Solderer
Role lens
Solderers operate various equipment and machinery such as gas torches, soldering irons, welding machines, or electric-ultrasonic equipment in order to solder together two or more items (usually metals), by melting and forming a metal filler in between the joints, the filler metal has a lower melting point than the adjoining metal.
Soldering is a vital process in manufacturing and repair across numerous industries. As a solderer, your daily tasks involve carefully selecting appropriate filler metals, setting up equipment like soldering irons and torches, and meticulously joining components. Accuracy and attention to detail are essential to prevent defects and ensure the reliability of the finished product. You’ll often work from blueprints or technical drawings, following precise instructions to achieve the required joint strength and appearance.
- • Preparing metal surfaces for soldering, including cleaning and fluxing.
- • Operating soldering equipment such as gas torches, soldering irons, and specialized machines.
- • Selecting and applying appropriate solder alloys based on the materials being joined.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Metal, machinery and related trades workers — 106 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia and 18 more.
Longest-running shortage: Austria, 3 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person's chances. It describes a market.
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Could solderer fit you?
Answer three quick questions. This is not a full assessment — it is a teaser to help you decide whether to compare your profile.
Do you enjoy tasks that require Dependability?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Attention to Detail?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Leadership?
Future Outlook for solderer
The outlook for solderer reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could solderer change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- wear appropriate protective gear
- apply soldering techniques
- monitor gauge
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- spot metal imperfections
- prepare pieces for joining
- remove inadequate workpieces
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Advanced Manufacturing
A typical day as a solderer
09 09:00 · Morning ensure equipment availability
10 10:30 · Mid-morning select filler metal
12 12:00 · Midday apply flux
14 14:00 · Afternoon apply precision metalworking techniques
15 15:30 · Late afternoon apply soldering techniques
17 17:00 · Wrap-up ensure correct metal temperature
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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apply soldering techniques
Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of soldering, such as soft soldering, silver soldering, induction soldering, resistance soldering, pipe soldering, mechanical and aluminium soldering.
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operate soldering equipment
Use soldering equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, such as a soldering gun, soldering torch, gas-powered iron, and others.
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select filler metal
Select optimal metal used for metal joining purposes, such as zinc, lead or copper metals, specifically for welding, soldering or brazing practices.
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monitor gauge
Oversee the data presented by a gauge concerning the measurement of pressure, temperature, thickness of a material, and others.
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perform test run
Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
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prepare pieces for joining
Prepare metal or other material workpieces for joining processes by cleaning the workpieces, checking their measurements with the technical plan and marking on the pieces where they'll be joined.
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remove inadequate workpieces
Evaluate which deficient processed workpieces do not meet the set-up standard and should be removed and sort the waste according to regulations.
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spot metal imperfections
Observe and identify various kinds of imperfections in metal workpieces or finished products. Recognise the best fitted manner of fixing the problem, which could be caused by corrosion, rust, fractures, leaks, and other signs of wear.
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remove processed workpiece
Remove individual workpieces after processing, from the manufacturing machine or the machine tool. In case of a conveyor belt this involves quick, continuous movement.
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wear appropriate protective gear
Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
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ensure equipment availability
Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.
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apply flux
Apply a chemical cleaning agent, such as ammonium chloride, rosin, hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride, borax, and others, that removes the oxidation from metals being joined during soldering, brazing, and welding processes.
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apply precision metalworking techniques
Comply with precision standards specific to an organisation or product in metalworking, involved in processes such as engraving, precise cutting, welding.
ferrous metal processing
Various processing methods on iron and iron-containing alloys such as steel, stainless steel and pig iron.
manufacture of small metal parts
The manufacture of metal cable, plaited bands and other articles of that type, uninsulated or insulated cable not capable of being used as a conductor of electricity, coated or cored wire as well as barbed wire, wire fencing, grill, netting, cloth etc. Manufacture of coated electrodes for electric arc-welding, nails and pins, chain and springs (except watch springs), as well as leaves for springs.
manufacturing of door furniture from metal
The manufacture of metal items that can be attached to a door in order to support its function and appearance. The manufacture of padlocks, locks, keys, hinges and the like, and hardware for buildings, furniture, vehicles etc.
manufacturing of heating equipment
The manufacture of electrical ovens and water heaters by metalworking processes.
manufacturing of metal household articles
The manufacture of flatware , hollowware , dinnerware and other non-electrical utensils for use at the table or in the kitchen.
manufacturing of tools
The manufacture of knives and cutting blades for machines or for mechanical appliances, hand tools such as pliers, screwdrivers etc. The manufacture of non-power-driven agricultural hand tools, saws and saw blades, including circular saw blades and chainsaw blades. The manufacture of interchangeable tools for hand tools, whether or not power-operated, or for machine tools: drills, punches, milling cutters etc. The manufacture of press tools, moulding boxes and moulds (except ingot moulds), vices and clamps, and blacksmiths’ tools: forges, anvils etc.
manufacturing of weapons and ammunition
The manufacture of heavy weapons (artillery, mobile guns, rocket launchers, torpedo tubes, heavy machine guns), small arms (revolvers, shotguns, light machine guns), air or gas guns and pistols, and war ammunition. Also the manufacture of hunting, sporting or protective firearms and ammunition and of explosive devices such as bombs, mines and torpedoes.
non-ferrous metal processing
Various processing methods on non-ferrous metals and alloys such as copper, zinc and aluminium.
precious metal processing
Various processing methods on precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum.
- quality standards
- torch temperature for metal processes
- types of metal
See whether this role fits your Career DNA
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Scan to continue on mobilePath to become a solderer
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Upper secondary education
Real programmes leading to this occupation, by country.
Award in IPC standard soldering
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does solderer fit?
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Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What types of materials do solderers typically work with?
- While soldering is most commonly associated with metals like copper, tin, and lead, solderers often work with a variety of materials including electronics components, circuit boards, and occasionally plastics or ceramics that require specialized soldering techniques.
- Is soldering a physically demanding job?
- Soldering can involve repetitive hand movements and periods of standing or bending. While not considered extremely physically demanding, maintaining good posture and using proper techniques is important to prevent strain. Some roles may require working in confined spaces.
- What skills are important for success as a solderer?
- Beyond technical skills in operating equipment and selecting materials, strong hand-eye coordination, attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and the ability to interpret technical drawings are crucial. Following safety protocols is also paramount.
- How much does Solderer pay in the United States?
- $51,000 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $30,220 to $80,840. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated September 20, 2026 About our data