Occupation
Welder
Welders join and repair metal using processes such as stick, MIG, TIG, and flux-cored arc welding, working to a specified procedure and often to a formal qualification test. The trade rewards steady hand control and preparation, since fit-up, cleanliness, and heat management usually determine whether a weld passes inspection. Work ranges from shop fabrication to structural and pressure work on site.
Also known as: Welder-fitter · Fabricator welder · Fusion welder
Occupation content
Part of Skilled trades, maintenance and repair
What the work involves
- Read drawings and welding symbols to identify joint type, process, position, and filler metal.
- Prepare and fit up joints: cutting, bevelling, cleaning, tacking, and setting alignment.
- Set machine parameters and weld to the specified procedure in the required position.
- Control distortion and heat input, and preheat or interpass-check where the procedure calls for it.
- Inspect welds visually, grind and repair defects, and present work for testing.
- Maintain equipment, gas, and consumables and follow hot-work, fume, and fire-watch controls.
How people commonly enter
- A registered welding apprenticeship with a fabrication shop or industrial contractor.
- A college or trade-school welding programme covering the common processes and positions.
- Entry as a shop helper or fitter, adding welding tickets by testing to the procedures an employer uses.
- Process- and position-specific qualification testing taken by an existing welder to widen the work they can take on.
Typical training: Apprenticeship
Licensing: Certification common, not usually required
Pathways: Apprenticeship route
Typical work context
Lab or workshop · Physically active · Client sites · Shift work · High responsibility
Related interests
Realistic (hands-on) · Conventional (organizing)
Related aptitude preparation
These are preparation links only. They do not measure eligibility for this occupation and no score here qualifies or disqualifies anyone.
Skills to practise
Practice suites
Related learning
Family-level learning links for Skilled trades, maintenance and repair.
Official sources
Labour-market facts such as pay and employment projections are not reproduced here. Open an official source below for figures, with its own geography and reference period.
- US BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers · United States
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- Red Seal Program — Designated Red Seal trades · Canada
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- UK National Careers Service — Explore careers · United Kingdom
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Labour-market context (not part of exploration match)
This is broad family-level context for Skilled trades, maintenance and repair in Canada, not a figure for Welder. It does not affect matching scores and is not an eligibility determination.
This is a broad Skilled trades, maintenance and repair family. Explore the official profile for the chosen occupation; entry education and training can differ within the family.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Skilled trades, maintenance and repair: education pathways
Some roles in Skilled trades, maintenance and repair may be regulated. Confirm whether the specific role requires registration, certification, or a jurisdiction-specific licence.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Skilled trades, maintenance and repair: licensing
Find jobs
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- Search Canada Job Bank · Canada
- Search USAJOBS · United States federal
- Search EURES · European Union / EEA
- Search Indeed · International (choose location on Indeed)