Summary Report for:
51-4121.07 - Solderers and Brazers
Braze or solder together components to assemble fabricated metal parts, using soldering iron, torch, or welding machine and flux.
Sample of reported job titles: Brazer, Solderer, Electronic Assembler, Wirer, Assembly Line Brazer, Connector, Electronic Technician, Fabricator, Production Technician, Electrical Assembler
Tasks | Tools & Technology | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Additional Information
Tasks
- Melt and apply solder along adjoining edges of workpieces to solder joints, using soldering irons, gas torches, or electric-ultrasonic equipment.
- Heat soldering irons or workpieces to specified temperatures for soldering, using gas flames or electric current.
- Examine seams for defects, and rework defective joints or broken parts.
- Melt and separate brazed or soldered joints to remove and straighten damaged or misaligned components, using hand torches, irons or furnaces.
- Melt and apply solder to fill holes, indentations, and seams of fabricated metal products, using soldering equipment.
- Clean workpieces to remove dirt and excess acid, using chemical solutions, files, wire brushes, or grinders.
- Guide torches and rods along joints of workpieces to heat them to brazing temperature, melt braze alloys, and bond workpieces together.
- Adjust electric current and timing cycles of resistance welding machines to heat metals to bonding temperature.
- Clean equipment parts, such as tips of soldering irons, using chemical solutions or cleaning compounds.
- Turn valves to start flow of gases, and light flames and adjust valves to obtain desired colors and sizes of flames.
Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Blow torches — Oxyacetylene torches; Propane torches |
| Deburring equipment — Deburring tools |
| Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus — Brazing equipment |
| Positioning jig — Jigs; Soldering jigs |
| Power saws — Cutoff saws; Reciprocating saws |
| Soldering irons or guns — Soldering irons; Ultrasonic soldering equipment |
| Welding electrodes — Electrodes |
| Welding or cutting tips — Torch tips |
| Workshop cranes — Jibs |
Technology used in this occupation:
* Software developed by a government agency and/or distributed as freeware or shareware.
Knowledge
No knowledge met the minimum score.
Skills
| Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| Quality Control Analysis — Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance. |
| Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things. |
| Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
| Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| Equipment Selection — Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job. |
| Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Instructing — Teaching others how to do something. |
| Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
Abilities
| Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects. |
| Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. |
| Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. |
| Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |
Work Activities
| 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 categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment — Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles. |
Work Context
| Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? |
| Time Pressure — How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? |
| Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? |
| Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? |
| Physical Proximity — To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? |
| Exposed to Contaminants — How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? |
Job Zone
| Title | Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed |
| Education | These occupations usually require a high school diploma. |
| Related Experience | Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public. |
| Job Training | Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations. |
| Job Zone Examples | These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, physical therapist aides, salespersons (retail), and tellers. |
| SVP Range | (4.0 to < 6.0) |
Interests
Interest code: R
| Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others. |
Work Styles
| Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. |
| Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
| Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
| Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. |
| Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. |
Work Values
| Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
| Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. |
| Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. |
Related Occupations
| 51-4052.00 | Pourers and Casters, Metal |
| 51-4111.00 | Tool and Die Makers |
| 51-4122.00 | Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 
|
| 51-4193.00 | Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic |
| 51-9022.00 | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand |
| 51-9031.00 | Cutters and Trimmers, Hand |
| 51-9195.07 | Molding and Casting Workers
|
Wages & Employment Trends
National
Median wages data collected from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
Employment data collected from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
| Median wages (2008) | $16.13 hourly, $33,560 annual |
| Employment (2008) | 412,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2008-2018) | 
Little or no change (-2% to 2%)
|
| Projected need (2008-2018) | 126,300 additional employees |
State & National
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008 wage data
and 2008-2018 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2008-2018). "Projected need" represents job openings due to growth and net replacement.
Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
- Welding, soldering, and brazing workers
. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition.