Welder
SOC 51-4121
Welders join metal to a code standard — on plate and pipe, in every position, under codes that decide what you are qualified to touch. ⚠ 457,300 people do it nationally with about 45,600 openings a year, and what moves you up the very wide pay range is certifications and positions rather than years served.
Machinist
SOC 51-4041
Machinists cut metal to a tolerance — setting up lathes, mills, grinders and CNC machines, and deciding how a part on a drawing actually gets made. ⚠ The occupation is flat but replaces about 29,500 people a year, and the money is in setup and programming rather than in running the machine. ⚠ This page also covers the CNC machine operator role, which is the rung below and the one occupation here with a projected decline.
Production Technician and Assembler
SOC 51-2092
Assemblers and production workers build what a factory makes. It is one of the largest groups of manufacturing jobs in the country, and the usual way into the industry. ⚠ No credential is required to start. Florida's 150- to 500-hour courses help you get hired at better plants, earn a soldering certification, and start the climb to technician, inspector or supervisor.
Precision metal working. Florida's CNC Production Technician courses (PMT0026/PMT0027, three technical colleges) and the structural metal fabricator specialty.