Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Handling and Moving Objects Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Controlling Machines and Processes Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Performing General Physical Activities Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanised Devices, or Equipment Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanised equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.

The Work

Welders can use manual techniques to do a large amount of welding. They use an electric arc (the bright, hot area between the electrode tip and the metal) or a gas flame to melt the metal in the joint. There are four main manual welding processes.

In manual metal arc welding (MMA), welders strike an arc between the metal rod and the work piece; both melt to form a weld pool. The flux covering on the rod melts to form gas and slag, which protect the weld pool until it has cooled.  
 
Oxy-acetylene (OA) relies on the combustion of oxygen and acetylene to form a very hot flame. In metal inert gas welding (MIG), welders use an inert gas to protect the arc and weld pool. Welders use the similar tungsten inert gas (TIG) method to join magnesium and aluminium.  
 
Welders follow technical drawings or instructions, and work out the best position to adopt and the best angle to work at. They may rehearse a difficult weld, going through the motions to be sure they can hold the position. They prepare and clean the surface that they will weld. They fit the appropriate weld torch nossle or electrode, set the current, switch on and strike the arc, and start to weld.  
 
Welds may be horisontal or vertical, at an angle, on a curve, or encircling a big pipe. Welders may work from above, beside or below the weld and sometimes in very awkward and cramped spaces. Safety is vital to welding, so inspectors may check completed welds by using X-ray, ultrasonic or dye-testing techniques. If they discover cracks, porosity or other flaws, the welders have to ground out the weld and do the job again.  
 
As well as manual techniques, some types of welding are mechanised or done by robots, especially in industries that produce items on a large scale, like the motor industry. Here, technicians set up the machines, which the welders then operate. There are other, more specialist welding processes like laser welding, electron beam welding and solid state welding. Highly skilled welders are often trained to work with materials like titanium, aluminium and plastic. 

At graduate level entry to The Welding Institute, engineers and technicians are involved in research and development departments, where they work on a very wide variety of projects. They help to solve problems in design, materials selection, production processes and systems, repairs and inspections. They may research and develop high power lasers to help industry in welding, cutting and drilling. In materials research, materials engineers look at how metals behave (for example, in terms of corrosion), and the effects of welding on the properties and structure of materials.

They may work to improve the reliability of joining plastics; this is essential in the automotive and aerospace industries for example. Welding engineers may act as consultants, giving advice to manufacturing industries on equipment and systems. Welders have helped to develop intelligent robotics for welding.

They usually wear protective clothing. It can be very noisy, so welders may wear ear protectors.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
• Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
• Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
• Recognise, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.
• Weld separately or in combination, using aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, and other alloys.
• Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
• Ignite torches or start power supplies and strike arcs by touching electrodes to metals being welded, completing electrical circuits.
• Connect and turn regulator valves to activate and adjust gas flow and pressure so that desired flames are obtained.
• Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.
• Monitor the fitting, burning, and welding processes to avoid overheating of parts or warping, shrinking, distortion, or expansion of material.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Realist

Realists are usually interested in 'things' - such as buildings, mechanics, equipment, tools, electronics etc. Their primary focus is dealing with these - as in building, fixing, operating or designing them. Involvement in these areas leads to high manual skills, or a fine aptitude for practical design - as found in the various forms of engineering.

Realists like to find practical solutions to problems using tools, technology and skilled work. Realists usually prefer to be active in their work environment, often do most of their work alone, and enjoy taking decisive action with a minimum amount of discussion and paperwork.

There are many pathways into Welding & fabrication careers. There are careers and jobs in Onshore allied trades, site welding, and offshore welding and diving. 

Training & Development 

FET Centre Traineeship: Engineering operations & Welding Fabrication NFQ Level 5-6 Search our FET Coursefinder

FET PLC Courses: Coinstruction studies & Technology, Plumbing, Building construction, and engineering courses at NFQ Level 5 Search our FET PLC Coursefinder

Apprenticeship: Engineering, Toolmaking, [OEM] Original Equipment manufacturing, Metal Fabrication, Plumbing, and Vehicle Mechanics NFQ level 6-8 Search Apprenticeships

Last Updated: October, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €29k - €60k

Salaries vary based on employer, location, experience, duties, and role. Salaries for this can vary acccross industries in line with parts of the job people do. 

Data Source(s):
Indeed/ Talent/ WRC/ WEI/ Excel

Last Updated: March, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This occupation has been identified as a Job in Demand by the most recent National Skills Bulletin.

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Despite declines in 2020 and 2021, the five-year annual average employment growth was strong (6%), with employment levels for this occupational group reaching their highest levels to date. The demand for welders has persisted, with employers (Skills for Growth) and the Recruitment Agency Survey both citing welding positions as difficult to fill, typically for roles requiring MIG/TIG and arc welding skills or for the machinery manufacturing sector. Job vacancies advertised through the DSP included welder/fabricators, pipefitters, and sheet metal workers/fabricators, while online job adverts, although small in number, grew by 16% year-on-year, driven by increases for sheet metal workers. Employment permits related to welders/fabricators, pipe fitters and, to a lesser extent, sheet metal workers.

Output from the further education and training system has increased in recent years: compared to pre-COVID levels (in 2019), the number of industry and craft awards in welding and metal fabrication grew by 388 and 77 awards, to reach nearly 1,600 and 145 awards respectively. Smaller numbers of awards were made to qualifying apprentices in pipefitting and sheet metal working (combined 38 awards in 2022).

Recent growth in the number of new apprentice registrations in metal fabrication, pipefitting and sheet metal working are expected to lead to further increased output for these occupations in the medium term. The SOC classification system does not capture the extent of the merging of skills in these roles; welder, fabricator and even pipe fitter skills are merging which span both this and the occupation below. Although welders are employed across sectors, shortages are particularly emerging for qualified and experienced welders/fabricators in industry including high tech.

• Enterprise Ireland

  • The Plaza, East Point Business Park, Dublin 3
  • (01) 727 2000
  • Click Here

• Construction Industry Federation

  • Construction House, Canal Road, Dublin 6
  • (01) 406 6000
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Health and Safety Authority

  • The Metropolitan Building, James Joyce St. Dublin 1
  • 1890 289 389
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here