Could Robots Be the Answer to the Welder Shortage?

The American Welding Society has predicted a deficit of 400,000 welders by 2024. According to specialist welding technologists K-TIG, a US welder’s skills are in such high demand they can demand a salary of $100,000. The bad news looks set to get worse. That’s because the welding workforce isn’t getting any younger. Estimates vary, but even the more favorable figures suggest the average age of a welder in the US is 55, meaning the next few years of retirements will put the industry in even more jeopardy. This problem is compounded by the fact that the millennials are not rushing to replace the retiring baby boomers. Negative perceptions of careers in manufacturing, and welding, in particular, are putting off younger generations from what could be a bright career destination. Unfortunately, welding is seen by many younger people as dirty and monotonous.