Welders and related machine operators

Overview

Welders operate welding equipment to weld ferrous and non-ferrous metals. This unit 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. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Also known as:

acetylene welder
aircraft welder
apprentice welder
arc welder
arc welder - pipeline

Median salary

The median salary for this job across Ontario is $58,200

Average hourly wage

Low $21.00

Medium $28.00

High $41.28

Low
The low wage, in most cases, corresponds to the 10th percentile. For example, if the low wage is $12.00/hour, this means that 10% of the workers in the occupation earn $12.00/hour or less.

Medium
The median wage is the indicator of the prevailing wage for each occupation. The median wage is the middle point of the wage distribution, when wages are arranged in numerical order.

High
The high wage, in most cases, corresponds to the 90th percentile. For example, if the high wage is $40.00/hour, this means that 90% of the workers in the occupation earn $40.00/hour or less.

Education and training pathways

To be qualified for this job, completion of an apprenticeship, or a combination of work experience and some postsecondary education, is usually required.

Secondary school or equivalency

An Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalency is usually required to be eligible for trade certification. Students can also get hands-on experience in the trades while in secondary school. If you haven’t completed the required credits, you can earn them through Adult learning programs.

College or university programs

If you’re interested in the trades, a college program is a great place to start working toward your career. Some trades-related college certificate and diploma programs provide graduates who become apprentices with the opportunity to receive automatic exemption from in-class training requirements.

Educational pathways are provided for informational purposes only. Links are included for programs at publicly assisted postsecondary institutions. They may not be inclusive of all relevant programs available in Ontario.

View college programs

Apprenticeships and experience

Completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program or a combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in welding is usually required to be eligible for trade certification. Experience as a machine operator helper and robotics may be required for welding, brazing and soldering machine operators. Several months of on-the-job training are usually provided for welding, brazing and soldering machine operators.

View apprenticeships

Other education or certifications

Required registration and certification

Trade certification for welders is voluntary in Ontario.

Red seal endorsement

Consider earning a Red Seal endorsement for your trade certificate by successfully completing the interprovincial Red Seal examination. This endorsement indicates to employers that you have demonstrated the knowledge required to meet national trade standard and allows you to work in your trade in other provinces and territories without more tests and paperwork.

Micro-credentials

Consider obtaining micro-credentials to gain skills and knowledge relevant to your career. Micro-credentials are rapid training programs that can help you get the skills that employers need.

View micro-credentials

Relevant organizations

Career data by region

See median salary and historical job postings of this career profile based on Economic Region.

Totals for economic regions may be less than total online job postings for the province due to exclusion of postings without reliable information.

Economic Region	Median salary ($)	Historical job postings
Ottawa	58,200	91
Kingston-Pembroke	56,200	33
Muskoka-Kawarthas	56,200	63
Toronto	58,200	1,432
Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie	57,500	347
Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula	56,200	224
London	58,200	119
Windsor-Sarnia	53,000	68
Stratford-Bruce Peninsula	58,200	70
Northeast	66,600	143
Northwest	74,900	7

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About the data

Information on this page is sourced from the National Occupational Classification (NOC), which is Canada’s national system for describing occupations.

NOC Code: NOC 72106

View full job profile

Ontario’s labour market information website is developed for use as a resource to help people explore career options. The job outlooks for each occupation use projections of future job openings and should be interpreted with caution. Shifts in the rate of economic growth, technological developments, business restructuring, or changes in government policies can all affect the future growth prospects or skill requirements of the labour market.

Job outlooks have been developed for Ontario as a whole, and may not reflect the situation in each local labour market. The number and type of employers, the occupational make-up of the workforce, and other local economic conditions all contribute to the employment prospects for an occupation in a given community.

The accuracy of the information presented for in-demand skills and knowledge and other sections based on job posting data depends, in part, on whether jobs are categorized into the correct occupational groups. In some cases, job postings may be incorrectly attributed to an occupational grouping and the data should be interpreted with caution

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