, fluxes, and wire.
Start, monitor, and adjust robotic welding production lines.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can fully start, monitor, and adjust robotic welding lines by interfacing with PLCs, sensors, and closed‑loop control systems to tune parameters and respond to faults.
Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can fully control metering pumps, valves, and robotic applicators to add chemicals or materials for bonding or cooling when appropriate dispensing equipment is installed and instrumented.
Immerse completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and clean components.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can fully manage immersion processes by coordinating conveyors/robots and monitoring sensors to control dwell times and bath chemistry for cooling and cleaning.
Anneal finished workpieces to relieve internal stress.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can fully manage annealing by controlling furnace temperature profiles and cycle timing and coordinating automated loading/unloading where such automation exists.
Load or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components.
AI: Partial - Automated feeders and robots can load standard workpieces in structured lines, but variability in part geometry and fixturing limits full automation across contexts.
Assemble, align, and clamp workpieces into holding fixtures to bond, heat-treat, or solder fabricated metal components.
AI: Partial - Robotic fixturing and vision-guided manipulators can assemble and clamp repeatable parts, but bespoke or variable setups still commonly require human dexterity and judgment.
Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
AI: Partial - Robotic welding systems can operate and tend welding processes for repeatable production, but setup, tooling changes, and complex one-off welds often still need human intervention.
Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements as necessary.
AI: Partial - Automated layout and fitting tools exist for standardized parts, but calculating and fitting irregular or custom assemblies typically requires human measurement and adaptation.
Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
AI: Partial - Monitoring systems can detect faults and sometimes perform automatic control adjustments or machine stops, but diagnosing and physically correcting many problems still needs a human operator.
Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use.
AI: Partial - AI can generate and deliver setup/use directions and even guide workers, but fully replacing human supervision and real‑time human coordination in diverse shop environments remains partial as of 2025.
Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments and hand tools.
AI: Partial - Automated tool changers and fixture-positioning systems can handle standard setups, yet selecting and precisely aligning jigs for novel tasks frequently requires human skill.
Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, and hand tools.
AI: Partial - Automated lubrication and monitoring systems can handle routine maintenance tasks, but cleaning, detailed adjustments, and many maintenance interventions still require human labor.
Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.
AI: Partial - Robotic systems can automate many surface-preparation tasks, but variability in parts and the use of hand-operated tools mean full automation is not yet universal.
Remove completed workpieces or parts from machinery, using hand tools.
AI: Partial - Robotic pick-and-place can remove finished parts in structured environments, but many setups still require manual hand-tool removal, so automation is partial.
Tend auxiliary equipment used in welding processes.
AI: Partial - Monitoring and control of auxiliary welding equipment can be automated, but hands-on tending, adjustments, and ad-hoc maintenance generally still need human intervention.
Fill hoppers and position spouts to direct flow of flux or manually brush flux onto seams of workpieces.
AI: Partial - Partially automatable: hopper filling and spout positioning can be automated, but manual brushing of flux and nuanced hand placement remain largely manual or require specialized robotic end‑effectors and human oversight.
Devise or build fixtures or jigs used to hold parts in place during welding, brazing, or soldering.
AI: Partial - Partially automatable: AI and generative‑design tools can devise optimized fixtures and jigs, but physical fabrication, fitting, and iteration still typically require human machinists or setup of CNC/machining equipment.
Dress electrodes, using tip dressers, files, emery cloths, or dressing wheels.
AI: Partial - Partially automatable: simple electrode dressing can be mechanized, but the inspection, judgment, and fine manual adjustment often still require human skill.