Occupation intelligence

Welding Coordinator

Key facts

Welding coordinators supervise the workflow of welding applications. They monitor welding processes performed by other welders, supervise the staff, being sometimes responsible for vocational training. They also weld particularly demanding parts. Welding coordinators ensure that the necessary welding equipment is ready for usage. They mostly coordinate welding applications and related professional activities.

Labour market
Shortage in Ireland and 20 more countries
ELA/EURES 2025
Industry
Construction
Education
Upper secondary education
61%
Resilience Score · 2026 (Higher is better)
Upper secondary education 25% AI exposure · 2026
Labour market

Where this occupation is in demand

Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.

Figures cover Metal, machinery and related trades workers — 106 jobs including this one.

22 of 23 in shortage20258 of 30 growing1.6Mopenings to 2035

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.

Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading
Reported demand Typical pay Where it is heading
United States Not reported $74,450 2025-05 +1.2% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034
Ireland Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2025 * — +15.1% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 *
Australia Shortage reported Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * — —
Malta Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * — —
United Kingdom Not reported £34,742 2025-provisional —

* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)

Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0

Do you guide students, clients or employees? Use this occupation data in your organisation.

NexFuture™

Future Outlook for welding coordinator

The outlook for welding coordinator 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.

Play the future
How could welding coordinator change as AI adoption grows?

This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.

Significant task-level transformation is estimated in 16 years (around 2042) under the selected Expected Pace scenario.
~60%
Resilience
Automation Risk
EXP~25%
Human advantage
MOAT~65%

Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.

2026
2035
2047
AI Adoption Speed:

Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.

How AI may change this role

Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.

61% Human-owned

What still depends on people

  • adhere to organisational guidelines
  • follow company standards
  • coordinate communication within a team
The Human Edge To stay ahead in this role, focus on flammable fluids and types of metal. These human-centric skills are the hardest for AI to replicate in the next 20 years.
12% Assist

Where AI may become a co-pilot

  • inspect quality of products
  • perform welding inspection
  • spot metal imperfections
25% Automate

Tasks most exposed to automation

  • record production data for quality control
Detailed Analysis

Vital Signs & AI Vectors

AI Exposure Vectors

0-100%
AI / Machine Learning 12%

Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks

Generative AI 9%

Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools

Robotic & Physical Automation 4%

Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement

Cognitive Software 0%

Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation

Technical Details
Methodology: NexFuture v3.0 Sources: O*NET® 30.3, ESCO v1.2.1 Updated: Oct 2026

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.

Day in the life

What people in this role usually do

Construction

Day in the life

A typical day as a welding coordinator

09
09:00 · Morning
perform welding inspection
Inspect and assure the quality of welded metals using diverse testing techniques.
10
10:30 · Mid-morning
coordinate communication within a team
Collect contact info for all team members and decide on modes of communication.
12
12:00 · Midday
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.
14
14:00 · Afternoon
adhere to organisational guidelines
Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.
15
15:30 · Late afternoon
analyse staff capacity
Evaluate and identify staffing gaps in quantity, skills, performance revenue and surpluses.
17
17:00 · Wrap-up
apply arc welding techniques
Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of arc welding, such as shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, submerged arc welding, flux-cored arc welding, and others.

Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.

Skills & knowledge

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.

Essential skills
joining parts using soldering, welding or brazing techniques
  • apply arc welding techniques

    Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of arc welding, such as shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, submerged arc welding, flux-cored arc welding, and others.

  • operate welding equipment

    Use welding equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, wearing protective eyewear during the working process.

  • 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.

  • 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.

monitoring quality of products
  • inspect quality of products

    Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.

  • perform welding inspection

    Inspect and assure the quality of welded metals using diverse testing techniques.

  • 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.

complying with operational procedures
  • adhere to organisational guidelines

    Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

  • follow company standards

    Lead and manage according to the organisation's code of conduct.

collaborating and liaising
  • coordinate communication within a team

    Collect contact info for all team members and decide on modes of communication.

  • liaise with managers

    Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.

maintaining operational records
  • record production data for quality control

    Keep records of the machine's faults, interventions and irregularities for quality control.

monitoring safety or security
  • identify hazards in the workplace

    Perform safety audits and inspections on workplaces and workplace equipment. Ensure that they meet safety regulations and identify hazards and risks.

directing operational activities
  • ensure finished product meet requirements

    Ensure that finished products meet or exceed company specifications.

allocating and controlling physical resources
  • ensure equipment availability

    Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.

monitoring and evaluating the performance of individuals
  • evaluate employees work

    Evaluate the need for labour for the work ahead. Evaluate the performance of the team of workers and inform superiors. Encourage and support the employees in learning, teach them techniques and check the application to ensure product quality and labour productivity.

supervising a team or group
  • supervise staff

    Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.

Knowledge areas & Software & Technologies
Knowledge areas
  • ferrous metal processing

    Various processing methods on iron and iron-containing alloys such as steel, stainless steel and pig iron.

  • types of metal manufacturing processes

    Metal processes linked to the different types of metal, such as casting processes, heat treatment processes, repair processes and other metal manufacturing processes.

Cross-sector skills
  • flammable fluids
  • types of metal
  • welding techniques
  • first aid
Software & Technologies
Extensible markup language XMLMozilla FirefoxApple SafariKronos Workforce TimekeeperOracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOneMinitabMicrosoft Internet ExplorerDelphi TechnologySupervisory control and data acquisition SCADA softwareComputer aided design CAD softwareComputer aided manufacturing CAM softwareInventory management softwareOperational databasesHCSS HeavyJobTimekeeping softwareEpicor Vantage ERPGoogle ChromeResource planning softwareBowen & Groves M1 ERPExact MAXSYSPRO business softwareWork Technology WorkTech TimeAptean Made2ManageSAP Business OneGiraffe Production Systems Giraffe Schedule SystemTotal quality management TQM softwareMaterials management softwareNetSuite NetERPCapterra Enterprise Resource PlanningEncompix ERPEpicor Vista ERPGHG ClockwiseIntacct ERPIntegrated materials management systemsMicrosoft AxaptaMicrosoft Total Quality Control ManagementQA Software QMS Materials ManagementRetain Resource PlanningTechnology Group International Enterprise 21 ERP
Key traits you need
Dependability Integrity Achievement/Effort Cooperation Initiative Persistence Concern for Others Leadership Attention to Detail Self-Control Social Orientation Stress Tolerance Adaptability/Flexibility Independence Analytical Thinking Innovation
Key rewards you can expect
AchievementWorking Condit…RecognitionRelationshipsSupportIndependence
How to qualify

Path to become a welding coordinator

What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.

Typical education level

Upper secondary education

Where to study

218 programmes in 21 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 245 short courses that build single skills.

A few examples, taught in the language of this page:

Vocational New Zealand Certificate in Welding (Level 3)

Whitireia and WelTec · New Zealand

Vocational ТЕХНИЧАР ВУЧЕ

Welding Technician

Serbia

Vocational ЗАВАРИВАЧ

Welder

Serbia

Degree Master of Science in Welding Engineering

Master of Science in Welding Engineering

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven · Belgium

Vocational Welding - Traineeship

Ireland

Short course

Engineering Skills (TC)

Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board · Ireland

EQF 3 Stated route to this job Source 5
Sources
  1. 1. Source: Study with New Zealand (studywithnewzealand.govt.nz), Education New Zealand. Copyright in the material is owned by Education New Zealand (All content (c) Education New Zealand). Listings are provided by the education providers, are for information and promotional purposes only, and are not endorsed by Education New Zealand; each provider is responsible for its own content.
  2. 2. Source: Study in Serbia, an initiative of Foundation Tempus (bazaobrazovanja.rs).
  3. 3. Source: Hogeronderwijsregister, Flemish government (hogeronderwijsregister.be). Flemish Community of Belgium only.
  4. 4. Course information from Qualifax (qualifax.ie), Quality and Qualifications Ireland
  5. 5. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
Career progression

Growth Pathways & Similar Roles

Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.

For organisations

The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

What kind of training or experience is typically needed to become a welding coordinator?
A strong foundation in welding is essential, typically requiring several years of experience as a qualified welder. Additional training in supervisory skills, quality control, and welding codes is highly beneficial. While formal qualifications aren't always mandatory, demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning is important.
Does this role require me to be physically present on a worksite?
Yes, the welding coordinator role typically requires a significant amount of time on worksites where welding activities are taking place. This allows for direct supervision, quality checks, and troubleshooting as needed.
I'm interested in starting my own welding coordination business. Is that a common path?
While most welding coordinators are employed by companies, self-employment is also a viable option. Many experienced coordinators establish their own businesses, offering consulting, project management, and specialized welding services to various clients. This path requires strong business acumen alongside technical expertise.
How much does Welding Coordinator pay in the United States?
$71,190 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $45,100 to $90,390. 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 October 3, 2026 About our data