AI Career Radar

Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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.

AI exposure44 / 100Moderate exposure

Based on O*NET work context for this occupation. This score does not predict individual job losses.

What drives the score

Automation and repetition raise exposure; freedom to set tasks lowers it. Each measure uses a 0–100 scale.

Degree of automation35
Freedom to set tasks55
Repeating the same tasks56
$47,920Median annual wage, U.S.BLS OEWS
-8.9%Jobs, 2025 to 2035 (decline)BLS Employment Projections
46Skill durability (fragile)Transferability, out of 100

How well your skills transfer

Each skill is scored on how well it transfers into occupations that are growing and less exposed. The ones high on both importance and transfer are worth deepening.

Highest transferability first

Both scores out of 100

Skills ranked by transferability. Both scores use a 0–100 scale.
SkillTransferabilityImportance in current role
Active Listening
63
50
Speaking
63
50
Critical Thinking
63
50
Monitoring
63
50
Judgment and Decision Making
63
44
Complex Problem Solving
62
50
Active Learning
62
41
Coordination
62
41
Reading Comprehension
61
50
Time Management
61
41
Show 25 more skills
Skills ranked by transferability. Both scores use a 0–100 scale.
SkillTransferabilityImportance in current role
Social Perceptiveness
60
35
Writing
60
31
Instructing
58
28
Learning Strategies
58
25
Systems Analysis
57
28
Systems Evaluation
56
28
Service Orientation
56
25
Persuasion
54
25
Mathematics
53
28
Negotiation
52
25
Science
52
19
Management of Personnel Resources
50
28
Operations Analysis
49
22
Installation
48
3
Equipment Maintenance
47
35
Troubleshooting
47
31
Quality Control Analysis
47
31
Equipment Selection
47
28
Management of Material Resources
47
25
Technology Design
47
16
Management of Financial Resources
47
16
Operations Monitoring
46
60
Repairing
46
31
Programming
45
3
Operation and Control
43
56

Compare how well you can use each skill in growing, low-exposure occupations with its importance in your current role. How we score skills.

Jobs you could move to

Compare related occupations by skill overlap, retraining effort, pay and projected growth. Choose a priority to adjust the ranking. Licensing requirements may limit some routes.

79/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$53,140
10-yr growth
+36.5%
Skill gap
23%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Installation, Quality Control Analysis, Troubleshooting, Active Learning

#2TapersSkilled Trades
78/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$68,270
10-yr growth
-1.6%
Skill gap
2%
Retraining
Low
#3Wind Turbine Service TechniciansInstallation & Repair
78/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$64,120
10-yr growth
+29.5%
Skill gap
29%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Troubleshooting, Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Learning Strategies

77/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$135,880
10-yr growth
+21.1%
Skill gap
29%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Service Orientation, Active Learning, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension

77/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$72,300
10-yr growth
+21.5%
Skill gap
29%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Learning Strategies, Instructing

#6Physical Therapist AssistantsHealthcare Support
77/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$68,380
10-yr growth
+23%
Skill gap
27%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Active Listening, Writing

A second source of income, before you need it

This page can tell you where Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders could go and what the move costs. The other route is not a move at all: something small of your own, running alongside the job, started while there is no pressure on it.

Where to learn the missing half: Google Career Certificates for systems analysis · active learning, LinkedIn Learning for writing · speaking, edX for mathematics · reading and PlanetNoCode for complex problem solving. Some of those are affiliate links. It never changes what we list.

Snapshot: O*NET 31.0, BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035. Scoring v2.1.0-onet-31.0. Method on the how it works page.