1. Entry-Level Welder

Starting out as a welder is one of the most straightforward paths after your training. Entry-level welders are responsible for using welding equipment to join metal parts together, whether for construction projects, equipment repair, or manufacturing goods. As an entry-level welder, you’ll learn the basics of welding techniques such as MIG (Metal Inert Gas), TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas), and stick welding.

Most entry-level welding jobs take place in industries like construction, manufacturing, and automotive repair. Welders are needed to work on various projects, from creating small parts to welding large structural components. This role gives you hands-on experience and allows you to develop your skills, preparing you for more advanced positions down the road.

Why This Career is Great:

• Fast entry to the workforce: You can start working as a welder after a short training period, making it a great option for those looking to jump into a career quickly.
• On-the-job learning: Entry-level welders continue to learn new techniques and skills, which can lead to promotions and higher-paying jobs.
• Variety of industries: Welders are needed in many different fields, offering a range of work environments.

2. Fabricator

Fabricators are specialized welders who focus on cutting, shaping, and assembling metal parts to create finished products. These products can include everything from large industrial equipment to decorative metal pieces. As an entry-level fabricator, you’ll use tools like saws, presses, and welding machines to craft metal components, following blueprints and technical drawings.

Fabricators often work in factories or fabrication shops, but they can also be found in construction, shipbuilding, and the automotive industry. This job requires precision and attention to detail, as you’ll need to measure, cut, and assemble materials accurately.

Why This Career is Great:

• Creative problem-solving: Fabricators get to work with their hands, solving problems and creating custom products.
• Room for growth: As you gain more experience, you can take on larger projects or move into specialized fabrication roles.
• Diverse work: From metal sculptures to structural components, fabricators work on a wide range of projects.

3. Metal Cutter

Metal cutters are responsible for cutting metal parts to size using tools like torches, saws, and plasma cutters. This is an entry-level position that focuses on one specific aspect of welding—cutting materials. Metal cutters work closely with welders, fitters, and fabricators to ensure that the metal pieces are properly sized and shaped before they are welded together.

As a metal cutter, precision is key. You’ll be tasked with cutting metal sheets, pipes, or beams to exact measurements based on blueprints or instructions. This role is common in industries like shipbuilding, manufacturing, and construction, where precise metal components are needed.

Why This Career is Great:

• Specialized skill set: Metal cutters develop strong skills in operating cutting equipment, which can lead to higher-paying jobs in the future.
• Hands-on work: If you enjoy working with tools and machinery, metal cutting offers a hands-on, active role in the production process.
• Opportunities to advance: Metal cutters can advance to other welding-related positions, such as welding operator or fabricator.

4. Fitter

Fitters, also known as pipefitters or structural fitters, assemble and fit metal components before they are welded together. This role is crucial in industries like plumbing, heating, and industrial construction. Fitters read blueprints and plans to ensure that all the parts fit together correctly before the welding process begins.

As an entry-level fitter, you’ll work closely with welders and fabricators to make sure that the pieces are properly aligned and secured. This job requires good spatial awareness and an eye for detail since even small errors in alignment can cause problems down the line.

Why This Career is Great:

• Collaborative environment: Fitters work as part of a team, interacting with welders and engineers to ensure accuracy in the assembly process.
• Career flexibility: With experience, fitters can specialize in pipefitting, boilermaking, or even advance to project management roles.

5. Solderer and Brazer

Soldering and brazing are techniques similar to welding, but they involve joining metals with a filler material rather than melting the base metals. Solderers and brazers work on tasks such as assembling small metal components, creating intricate connections in electronics, or working with HVAC systems. These techniques are often used when a strong but less heat-intensive bond is needed.

Entry-level solderers and brazers are typically employed in industries like electronics manufacturing, plumbing, and jewelry making. Because these techniques require precision, attention to detail is essential. You’ll use specialized tools to heat and melt the filler material, creating a bond that joins the metal pieces.

Why This Career is Great:

• Delicate work: Soldering and brazing are perfect for those who enjoy working with smaller, intricate parts.
• Widespread use: These techniques are used in many industries, from plumbing to electronics, providing numerous job opportunities.
• Steady demand: As technology advances, the need for solderers and brazers continues to grow, especially in manufacturing sectors.

With welding training, you have access to a wide range of entry-level careers, from welding and fabricating to fitting, metal cutting, and soldering. These roles provide a solid foundation for your welding career, allowing you to build your skills and gain valuable hands-on experience.

As you grow in the industry, you’ll have the chance to advance into more specialized or higher-paying positions, but entry-level opportunities like these are the perfect place to start.

If you’re ready to jump into a rewarding and in-demand career, consider starting your training at a trade school to hone your skills to get into an entry level welding job.

With dedication and the right training, the possibilities are endless!

Unfortunately, many welders don’t know these symbols or how to read a welding blueprint. If you take the time to gain this knowledge, you’ll be giving yourself a competitive edge in the marketplace and be able to do a much more professional, quality job.

There are too many welding symbols to cover here – that’s why it’s important to get training through an accredited welding program that teaches welding symbols and welding blueprint reading as part of their curriculum. Still, here are a few of the basics you’ll need to know when you begin your career as a welder.

Welding Symbol Structure

Welding symbols are drawn in such a way that they provide a lot of information in a little space. The basic structure of a welding symbol describes the location and direction of the weld. The arrow points out where the weld should be made. Additional information such as the type of weld, dimensions of the weld, and more is included on the horizontal reference line. The tail may fork off in several directions and indicate that there are specialized instructions for the weld.

Types of Welds

In the center of the reference line, you will see lines or a geometric shape that indicates what type of weld is required. There are more than a dozen types of welds that can be made, so it’s helpful to memorize all the different symbols. Some of the most common types of welds include fillet welds (used mostly for 90-degree lap joints, T-joints and corner joints), groove welds (used to create joints connected between the edges of two metal frames or sheets), and plug and slot welds (used to join frames and metal sheets that overlap one another). Below are some examples of symbols that indicate the type of weld desired.

Letters on Welding Symbols

Welding symbols also often include letters which can communicate a range of additional information. “L”, for example, stands for the length of the weld, while “R” stands for the root opening/depth of filling required. Again, there are a number of these abbreviations – mastering them will help you more fully understand the specifications of the job.

Dimensions and Angles

Finally, there may be numbers on the welding symbols. The diameter or width of the weld is generally located to the left of the weld symbol and will appear as a fraction in inches. The length, also expressed in inches, is on the right of weld symbol. The angle of the weld is also included. All of this information is valuable in helping you determine how to best perform the task at hand.

If you’re interested in training to become a master of metal, and learning how to decipher welding symbols and read blueprints like a pro, ĐÇżŐ´«Ă˝ can help! Check out our Welding Program where you can learn real-world skills and be ready to work in as little as 9 months. You can also apply online, schedule a tour of one of our three campuses, or contact us for more information.

Welding Defined

Welding is a dependable way to join two pieces of metal.

This basic process can be done in lots of ways, but at its heart welding is about connecting pieces of metal.

This process requires heat and pressure. AĚýwelder uses an electric or gas flameĚýto create intense heat to soften a piece of metal or a metal joint compound. Pressure is applied and two pieces of metal are connected together. Once cooled, the piece is now one with a sturdy joint.

Welding is often used when it isn’t practical to connect two pieces of metal in another way. Rivets, screws, and other fasteners don’t create an airtight seal. They can also cost more and only be used in certain joint types. A weld is a firm joint style that can be used in a variety of ways. As a career, welding combines creating thinking, problem-solving and hands-on skills for a daily job that’s full of excitement and growth opportunities.

The Welding Process

You may be surprised at the number of ways two pieces of metal can be connected. Welding is used in virtually every industry, so welders need to be creative in choosing the right welding type and joint style. Here are some common ways to join two pieces together:

• Edge joint
• ĚýT joint
• Corner joint
• Lap joint
• Butt joint

A welder chooses the type of joint after carefully considering the materials and application. Does the material need to withstand heavy sheer loads or torsional loads? This can affect the best type of joint and which weld type is used.

SomeĚýwelding jobs requireĚýyou to use your problem-solving skills. Would an edge joint or T joint be better for this application? What’s the best filler material and inert gas for this particular application?

Once you have the skills, experiences, and resources from a quality training program, you can easily answer these questions to create secure products for your industry.

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TypesĚýof Welds

All types of welds can be divided into two categories: pressure welding and fusion welding. Pressure welding uses heavy pressure at or above the melting point of the base material. Fusion welding focuses heat at the edge of the material and doesn’t require external pressure. Many fusion welds use an inert gas to improve the strength and other features of the weld.

AtĚýĐÇżŐ´«Ă˝ El Cajon, students learn about the most common welding tools, safety gear, and weld styles. You’ll now only learn about these common styles but get a chance to try your hand at welding in real-world applications. Here are the most common welding styles used:

• Gas tungsten arc
• Shielded-metal arc
• Flux-cored arc
• Gas metal arc
• Plasma arc
• Electron-beam
• Laser beam
• Electroslag
• Atomic hydrogen welding

These nine varieties can be divided into three categories: friction, arc, and electron beam. Friction welding uses mechanical friction and can be used even for wood and aluminum applications. It doesn’t use filler metals or requires a shielding gas, so it’s being used in various industries to firmly bond wood and lightweight aluminum products.

Arc weldingĚýis the most popular and familiar style. Whether you pick up a manual, automatic, or semi-automatic welder, it’s important to learn how to create successful joints with an arc welder. TIG, MIG, GTAW, and other common welding styles all fall under this category.

A high-tech welding style is laser welding. This style is commonly automated and used for deep welds. Electron beam welding requires a vacuum, while laser beam welders can be used in air.

Common Applications

Becoming a welderĚýis an exciting way to dive into an essential industry and create cutting-edge mechanical and electronic devices. Prospective welders can enjoy a career in one of these industries:

• Automotive
• Aerospace
• Construction
• Energy
• Art

While much of the automotive manufacturing process is automated, skilled welders are still required for precise tasks, repair projects, and custom-made vehicles. Try your hand at welding a chassis, replacing a body panel, or performing other duties to prepare a vehicle for its first ride.

Airplanes require lightweight components and flawless welds to pass safety standards before taking to the skies. Use innovative welding practices to join lightweight aluminum components. Work side-by-side with engineers to create a private, military, or commercial plane.

Commercial buildings use steel beams and other components to soar above wood construction projects. Try your hand at welding on the construction site to watch a skyscraper or high-rise office become a reality before your eyes.

The energy sector needs welders to fix pipelines, construct well shafts, and finish lithium-ion batteries. Work with a leading oil and gas company or help promote renewable energies by constructing green energy alternatives. Working in the energy sector may give you the opportunity to travel to remote workplaces to repair and install key components around the country.

Finally, some welders are using their technical skills to create artwork for their local community. Create stunning statues and inspiring murals out of steel components.

Welding can complement other artistic mediums or create stand-alone artwork.

Start Your Welding Career at ĐÇżŐ´«Ă˝

So, how does welding work? If you’re ready to learn more about this practical and highly sought skill, it’s time to head to ĐÇżŐ´«Ă˝. Launch a career in automotive, renewable energy, or construction today by enrolling inĚýa welding program at El Cajon, California.

Learn about gas metal arc welding, SMAW pipe fitting and layout, and other key welding skills before applying for jobs in your area or around the country. Learn more about our welding program atĚýĚýto discover a great way to expand your skills or start a new career. Work with small classes, dedicated instructors, and cutting-edge course work to spark your interest in welding for various industries.

Explore the basics of welding, how welding works, common welding tools and how you can receive hands-on welding training at ĐÇżŐ´«Ă˝.

The Purpose of Welding

The basic purpose of welding is to join two elements together with a firm connection. Welders typically work with metal or thermoplastic and use durable filler material to bind them together. Welding is used to create many modern constructions in our world, such as skyscrapers, cars, ships and airplanes.

In the past, builders used other methods of joining metal workpieces. Soldering, brazing and riveting are all alternatives to welding. Learn why welding has become the standard joining option for many industries and why it’s such a highly prized skill in industrial applications and manufacturing.

Welding Basics

Welding works by joining two materials together without a separate binder material. Unlike brazing and soldering, which use a binder that has a lower melting point, welding joins the two workpieces directly together. Understanding this difference is key to understanding welding and why it’s preferred for durable, long-lasting construction.

Common Types of Welding

There are three main welding techniques, so it’s important to understand each option and to know how strong is weld material for your welding applications. Here are the three basic welding techniques available to modern welders:

• Gas welding
• Arc welding
• Laser welding

Arc welding uses an electrical arc to melt work material. First, a grounding wire is attached to the material. Next, the welder places an electrode lead against the work material. As the welder draws the electrode away from the material, it creates an electric arc, otherwise known as an ongoing plasma discharge from the electrical breakdown of gas. Arc welders use either AC or DC power and are used to produce a very concentrated, narrow weld point.

Gas welding is another common welding type. Also known as oxy-fuel welding, it’s an older and more common option. Gas is funneled to a welding stick, or point of focus, and ignited to create a high-temperature flame. It’s best used for high-alloy steels. While the weld point is less concentrated than electric welding, it’s much hotter and more suitable for particularly tough alloys.

Laser welding is the latest innovation in welding technology. This technique is currently only used in large industrial applications. Laser welders use a high-energy beam to fuse materials together. It’s a costly system that requires expert control and finesse.

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Benefits of Welding

Compared to other joining methods, welding offers a number of benefits. Here are just a few reasons why many industrial construction processes weld materials together:

• Durable bond
• Flawless seam
• Superior melting point
• Efficient and versatile system

These benefits make welding a highly sought after skill for automotive, construction and industrial companies. Whether you love working with your hands or are interested in an in-demand, highly paid career, find out if a welding technician is the right career path for you.

“Everything we teach is to prepare you for two things: AWS Certification testing and to receive the necessary skills to get you started in the field of your choice of Structural work or Fabrication work.”

Troy Malinowski, Welding Instructor

The Tools of the Trade

Find out what you need to prepare for a career as a welder. Here are some basic gear and equipment that you need to get started as a welder. Check out all these weld tool options and learn more about the pros and cons of each option.

Before you start up any welder, you need the right safety equipment and location. Welding emits an extreme amount of heat, sparks and metal slag. Protective clothing is essential to protect yourself from burns while working. A welding mask protects your eyes from the bright light of a welder. Extreme temperatures create a light so bright that it can harm your eyes.

The sheer variety of welder tools can be overwhelming. Compare them carefully and use your desired application to find the best welder type for you. If you’re training as a welder, ask your instructor about the best welder for beginners. Here are some common welder types to consider:

• Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) or stick welding
• Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) or MIG welding
• Submerged arc welding (SAW)
• Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) or TIG welding

Your metal and the type of weld you’re hoping to achieve determine the best welder for your purpose. Some welders are better suited for large, structural welds, while others are best for detailed, surface welds that are easy to buff to a flawless finish.

How To Become a Welder

If you’re ready to become a welder, you need to learn how to weld steel safely and effectively. There are many technical skills required to become a welder, so it can be difficult to break into the industry on your own. Join a welding program in California to prepare yourself for an exciting career as a welder.

ĐÇżŐ´«Ă˝ has locations across California that train you in the latest technologies of the welding industry. Compare popular ĐÇżŐ´«Ă˝ trade programs to discover the best option for your interests and career goals. After your training course, you can expect a lucrative and fulfilling career as a welding technician in the construction, automotive, ironwork or factory industries.

Contact us to learn more about our welding program and find out how you can start your journey today. Learn more about the welding process, the latest equipment, our admission process and financial aid for your new course.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

Also known as “stick welding,” it is generally used in construction, fabrication, pipeline work and in the repair of heavy equipment. SMAW is a type of arc welding that uses a hand-held welding rod.

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)

MIG welding (Metal Inert Gas welding), as it is also known, is similar to SMAW because the electrode is also consumable. The difference is that in GMAW, a solid wire fed through the welding gun melts, rather than a rod.

Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

Yet another type of welding, FCAW provides the speed of GMAW and the efficiency of SMAW. It also uses a wire that feeds through a welding gun, but this one has a flux core like the electrodes used in stick welding, eliminating the need for inert gas.

How to become a welder

Enroll in the welding programs at ĐÇżŐ´«Ă˝, and you can qualify to work as a welder in a variety of industries in just nine months. Choose from convenient day, afternoon or evening schedules in any of ĐÇżŐ´«Ă˝â€™s three locations (Colton, El Cajon and Santa Ana). You’ll get hands-on instruction from industry pros in state-of-the-art welding facilities. Moreover, you’ll benefit from personalized instruction and career services to help you find that important first job.

Call today and train for a welding career, one that O*NET OnLine expects to grow by 128,500 jobs between 2014 and 2024.