Main duties
People in this unit group perform some or all of the following duties.
- Welders
- Read and interpret blueprints or welding process specifications
- Operate manual or semi-automatic welding equipment to fuse metal segments using processes such as gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), plasma arc welding (PAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), oxy-acetylene welding (OAW), resistance welding and submerged arc welding (SAW)
- Operate manual or semi-automatic flame-cutting equipment
- Operate brazing and soldering equipment
- Operate metal shaping machines such as brakes, shears and other metal straightening and bending machines
- Repair worn parts of metal products by welding on extra layers
- Welders may specialize in certain types of welding such as custom fabrication, ship building and repair, aerospace precision welding, pressure vessel welding, pipeline construction welding, structural construction welding, or machinery and equipment repair welding
Welding, brazing and soldering machine operators
- Operate previously set up welding machines such as spot, butt and seam resistance or gas and arc welding machines to fabricate or repair metal parts
- Operate previously set up brazing or soldering machines to bond metal parts or to fill holes, indentations and seams of metal articles with solder
- Start up, shut down, adjust and monitor robotic welding production line
- Assist with the maintenance and repair of welding, brazing and soldering equipment
- May adjust welding heads and tooling according to work specifications
Employment requirements
- Welders
- Completion of secondary school is usually required
- Completion of a three-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over three years of work experience in the trade and some college or industry courses in welding is usually required to be eligible for trade certification
- Trade certification is compulsory in Alberta and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the territories
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified welders upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination
Welding, brazing and soldering machine operators
- Some secondary school education is required
- Several months of on-the-job training are usually provided
- Experience as a machine operator helper may be required
- Experience with robotics may be required
Job titles in NOC 72106
119 job titles are classified in this unit group.
- acetylene welder
- aircraft welder
- apprentice welder
- arc welder
- arc welder - pipeline
- assembler tack welder
- auto body solderer
- automated welding machine operator - flash butt process
- automatic welding machine operator
- aviation welding technician
- battery lead burner
- battery lead-burner operator
- blowtorch operator
- blowtorch welder
- boiler welder
- brazer
- brazer and hammerer
- brazing machine operator
- brazing machine setter
- cable welder
- combination welder
- dielectric welder
- downhand welder - pipeline
- drilling platform welder
- drilling rig welder
- electric arc welder
- electric spot welder
- electric spot welder operator
- electric spot-welding machine operator
- fabrication welder
Show all 119 job titles
- fit-up welder
- flame-brazing machine operator
- flame-brazing machine setter
- flash butt welder
- furnace brazer
- furnace solderer
- gas and arc welder
- gas brazer
- gas welder
- gas-shielded arc welder
- gas-shielded arc welding machine operator
- general welder
- hand arc welder
- hand electric arc welder
- hand resistance welder
- heliarc welder
- hot gas welder
- hydrogen braze furnace man/woman
- hydrogen braze furnace operator
- induction brazer operator
- induction solderer
- industrial welder
- iron brazer
- jig welder-fitter
- journeyman/woman welder
- laser beam machine-welder operator
- laser beam welder
- laser beam welding machine operator
- laser welding operator
- lead burner
- lead welder
- machine operator - welding, brazing and soldering
- machine type solderer
- machine welder
- maintenance welder
- mesh-welding machine operator
- metal brazier and heater
- metal inert gas (MIG) welder
- metal solderer
- metal straightener and heater
- metal welder
- oxyacetylene torch welder
- oxyacetylene welder
- oxyhydrogen welder
- pipeline welder
- portable spot welder
- precision welder
- pressure vessel welder
- production induction brazier
- production line solderer
- production line spot welder
- production line welder
- production spot welder
- production welder
- radio-frequency welder
- resistance brazer
- resistance seam welder
- resistance welder
- resistance welder tender
- resistance welder-setter
- resistance welding machine setter
- resistance welding set-up man/woman
- rig welder
- shielded-metal arc welder
- side seaming tender
- solderer
- solderer-dipper
- soldering machine operator
- spot resistance welder
- spot welder
- submerged arc welder
- submerged arc welding machine operator
- tack welder
- thermite welder
- tool and die welder
- torch brazer
- torch brazing machine setter
- torch welder
- tungsten inert gas (TIG) welder
- type-soldering machine tender
- vibration welder
- welder
- welder apprentice
- welder operator
- welder-assembler
- welder-fitter
- welding lay-out man/woman
- welding machine operator
- wire welder
Wages for NOC 72106 by province
Hourly wages from Job Bank for welders and related machine operators.
| Province or territory | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | $21.00 | $28.00 | $41.28 |
| British Columbia | $23.25 | $35.00 | $51.87 |
| Alberta | $25.00 | $38.00 | $52.18 |
| Saskatchewan | $22.00 | $32.00 | $46.00 |
| Manitoba | $21.00 | $27.00 | $40.16 |
| Quebec | $22.00 | $28.00 | $35.38 |
| New Brunswick | $22.00 | $28.00 | $46.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $21.00 | $29.00 | $43.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $23.46 | $38.41 | $54.00 |
| Canada | $22.00 | $30.00 | $47.00 |
Ontario by region
| Region | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | $21.00 | $28.00 | $41.28 |
| Kingston–Pembroke | $20.50 | $27.00 | $46.85 |
| Muskoka–Kawarthas | $21.66 | $27.00 | $35.00 |
| Toronto | $20.00 | $28.00 | $42.00 |
| Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie | $21.00 | $27.66 | $37.00 |
| Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula | $20.00 | $27.00 | $35.00 |
| London | $21.00 | $28.00 | $41.28 |
| Windsor–Sarnia | $20.00 | $25.50 | $38.00 |
| Stratford–Bruce Peninsula | $21.00 | $28.00 | $41.28 |
| Northeast | $17.60 | $32.00 | $45.00 |
| Northwest | $25.75 | $36.00 | $41.50 |
Source: Job Bank wages, reference period 2023-2024, revised November 19, 2025. Some Ontario figures are below the current general minimum wage of $17.95 per hour (since October 1, 2026); employers must pay at least the minimum wage.
Career progression and other notes
The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Similar occupations classified elsewhere
These occupations look related but belong to a different NOC unit group.
- Wave soldering machine operator: NOC 94201, Electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers
- Weld tester: NOC 22230, Non-destructive testers and inspectors
- Welder supervisor: NOC 72010, Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations
- Welding technologist: NOC 22101, Geological and mineral technologists and technicians
Hiring for this occupation in Ontario?
Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must include pay, vacancy status and any AI screening in public job postings. Our HR team can prepare the contract, onboarding and policies for the hire.
Questions about NOC 72106
What is NOC 72106?
NOC 72106 is Welders and related machine operators, a unit group in the 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 Version 1.0). It belongs to the broad category trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations and to TEER 2.
What TEER is NOC 72106?
NOC 72106 is TEER 2. TEER 2 generally means: college program of 2 to 3 years, apprenticeship of 2 to 5 years, or a supervisory or safety role.
What job titles are in NOC 72106?
The unit group includes 119 job titles, for example aviation welding technician, brazing machine operator, brazing machine setter, electric arc welder, journeyman/woman welder, laser welding operator.
How much do welders and related machine operators earn in Canada?
Job Bank reports a national median of $30.00 per hour for welders and related machine operators, and $28.00 in Ontario. The highest provincial median is in Newfoundland and Labrador at $38.41 (reference period 2023-2024).
Which occupations are similar to NOC 72106?
Related occupations classified in other unit groups include wave soldering machine operator (NOC 94201); weld tester (NOC 22230); welder supervisor (NOC 72010).
Last updated October 2026. Sources:
- National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0, Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada
- Job Bank wages
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. job-description.ca is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. For immigration purposes, always confirm your NOC code with official sources.