Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
SOC Code: 51-4122
Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders carries a 37% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $47,060 and -9.0% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 38,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 37% AI exposure, Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders sits 0 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 59% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
25/100
Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $47,060
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -9.0%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) D 37% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is HS / some college (333/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
37% Around the middle lower than 41% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 51-4122) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Registered Apprenticeship Pathway Available
Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders is a recognized registered apprenticeship occupation under the DOL RAPIDS system. Earn while you train, apprentices typically start at ~$16/hr and reach $28–$46/hr upon completion, depending on the specific trade and region.
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
- 2. Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
- 3. Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces.
- 4. Record operational information on specified production reports.
- 5. Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
- 6. Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
- 7. Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.
- 8. Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements, as necessary.
- 9. Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.
- 10. Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Learning
Knowledge Areas
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
- Design
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders has an AI exposure score of 37%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders is projected to decline by 9.0% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 38,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Key skills for Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Reading Comprehension, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn?
The median annual wage for Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders is $47,060, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
The typical entry-level education for Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (37% here).
- Aircraft cargo handling supervisors · AI exposure 37%
- Bakers · AI exposure 37%
- Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders · AI exposure 37%
- Construction and building inspectors · AI exposure 37%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-9.0% here).
- Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders · growth -9.0%
- Helpers--production workers · growth -8.9%
- Gas plant operators · growth -8.8%
- Procurement clerks · growth -8.7%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).