What is a body welder and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a body welder. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.45 an hour? That's $32,146 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 2% and produce 6,900 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreBody WelderUS Average
Salary
2.5

Avg. Salary $32,146

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
5.8

Growth Rate 2%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.63%

Asian 3.36%

Black or African American 9.02%

Hispanic or Latino 17.86%

Unknown 4.01%

White 64.12%

Gender

female 12.12%

male 87.88%

Age - 40
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40
Stress Level
5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
7.7

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.9

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a body welder

  1. Explore body welder education requirements

    Most common body welder degrees

    High School Diploma

    50.0 %

    Diploma

    15.0 %

    Associate

    12.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific body welder skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Assembly Line28.91%
    Toyota20.42%
    Quality Inspection17.46%
    Quality Checks16.46%
    Hand Tools10.18%
  3. Complete relevant body welder training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New body welders learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a body welder based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real body welder resumes.
  4. Research body welder duties and responsibilities

    • Perform preventive maintenance, electronic robotic operation, pneumatic system operation, and initial quality control.
    • Recommend and implement cost reductive measures on the Tacoma front door and hood shell-body weld jig designs.
    • Use a power tugger to move parts to other departments.
    • Perform preventive maintenance, electronic robotic operation, pneumatic system operation, and initial quality control.
  5. Prepare your body welder resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your body welder resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a body welder resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Body Welder Resume templates

    Build a professional Body Welder resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Body Welder resume.
    Body Welder Resume
    Body Welder Resume
    Body Welder Resume
    Body Welder Resume
    Body Welder Resume
    Body Welder Resume
    Body Welder Resume
    Body Welder Resume
    Body Welder Resume
  6. Apply for body welder jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a body welder job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Body Welder Job

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Average body welder salary

The average Body Welder salary in the United States is $32,146 per year or $15 per hour. Body welder salaries range between $24,000 and $41,000 per year.

Average Body Welder Salary
$32,146 Yearly
$15.45 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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