Welding Engineer
Snapshot
Welding engineers research and develop optimal effective welding techniques and design the corresponding, equally efficient equipment to aid in the welding process. They also conduct quality control and evaluate inspection procedures for welding activities. Welding engineers have advanced knowledge and critical understanding of welding technology application. They are able to manage high complex technical and professional activities or projects related to welding applications, while also taking responsibility for the decision making process.
Welding engineers are highly skilled professionals who combine engineering principles with a deep understanding of welding technology. Your days will involve researching and developing innovative welding techniques, designing specialized equipment, and ensuring the quality and safety of welding operations. You'll analyze welding procedures, conduct inspections, and troubleshoot any issues that arise, often managing complex projects and making critical decisions related to welding applications.
- • Researching and developing new welding techniques and processes to improve efficiency and quality.
- • Designing and evaluating welding equipment and tools, ensuring they meet performance and safety standards.
- • Conducting quality control inspections and developing inspection procedures to verify weld integrity.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Science and engineering professionals — 274 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia and 6 more.
Longest-running shortage: Ireland, 4 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $112,860 2025-05 | +5.7% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2025 * | — | +35.5% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Australia | Shortage reported Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £50,594 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
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Future Outlook for welding engineer
The outlook for welding engineer 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 welding engineer 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.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- ensure fulfilment of legal requirements
- liaise with managers
- operate oxy-fuel welding torch
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- use technical drawing software
- perform welding inspection
- spot metal imperfections
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
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 welding engineer
09 09:00 · Morning perform welding inspection
10 10:30 · Mid-morning select filler metal
12 12:00 · Midday adjust engineering designs
14 14:00 · Afternoon apply arc welding techniques
15 15:30 · Late afternoon apply technical communication skills
17 17:00 · Wrap-up approve engineering design
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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operate oxy-fuel welding torch
Operate a cutting torch fueled by oxyacetylene gas safely to perform welding processes on a workpiece.
-
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.
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operate welding equipment
Use welding equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, wearing protective eyewear during the working process.
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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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perform welding inspection
Inspect and assure the quality of welded metals using diverse testing techniques.
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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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develop new welding techniques
Design and optimise new techniques for welding together metal pieces; devise a solution to a welding problem after having performed research into the matter. Take into account the properties of the welding materials and the equipment.
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define technical requirements
Specify technical properties of goods, materials, methods, processes, services, systems, software and functionalities by identifying and responding to the particular needs that are to be satisfied according to customer requirements.
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prepare production prototypes
Prepare early models or prototypes in order to test concepts and replicability possibilities. Create prototypes to assess for pre-production tests.
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draw design sketches
Create rough pictures to assist in creating and communicating design concepts.
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adjust engineering designs
Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.
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perform scientific research
Gain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.
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use technical drawing software
Create technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.
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research welding techniques
Use a wide network to inform yourself of the various existing techniques used for welding metal pieces, their qualities and applications.
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consult technical resources
Read and interpret technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.
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ensure fulfilment of legal requirements
Ensure that all legal requirements are met.
engineering processes
The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
ferrous metal processing
Various processing methods on iron and iron-containing alloys such as steel, stainless steel and pig iron.
- design drawings
- engineering principles
- industrial engineering
- manufacturing processes
- production processes
- technical drawings
- types of metal
- welding techniques
- CAD software
- mathematics
Path to become a welding engineer
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Bachelor's or equivalent level
1,055 programmes in 28 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 336 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Master of Science in Welding Engineering
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven · Belgium
Bachelor of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering Design
Atlantic Technological University · Ireland
These are 6 of 1,391.
Sources
- 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. Source: Hogeronderwijsregister, Flemish government (hogeronderwijsregister.be). Flemish Community of Belgium only.
- 3. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 4. Source: Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Education), CRICOS, data.gov.au, CC BY 2.5 AU. Data as at 01/09/2026. Adapted by NexPath.
- 5. Course information from Qualifax (qualifax.ie), Quality and Qualifications Ireland
- 6. Source: Malta Qualifications Registry, Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (qualifications.mfhea.gov.mt).
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does welding engineer fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of industries employ welding engineers?
What skills are most important for a welding engineer?
Is this a career that typically involves working independently or as part of a team?
How much does Welding Engineer pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data