How Do You Become a Robotic Welding Technician?
- CRAW requires six months of manual or semiautomatic arc welding that a degree can't substitute for.
- Median pay: $47,920 a year for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders (BLS, May 2025); highest in Arizona at $70,150.
- Typical entry education, per BLS: high school diploma or equivalent, plus moderate-term on-the-job training.
- Outlook: -8.9% projected employment change over 2025–35, with about 2,500 openings a year.
What Does a Robotic Welding Technician Do?
Robotic welding operators and technicians set up, program and monitor automated welding cells, the automation side of welding. BLS counts machine operators with welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders, and lists robotic welding arms among the machines industrial mechanics maintain.
Robotic welding technicians keep automated welding cells producing good welds. BLS counts machine operators with welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders, and it lists robotic welding arms among the machines industrial machinery mechanics maintain. The work typically includes:
- Programming the robot's path and weld parameters
- Setting up fixtures and running first parts
- Monitoring weld quality and adjusting the program
- Diagnosing faults with manuals and diagnostic tools
- Replacing worn parts and keeping the cell maintained
- Measuring weld cross-sections with quality tools and software
AWS describes the core skill as programming a robot to deliver an acceptable weld. Technicians need manual welding knowledge to judge that weld, which is why the AWS credential requires time spent welding by hand before any robotic experience counts.
When a robotic cell stops, BLS describes how industrial machinery mechanics diagnose it: after noticing a vibration, for instance, they decide whether worn belts, weak motor bearings or something else is the cause, using computerized diagnostics and vibration analysis.
Where Robotic Welding Technicians Work and What the Job Is Like
Robotic welding happens in manufacturing plants. For the industrial machinery mechanics who maintain these cells, BLS reports manufacturing employed 51% in 2025, and mechanics may be on call for night or weekend shifts, with overtime common.
BLS notes that working with industrial machinery can be dangerous, so hard hats, safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, gloves and earplugs are standard.
| Largest employers (BLS OOH) | Share of jobs, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 51% |
| Wholesale trade | 13% |
| Machinery repair and maintenance | 11% |
| Construction | 5% |
How to Become a Robotic Welding Technician: Step by Step
- 1Learn manual arc welding
CRAW requires six months of manual or semiautomatic arc welding that a degree can't substitute for.
- 2Add robot programming
The CRAW credential shows you can program a robot to deliver an acceptable weld; degrees in welding, robotics, electrical or engineering can substitute for up to two years of the related experience.
- 3Recertify every three years
AWS requires re-examination or proof of active practice every three years.
How to Become a Robotic Welding Technician: Training and Education
Start with manual welding. The AWS robotic credential requires at least six months of manual or semiautomatic arc welding, and no degree substitutes for it. From there, add robot programming, usually through an original equipment manufacturer course or an equivalent robotic programming course.
BLS notes industrial machinery mechanics typically receive more than a year of on-the-job training in subjects that include welding, electronics and computer programming, and some complete a two-year associate degree in industrial maintenance that includes welding, hydraulics and pneumatics.
Degrees in welding, robotics, technology, electrical or engineering fields can replace up to two years of the related experience AWS requires for the credential.
Welding school is widely available: 892 U.S. colleges and schools conferred 50,572 welding certificates and degrees in 2022–23 (IPEDS). Find welding schools by state and city or compare verified programs.
Licenses and Credentials
There's no general license for robotic welding. The AWS Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW) credential is the recognized way to document the skill.
Robotic Welding Technician Certification
CRAW has two levels. Both require a high school diploma or equivalent and at least six months of manual or semiautomatic arc welding. Operators (CRAW-O) need 12 months of welding experience, including robotic and automatic operation, and three years in a welding- or robotics-related occupation such as inspection or quality control. Technicians need 18 months of welding experience and five years of related work.
Technicians must also hold a current AWS Certified Welding Inspector credential; without it, only the Operator level is available. Operators complete a manufacturer or equivalent robotic programming course at an AWS Approved Testing Center. The credential requires re-examination or proof of active practice every three years.
Skills That Matter in This Job
- Troubleshooting
- Observing, diagnosing and fixing machine problems.
- Mechanical skill
- Using manuals and diagnostic equipment and reassembling complex machines.
- Welding judgment
- Knowing a good weld when the robot makes one.
- Computer skills
- Programming paths and working with measurement software.
Where the Career Leads
Technicians who add inspection credentials or maintenance skills can move into automation, maintenance or supervisory roles. The CRAW Technician level itself requires the CWI, which ties robotic welding to the inspection career path.
Robotic Welding Technician Salary and Job Outlook
Half of welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders earned more than $47,920 in May 2025, about $23.04 an hour. The middle half earned between $40,560 and $57,390, across 31,600 jobs in the wage survey. BLS projects employment to change -8.9% from 2025 to 2035, a decline, against the 3.5% projected for all occupations, with about 2,500 openings a year as workers retire or change jobs.
| Employment, 2025 | 32,900 |
|---|---|
| Projected employment, 2035 | 30,000 |
| Projected change, 2025–35 | -8.9% (all occupations: +3.5%) |
| Openings per year | 2,500 |
National annual wages for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders (SOC 51-4122). Sources: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Robotic Welding Technician Salary by State
Arizona pays welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders the most, a median of $70,150, and Puerto Rico the least, $26,980. The top 10% earn the most in Arizona (more than $96,720).
| State | Median pay | Top 10% earn more than | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $70,150 | $96,720 | 280 |
| Alaska | $62,700 | $95,560 | 50 |
| Washington | $58,990 | $95,210 | 50 |
| Illinois | $58,840 | $92,680 | 180 |
| Oregon | $58,650 | $81,200 | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $57,640 | $67,730 | 1,150 |
| Minnesota | $57,560 | $76,880 | 670 |
| Nebraska | $57,280 | $66,540 | 650 |
| Missouri | $56,210 | $71,090 | 560 |
| New Jersey | $53,680 | $64,860 | 510 |
| South Dakota | $52,520 | $61,370 | 150 |
| New York | $52,080 | $77,140 | 740 |
| Iowa | $51,740 | $62,330 | 1,310 |
| Texas | $51,310 | $72,440 | 1,750 |
| Idaho | $50,850 | $70,160 | 100 |
| Kentucky | $50,740 | $66,850 | 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $50,480 | $66,630 | 480 |
| Rhode Island | $50,040 | $65,800 | 160 |
| Colorado | $49,860 | $64,970 | 100 |
| Virginia | $49,160 | $62,510 | 410 |
| California | $48,940 | $69,760 | 2,290 |
| Louisiana | $48,740 | $81,810 | 320 |
| Maine | $48,410 | $57,930 | 60 |
| Ohio | $48,190 | $68,880 | 2,190 |
| Connecticut | $47,900 | $76,260 | 590 |
| Nevada | $47,870 | $77,690 | 170 |
| North Carolina | $47,580 | $65,680 | 820 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,530 | $63,100 | 1,120 |
| New Hampshire | $47,500 | $60,700 | 290 |
| Tennessee | $47,180 | $54,080 | 1,950 |
| Maryland | $47,110 | $65,130 | 430 |
| Arkansas | $46,880 | $59,530 | 210 |
| Kansas | $46,710 | $67,370 | 160 |
| West Virginia | $46,460 | $78,080 | 120 |
| South Carolina | $46,260 | $69,770 | 340 |
| Georgia | $45,850 | $59,310 | 840 |
| Indiana | $43,960 | $62,400 | 2,840 |
| Michigan | $42,530 | $55,830 | 3,150 |
| Florida | $41,420 | $56,380 | 740 |
| Utah | $40,600 | $52,710 | 120 |
| Oklahoma | $40,400 | $51,590 | 460 |
| Alabama | $40,050 | $60,410 | 1,250 |
| Mississippi | $37,390 | $57,820 | 480 |
| Montana | $35,670 | $63,140 | |
| Puerto Rico | $26,980 | $47,990 | 90 |
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, SOC 51-4122, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates. States where BLS suppressed the median are omitted; blank cells were suppressed.
Best-Paying Metro Areas: Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler Leads
Among metro areas with at least 100 welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders jobs, Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler (AZ) has the highest median pay, $75,200 a year.
| Metro area | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler (AZ) | $75,200 | 230 |
| Buffalo–Cheektowaga (NY) | $61,700 | 230 |
| St. Louis (MO–IL) | $60,600 | 180 |
| Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro (OR–WA) | $60,180 | 130 |
| New York–Newark–Jersey City (NY–NJ) | $57,900 | 440 |
| Fond du Lac (WI) | $57,640 | 120 |
| Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington (MN–WI) | $57,570 | 360 |
| Omaha (NE–IA) | $55,450 | 170 |
| Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands (TX) | $54,500 | 700 |
| San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont (CA) | $54,390 | 280 |
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, SOC 51-4122. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan area estimates, May 2025.
Is Robotic Welding Technician a Good Career?
What Works in Its Favor
- It combines welding with programming and troubleshooting, skills that carry into automation and maintenance work.
- Degrees in welding, robotics, electrical or engineering fields can replace up to two years of the experience AWS requires.
- The broader maintenance field (industrial machinery mechanics and millwrights) is projected to grow 14%.
What to Weigh First
- Employment of welding machine setters and operators is projected to fall 8.9% over 2025–35.
- The Technician credential requires a current CWI.
- You still need at least six months of manual arc welding; nothing substitutes for it.
Robotic Welding Technician vs. Related Welding Careers
| Career | Median pay | Growth 2025–35 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robotic welding technicianTrain directly | $47,920 | -8.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| MillwrightApprenticeship | $65,700 | +0.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| WelderTrain directly | $53,750 | +2.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Welding supervisorExperience first | $74,450 | +1.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
For comparison, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn a median $53,750.
Robotic Welding Technician FAQ
What Is the Average Robotic Welding Technician Salary?
BLS estimates a median of $47,920 a year (about $23.04 an hour) for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders (May 2025), with the lowest-paid 10% under $36,860 and the top 10% above $66,540.
Is Robotic Welding Technician a Growing Career?
BLS projects employment of welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders to change -8.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations, with about 2,500 openings a year from growth and replacement.
Can a Robotic Welding Technician Make $100,000 a Year?
It's rare on base pay. Nationally the top 10% earn more than $66,540, and even in Arizona, the highest state for top earners, the 90th percentile is $96,720 (BLS, May 2025).
Which State Pays Robotic Welding Technicians the Most?
Arizona, where the median for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders is $70,150 a year, against $26,980 in Puerto Rico (BLS, May 2025).
How Many Robotic Welding Technicians Are There?
BLS counts about 32,900 jobs for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders in 2025; the largest employer group is manufacturing (51% of jobs, BLS OOH).
Is Robotic Welding Replacing Welders?
BLS projects employment of welding machine setters and operators to shrink over 2025–35 while employment of manual welders grows slightly; the people who program and maintain the cells still need welding knowledge.
Do You Need to Be a Welder to Program Welding Robots?
For the AWS credential, yes: CRAW requires at least six months of manual or semiautomatic arc welding, and no degree substitutes for that.
What Is the Difference Between CRAW-O and CRAW-T?
Operators need 12 months of welding and three years of related work; Technicians need 18 months, five years and a current CWI.
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national and state estimates, SOC 51-4122.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, industrial machinery mechanics and maintenance workers and millwrights.
- American Welding Society, AWS Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW).
- U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS completions, 2022–23, CIP 48.0508.