Welder
Engineering trade joining metal components by manual and machine welding. Strong demand across construction, mining, transport and manufacturing.
Jobs, demand and who does this work
Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Welder (First Class) (322313), the closest official match for welder, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).
- Median weekly earnings (full-time)
- $1,755
- People employed
- 19,900
- Future demand
- Stable
- Work full-time
- 87%
- Average full-time hours
- 44 a week
- Women
- 1%
- Median age
- 42
Where the jobs are (share of workers)
| NSW | 24.3% |
| VIC | 30.4% |
| QLD | 16.9% |
| WA | 16.5% |
| SA | 7.5% |
| TAS | 3.2% |
| ACT | 0.5% |
| NT | 0.7% |
Highest qualification held by workers
| Postgraduate qualification | 0.6% |
| Bachelor degree | 2.8% |
| Diploma or advanced diploma | 4.4% |
| Certificate I-IV | 51.9% |
| Year 12 | 13.2% |
| Below Year 12 | 21.6% |
What a welder actually does
Welders work in workshops, on construction sites and on remote resources jobs. Workshop days run 7am to 4pm and revolve around the fab table: marking out, tacking, then welding components together to drawing. Process choice depends on the work - MIG for structural steel, MMAW (stick) for site work and heavy plate, FCAW for high-deposit-rate work, TIG for stainless and aluminium where appearance and integrity matter. Pressure-vessel and pipeline work pays a premium and requires qualified welds tested by radiography or ultrasonic. Site welders work outdoors in all weather, in tight spaces, at heights, and under time pressure for big-pour and shutdown windows. The work is hot, smoky and bright - welder's eye (arc burn) is real, fume extraction is essential, leathers and helmets are constant. Mining and oil-and-gas FIFO welders are among the highest-paid tradespeople in Australia. The body and lungs take damage over the years; many older welders move into inspection or supervisory roles.
Skills you'll use
- MIG, MMAW, FCAW and TIG welding to position
- Reading WPS (weld procedure specifications) and AS/NZS 1554
- Material identification (carbon, stainless, aluminium, alloy)
- Joint preparation and bevel grinding
- Cutting with oxy-fuel, plasma and air-arc gouging
- Reading fabrication drawings and weld symbols
- Visual inspection and minor defect repair
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 10 with maths and English
- 2Get a White Card (CPCWHS1001) for site work
- 3Sign a 4-year apprenticeship in fabrication or specialise after a Cert II in Welding
- 4Complete the MEM31925 Certificate III in Engineering - Fabrication Trade through TAFE
- 5Pass weld qualification tests under AS/NZS 1554, AS 1796 or pressure-vessel codes
- 6Add Welding Supervisor (AS 2214) certification and an inspection ticket (AS 3992) for senior roles
Where you can work
- General engineering and fabrication workshops
- Mining and resources sites on shutdown and maintenance
- Oil, gas and LNG construction projects
- Power stations and renewable-energy plants
- Heavy-vehicle and trailer manufacturers
- Defence shipbuilding and naval projects
- Self-employed mobile welding contractor
Career progression
Typical stages and roles. Apprentice and tradesperson pay is set by the modern award or enterprise agreement that covers the job; check it with the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool.
- Apprentice4 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice welder, Fourth-year apprentice welder
- Tradesperson0-4 yearsTypical roles: Workshop welder, Site welder, Stainless and TIG specialist
- Coded or FIFO welder5-10 yearsTypical roles: Pressure-vessel welder, Pipeline welder, FIFO shutdown welder
- Supervisor or inspector8+ yearsTypical roles: Welding supervisor, Welding inspector, Workshop owner
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You can hold steady hand and concentration on long welds
- You're comfortable with heat, sparks and fumes for 8-10 hours
- You don't mind shutdown rosters and FIFO work for top pay
- You can read drawings and visualise weld sequences
- You're patient with the multi-pass discipline of coded work
This might not suit you if
- You can't commit to 4 years of low apprentice pay
- You have lung, eye or skin conditions made worse by welding fumes and UV
- You can't tolerate confined spaces and overhead positions
- You don't want a remote-site or FIFO lifestyle
Entry requirements
- Year 10 or equivalent
- A signed apprenticeship training contract with a host employer.
State licensing
Not nationally licensed. Some states impose contractor licensing once work exceeds a value threshold.
| State | Licensing authority |
|---|---|
| NSW | No trade-specific licence listed |
| VIC | No trade-specific licence listed |
| QLD | No trade-specific licence listed |
| SA | No trade-specific licence listed |
| WA | No trade-specific licence listed |
| TAS | No trade-specific licence listed |
| NT | No trade-specific licence listed |
| ACT | No trade-specific licence listed |