Welding Instructor: Teaches welding at a high school, community college, or trade school. Typical pay $62k.
Machinist: Uses lathes, mills, and CNC machines to cut metal parts to tiny tolerances. Typical pay $56k.
Tool & Die Maker: Makes the precise molds, dies, and tools factories use to stamp and shape parts. Typical pay $62k.
CNC Programmer: Writes the code that tells CNC machines how to cut metal parts. Typical pay $66k.
Rail Thermite Welder: Joins railroad rails in the field using a fiery chemical reaction that pours molten steel into the gap. Typical pay $62k.
Electron Beam Welding Technician: Runs machines that weld jet engine and rocket parts with a beam of electrons inside a vacuum chamber. Typical pay $68k.
Starter: fastest way in
Welder (Production): Welds parts on a factory line, such as trailers, farm equipment, or appliances. Typical pay $51k.
Fitter / Metal Fabricator: Reads blueprints and fits metal pieces together so welders can join them. Typical pay $48k.
CNC Machine Operator: Loads, runs, and checks CNC machines making metal or plastic parts. Typical pay $48k.
Welder's Helper: Assists welders by grinding, cleaning, and setting up parts. Typical pay $38k.
Brazer: Joins metal parts by melting a filler metal into the joint without melting the parts, for air conditioners, jet engines and medical devices. Typical pay $48k.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.