About the job
Welders operate welding equipment to weld ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
This group also includes machine operators who operate previously set up production welding, brazing and soldering equipment. They are employed by companies that manufacture structural steel and platework, boilers, heavy machinery, aircraft and ships and other metal products, and by welding contractors and welding shops, or they may be self-employed.
- Read and interpret blueprints or welding process specifications.
- Operate manual or semi-automatic welding equipment to fuse metal segments using processes such as gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), plasma arc welding (PAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), oxy-acetylene welding (OAW), resistance welding and submerged arc welding (SAW).
- Operate manual or semi-automatic flame-cutting equipment.
- Operate brazing and soldering equipment.
- Operate metal shaping machines such as brakes, shears and other metal straightening and bending machines.
- Repair worn parts of metal products by welding on extra layers.
- Operate previously set up welding machines such as spot, butt and seam resistance or gas and arc welding machines to fabricate or repair metal parts.
- Operate previously set up brazing or soldering machines to bond metal parts or to fill holes, indentations and seams of metal articles with solder.
- Start up, shut down, adjust and monitor robotic welding production line.
- Assist with the maintenance and repair of welding, brazing and soldering equipment.
- May adjust welding heads and tooling according to work specifications.
Welders may specialize in certain types of welding such as custom fabrication, ship building and repair, aerospace precision welding, pressure vessel welding, pipeline construction welding, structural construction welding, or machinery and equipment repair welding.
- fabrication welder
- gas and arc welder
- high pressure welder
- maintenance welder
- production welder
- spot welder
- submerged arc welder
- welder
- welding machine operator
For this occupation you should enjoy working with your hands. Good hand-eye coordination, physical strength, and stamina are necessary. You must also be cautious, alert, and able to concentrate over long periods of time. The ability to perform mathematical functions is helpful. In most cases, you must also be able to cooperate and coordinate your work with others.
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a three-year apprenticeship program or a combination of over three years of work experience in the trade and some college or industry courses in welding is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Trade certification is available, but voluntary, in Nova Scotia.
- Red Seal Endorsement (RSE) is also available to qualified welders upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
- Some secondary school education is required.
- Several months of on-the-job training are usually provided.
- Experience as a machine operator helper may be required.
- Experience with robotics may be required.
The wage rate for apprentices is usually a percentage of the journeyperson rate, increasing upon completion of each stage of the apprenticeship program. Shiftwork is common in these trades. Experience as a machine operator helper and experience with robotics may be required. Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Labour Market Information
The employment outlook over the next few years for this occupational group is “good”, which indicates the chances of a qualified individual finding work is better than average when compared to other occupations in Nova Scotia. This is a fairly large occupation in Nova Scotia so job opportunities occur fairly regularly. The number employed in this occupation is expected to grow moderately over the next few years, which will likely provide some additional opportunities for employment. With a large percent of workers being 55 years of age and older, retirements are expected to be a key contributor to employment opportunities over the coming years. Welders most commonly work full-time hours. Furthermore, the jobs are typically permanent positions. Also, a fair portion of the workforce is self-employed, so having the option to "work for yourself" may appeal to some individuals’ interests/motivations.
The median employment income for 46% of Welders who worked full-time, year-round in 2015 was $54,897. Across all occupations in Nova Scotia, 59% of those who worked full-time year round had a median employment income of $43,600.
(Source: 2016 Census)
| Occupation | Estimated employment in 2018 | Estimated change in employment between 2017 and 2019 | Estimated openings due to growth and retirements, 2017-2019 | Estimated rate of unemployment in 2018 | Estimated hourly earnings in 2015 (learn more) | Estimated annual earnings in 2015 |
| Welders and Related Machine Operators | 1,680 | Moderate growth | 130 | Moderate | Minimum: $16.00 Median: $24.38 Maximum: $34.00 | Minimum: $10,768 Median: $47,359 Maximum: $89,896 |
| Occupations in Trades and Transportation | 57,925 | Decline slightly | 3,400 | High | Minimum: $13.00 Median: $20.35 Maximum: $34.00 | Minimum: $7,580 Median: $37,269 Maximum: $79,787 |
| Welders and Related Machine Operators | Compared to: Occupations in Trades and Transportation | |
| Percent employed full-time | 94% | 89% |
| Percent self-employed | 20% | 13% |
| Area of Employment | Welders and Related Machine Operators | Compared to: All NS Occupations | ||
| % Employed | Median Annual Income | % Employed | Median Annual Income | |
| Southern | 16% | $36,930 | 12% | $30,581 |
| Northern | 23% | $37,886 | 16% | $33,660 |
| Cape Breton | 17% | $33,782 | 13% | $32,974 |
| Halifax | 34% | $45,641 | 47% | $41,209 |
| Annapolis Valley | 10% | $42,763 | 13% | $32,958 |
| Age | Welders and Related Machine Operators | Compared to: All Trades and Transportation |
| % Employed | % Employed | |
| 15-24 | 13% | x |
| 25-34 | 27% | 13% |
| 35-44 | 23% | 33% |
| 45-54 | 17% | 34% |
| 55-64 | 16% | 19% |
| 65+ | 4% | x |
| Median Age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender | Welders and Related Machine Operators | Compared to: Occupations in Trades and Transportation |
| % Employed | % Employed | |
| Female | 3% | 5% |
| Male | 97% | 95% |
| Education | Welders and Related Machine Operators | Compared to: All Trades and Transportation | ||
| % Employed | Median Annual Income | % Employed | Median Annual Income | |
| Less than high school | 7.5% | $41,131 | 18.2% | $25,753 |
| High school | 8.2% | $64,261 | 25.5% | $28,089 |
| Trades certificate | 47.2% | $72,574 | 29.4% | $40,890 |
| College certificate or diploma | 35.8% | $49,064 | 22.6% | $39,023 |
| University certificate or diploma | 0.9% | x | 1.0% | $35,969 |
| Bachelor's degree | 0.5% | x | 2.7% | $36,972 |
| University advanced certificate or diploma | N/A | x | 0.2% | $41,705 |
| Master's degree | N/A | x | 0.3% | x |
| Doctorate | N/A | x | 0.0% | $36,029 |
| Medicine, dentistry, veterinary, optometry | N/A | x | 0.0% | $3,714 |
| Total | 100% | 100% | ||
Hourly earnings data are from the Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada. Data are not available for all occupations. Hourly earnings are calculated based on usual hours worked per week. This is how an annual salary, for instance, gets converted to an hourly rate. The data include full and part-time workers along with new and experienced workers. Self-employed workers are excluded.
Annual employment income data reported in the Work Prospects section, are from the 2011 National Household Survey by Statistics Canada. Much of the data (around 70%) came directly from tax records. The data relates to the year 2010 and includes total wages and salaries and net income from self-employment.
Employment Requirements & Contacts
Training Paths & Education
This instructional program class comprises any program that defines the prescribed requirements, specified by the appropriate jurisdiction, for the completion of and graduation from a secondary school program of academic subject matter offered for adult learners outside of the regular secondary school program. This does not include adult compensatory education programs resulting in completion of a high school equivalency certificate or diploma.
This instructional program class comprises any program that prepares individuals to construct industrial, storage, and commercial metal structures using prefabricated framing and siding components. These programs include courses in sheet metal working, ironworking, assembly and fastening techniques, blueprint reading, site preparation, structural design principles, safety, and applicable codes and regulations.
This instructional program class comprises any program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to join or cut metal surfaces. These programs include courses in arc welding, resistance welding, brazing and soldering, cutting, high-energy beam welding and cutting, solid state welding, ferrous and non-ferrous materials, oxidation-reduction reactions, welding metallurgy, welding processes and heat treating, structural design, safety, and applicable codes and standards.