# 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.

- **SOC code:** 51-4122.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-4122-00
- **Also known as:** Fabricator, Machine Operator, Mig Welder, Spot Welder, Braze Operator, Certified Welder, Finishing Technician (Finishing Tech), Laser Operator
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- 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.
- Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces.
- Record operational information on specified production reports.
- Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
- Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
- Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.
- Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements, as necessary.
- Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.
- Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.
- Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.
- Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Production and Processing _(knowledge)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Control Precision _(ability)_
- Administration and Management _(knowledge)_
- Operations Monitoring _(transferable_skill)_
- Operation and Control _(transferable_skill)_
- Visualization _(ability)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Design _(knowledge)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Information Ordering _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Windows _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Linux _(Specialized Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Linux _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Windows _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- SAP software _(hot technology)_
- Email software
- Tool center point TCP setting software

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 15th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 17th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 13th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 23rd percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 52nd percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -9.0% growth (Declining); 3.2k annual openings; 38.9k → 35.4k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $47,060; 36,290 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

---
_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-4122-00_