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Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production · SOC 51-4122
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$47,920
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
3,700
Proj. Annual Openings
31,600
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-1.7%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-4122 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $47,920
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 3,700
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -9.0%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 4,291 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingOperation and Control
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure0.7%
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
15.5%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI6.8%
AI ability · AIOE39.7%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne61%
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Active Listening
3.Speaking
4.Critical Thinking
5.Operation and Control
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Braze Operator, Certified Welder, Fabricator, Finishing Technician (Finishing Tech), Laser Operator, Machine Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
- •Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
- •Record operational information on specified production reports.
- •Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
- •Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
- •Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Operate welding equipment.
- •Record operational or production data.
Tools & Technologies
Linux · hotMicrosoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotMicrosoft Windows · hotSAP software · hotEmail software
Related Occupations
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersMilling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticStructural Metal Fabricators and FittersLathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticAircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
15
Occupations Shown
0.5%
Avg AI Exposure
1
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Multi-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 51-4122: 2019 — employment: 35,110, median wage: $38,310; 2020 — employment: 33,150, median wage: $39,410; 2021 — employment: 29,980, median wage: $38,580; 2022 — employment: 30,940, median wage: $44,920; 2023 — employment: 33,020, median wage: $45,350; 2025 — employment: 31,600, median wage: $47,920.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $47,920 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |