Since the welding industry has crossover with so many other essential industries, the workforce is uniquely diverse, spanning a wide range of standard and specialized roles. This is a positive not only for job availability, but also for individual job seekers' choice. The diversity allows welders to choose a pathway that interests them or aligns perfectly with their certifications and skill set.

To name a few, there are boilermakers, sheet metal workers, structural ironworkers and steelworkers, metal fabricators and fitters, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers, machine operators, welding instructors, welding inspectors, and so much more!

The American Welding Society and Lincoln Electric have collaborated to create this great resource that lets you filter through level of education, minimum pay, and desired location to find the career in welding that’s perfect for you. 

There's no single figure for how much a welder earns since salaries vary depending on the type of job, experience level, and location, but welding is still a well-paying trade with high earning potential! 

National averages put boilermakers at a median salary of $71,000 per year*, ironworkers at around $62,000 per year*, and fabricators approximately $48,500 per year* - and that's just the average you can achieve with only a high school diploma. 

Seeking out further education or certifications can earn you more! For instance with an associate degree shipfitters earn a national average of $60,00 per year*, welding educators a median pay of $62,000 per year*, and a technical salesperson an average of $64,000 per year*.

Getting a bachelor's degree or a master's degree can open up opportunities like being a welding engineer making a median average $95,000 per year* or a welding research scientist earning a national average of $115,000 per year*.

Aluminum TIG welding (GTAW) is known for producing clean, high-quality welds, but it also presents unique challenges. One of the most common is crater formation at the end of your weld. While these craters might appear cosmetic, unfortunately, it's deeper than that. These craters act as stress concentrators and can lead to cracking with time. Preventing them is essential for producing structurally sound aluminum welds, so let's talk about why it happens and the steps you can take to avoid it. 

​Craters can form for various reasons, and understanding them is important for troubleshooting. Aluminum’s high thermal conductivity and rapid solidification make it particularly susceptible to this issue. Craters tend to form when your arc is terminated too abruptly or when your weld pool cools unevenly. Without enough filler metal to compensate for the shrinkage that happens during cooling, your weld is left vulnerable to cracking.

Now, let's go over the steps you can take to prevent this issue from happening in your shop!

First things first is surface prep. This step is critical because aluminum quickly forms a natural oxide layer on its surface. Aluminum oxide melts at about 3700 °F, while aluminum itself melts at roughly 1200 °F. Because of that difference, the oxide does not melt along with the base metal. Instead, it can float to the surface of the weld puddle, leading to porosity, incomplete fusion, cracking, or craters. 

Proper surface prep includes:

• ​Chemical cleaning with an aluminum prep solution containing hydrofluoric acid to remove oils and residues
• A stainless steel wire brush dedicated to aluminum can be used as an alternative for non-critical repairs, but it often just moves oxides around rather than fully removing them. ​

The last factor to consider when trying to avoid crater formation is how you end your weld. A commonly made mistake here is abruptly breaking your arc.

What you should do instead is:

• Slow your travel speed
• Add more filler metal to keep your weld puddle full at the end, which compensates for shrinkage. 
• And gradually taper down your amperage, gradually backing off the foot pedal over 2 to 4 seconds.
• Keep the torch in place after extinguishing the arc to maintain shielding gas coverage while it cools.
  

These steps allow you to control the cooling, which lets your weld pool solidify more evenly and reduces internal stresses. Some machines conveniently have a crater fill function, but if yours doesn't, manual control is essential and well worth the extra attention.

If you've had your eye on a Powermax45 SYNC then now is the time to buy! With your purchase of a new Powermax45 SYNC from us, you'll get a $450 gift card! Put that $450 towards anything you want, like consumables, cartridges, and gear!

This deal is a limited time offer, only available from now, February 23rd,  until June 30th, 2026! Get your reward before the opportunity is gone. Get the full details on how to redeem your $450 below!