Welder
4AI USED FOR4%moving to49%
THE DOOR, NOWB
THE DOOR, 20 YRSD
STARTING PAYnot published
MOAT NOT YET CLASSIFIEDA real score, but the moat is not yet classified. No claim either way.
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CAREERMASH (EN)FROM CONSTRUCTION & TRADES →
Welder
A welder joins metal parts together using heat, building and repairing everything from gates and vehicles to ships and structures. It is a skilled, hands-on trade that suits precise, patient people who like working with their hands and seeing solid, lasting results.
THE DOOR: A easy to E extremely hard, now and in 20 years
AI is used for very little of this work today
Hands-on work, caring for people and dealing with the real world are among the hardest things to automate, and this job leans on them. We have not yet formally classified its moat, so we make no claim either way, but the exposure score speaks for itself.
Career progression path
Salary progression for this career has not been published yet.
Apprenticeship listings for this career → (June 2026 snapshot; check closing dates on the official service)
Real apprenticeship standards
Live UK apprenticeship standards that lead into this career, from the Institute for Apprenticeships register.
L2Welder18 months typicalnot published
L2Welding (mechanised) – Apprenticeship unitnot published
L3Plate welder36 months typicalnot published
There is more than one way in
You do not have to go the university route to get here. There is also a vocational route that skips a degree entirely.