Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$39,240
- 25th Percentile — Junior$46,790
- 50th Percentile — Median$53,750
- 75th Percentile — Senior$63,010
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$77,530
The top 10% of Welders earn $77,530 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $39,240, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $80,100 | +41.1% |
| Hawaii | $77,430 | +36.4% |
| Wyoming | $67,990 | +19.8% |
| Connecticut | $66,800 | +17.7% |
| Washington | $66,340 | +16.9% |
| Massachusetts | $65,050 | +14.6% |
| North Dakota | $64,880 | +14.3% |
| Nevada | $64,590 | +13.8% |
| Maryland | $64,410 | +13.5% |
| Louisiana | $63,750 | +12.3% |
| New Mexico | $63,720 | +12.3% |
| New Hampshire | $62,900 | +10.8% |
| New York | $62,810 | +10.7% |
| New Jersey | $62,500 | +10.1% |
| Maine | $61,930 | +9.1% |
| District of Columbia | $61,620 | +8.6% |
| California | $61,120 | +7.7% |
| Colorado | $60,410 | +6.4% |
| Virginia | $60,410 | +6.4% |
| Oregon | $60,390 | +6.4% |
| Minnesota | $60,360 | +6.3% |
| Vermont | $60,210 | +6.1% |
| Utah | $59,640 | +5.1% |
| Arizona | $59,040 | +4.0% |
| Montana | $58,680 | +3.4% |
| Delaware | $58,470 | +3.0% |
| Rhode Island | $58,180 | +2.5% |
| Wisconsin | $57,920 | +2.0% |
| Texas | $56,940 | +0.3% |
| Pennsylvania | $56,300 | -0.8% |
| Illinois | $55,930 | -1.5% |
| Iowa | $55,580 | -2.1% |
| Missouri | $55,470 | -2.3% |
| Nebraska | $55,290 | -2.6% |
| Idaho | $54,290 | -4.4% |
| Indiana | $54,220 | -4.5% |
| Florida | $54,030 | -4.8% |
| Michigan | $53,820 | -5.2% |
| North Carolina | $53,720 | -5.4% |
| Kentucky | $53,710 | -5.4% |
| Ohio | $53,370 | -6.0% |
| West Virginia | $53,350 | -6.0% |
| Mississippi | $52,930 | -6.7% |
| Oklahoma | $52,860 | -6.9% |
| Kansas | $52,780 | -7.0% |
| South Carolina | $52,120 | -8.2% |
| South Dakota | $51,980 | -8.4% |
| Georgia | $51,520 | -9.2% |
| Alabama | $51,120 | -9.9% |
| Tennessee | $50,450 | -11.1% |
| Arkansas | $50,020 | -11.9% |
What Factors Affect Welders Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Welders is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: Alaska pays an average of $80,100, while Arkansas pays $50,020 — a gap of $30,080 per year.
The middle half of Welders earn between $46,790 and $63,010 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $39,240, while the top 10% earn more than $77,530.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Automotive Service Technicians $56,420/yr United States 0.6% vs this role
- Telecommunications Equipment Installers $68,500/yr United States +20.7% vs this role
- Electrical Power-Line Installers $91,970/yr United States +62.0% vs this role
- Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians $84,740/yr United States +49.3% vs this role
- Bus and Truck Mechanics $64,320/yr United States +13.3% vs this role
- Farm Equipment Mechanics $57,290/yr United States +0.9% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +78.7% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +141.9% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Welders?
The average salary for Welders in the United States is $56,760 per year, with a median of $53,750.
What is the starting salary for Welders?
Entry-level Welders typically earn between $39,240 and $46,790 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Welders the most?
Alaska pays Welders the most at $80,100 per year on average, followed by Hawaii ($77,430) and Wyoming ($67,990).
How much do Welders make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $56,760, Welders earn approximately $27.29 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Welders a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 416,210 Welders jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $56,760 and a median of $53,750 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
Related Salary Pages
Explore more salary data