Welder salary: how much welders make in every state
Welders earned a median $25.84 an hour, or $53,750 a year, in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $22.50 and $30.29 an hour. Alaska has the highest state median at $38.87, and Arkansas the lowest at $23.06.
National pay for welders
BLS counts welders, cutters, solderers and brazers as one group. It covers people who join or cut metal with welding, cutting, soldering and brazing equipment, by hand or on machines, in shops, plants and on job sites.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.87 | $39,240 |
| 25th percentile | $22.50 | $46,790 |
| Median | $25.84 | $53,750 |
| 75th percentile | $30.29 | $63,010 |
| 90th percentile | $37.28 | $77,530 |
| Average (mean) | $27.29 | $56,760 |
Welder pay in every state, ranked
Ranked by median hourly wage, highest first. These are wages as paid, not adjusted for living costs. The five best-paying are Alaska, Hawaii, Connecticut, Wyoming and Washington; the five lowest are Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and West Virginia. Pick a state for its full page: the pay range, how it compares with its neighbors, how many welders work there and what a business should charge.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median yearly | Bottom to top tenth | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $38.87 | $80,840 | $23.88 to $52.85 | 790 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $37.98 | $79,000 | $24.04 to $48.18 | 520 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $31.19 | $64,880 | $20.96 to $42.30 | 1,790 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $30.69 | $63,820 | $22.70 to $43.08 | 1,850 |
| 5 | Washington | $30.30 | $63,020 | $23.07 to $41.47 | 7,720 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $30.08 | $62,570 | $22.94 to $40.11 | 2,830 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $29.98 | $62,360 | $22.86 to $38.60 | 1,110 |
| 8 | Louisiana | $29.93 | $62,250 | $20.58 to $39.30 | 13,690 |
| 9 | Maine | $29.92 | $62,220 | $22.71 to $36.64 | 1,690 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $29.81 | $62,000 | $22.43 to $40.05 | 2,590 |
| 11 | Nevada | $29.58 | $61,520 | $21.41 to $45.70 | 1,600 |
| 12 | Vermont | $29.27 | $60,890 | $21.95 to $35.99 | 340 |
| 13 | Maryland | $29.00 | $60,310 | $19.52 to $45.81 | 2,850 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $28.98 | $60,280 | $21.97 to $36.40 | 9,270 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $28.93 | $60,180 | $23.27 to $36.34 | 280 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $28.77 | $59,840 | $17.72 to $44.60 | 2,390 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $28.58 | $59,440 | $20.81 to $39.31 | 3,730 |
| 17 | Oregon | $28.58 | $59,450 | $22.15 to $38.09 | 5,240 |
| 19 | Virginia | $28.45 | $59,180 | $20.44 to $38.29 | 10,100 |
| 20 | New York | $28.43 | $59,140 | $21.08 to $41.88 | 8,310 |
| 21 | Colorado | $28.17 | $58,590 | $21.20 to $38.32 | 4,970 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $28.08 | $58,410 | $22.62 to $34.00 | 15,320 |
| 23 | Utah | $28.07 | $58,380 | $21.08 to $38.23 | 4,440 |
| 24 | California | $27.91 | $58,060 | $21.40 to $39.40 | 26,060 |
| 25 | Delaware | $27.54 | $57,270 | $21.90 to $36.33 | 600 |
| 26 | Arizona | $26.73 | $55,600 | $19.21 to $39.08 | 7,270 |
| 26 | Montana | $26.73 | $55,610 | $21.02 to $39.17 | 1,530 |
| 28 | Iowa | $26.49 | $55,090 | $21.92 to $31.37 | 9,270 |
| 29 | Texas | $25.64 | $53,340 | $18.45 to $38.58 | 52,000 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $25.43 | $52,900 | $19.48 to $35.99 | 17,850 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $25.10 | $52,220 | $21.08 to $32.16 | 4,200 |
| 32 | Missouri | $24.98 | $51,950 | $18.36 to $37.57 | 10,600 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $24.74 | $51,470 | $18.89 to $33.18 | 6,630 |
| 34 | Illinois | $24.67 | $51,320 | $18.70 to $36.89 | 16,260 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $24.57 | $51,100 | $17.69 to $30.98 | 6,460 |
| 36 | Florida | $24.35 | $50,640 | $18.85 to $33.84 | 16,420 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $24.32 | $50,590 | $18.53 to $34.25 | 11,750 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $24.32 | $50,580 | $17.09 to $38.94 | 2,300 |
| 39 | Idaho | $24.30 | $50,530 | $19.41 to $34.03 | 3,300 |
| 40 | Ohio | $24.20 | $50,340 | $18.75 to $33.90 | 20,330 |
| 41 | Michigan | $24.03 | $49,990 | $18.80 to $33.75 | 13,330 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $24.03 | $49,980 | $18.62 to $31.01 | 7,380 |
| 43 | Indiana | $23.91 | $49,730 | $18.46 to $36.00 | 13,280 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $23.90 | $49,720 | $18.20 to $33.96 | 9,960 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $23.77 | $49,440 | $18.32 to $30.47 | 3,250 |
| 46 | Kansas | $23.75 | $49,410 | $18.17 to $32.06 | 6,370 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $23.46 | $48,810 | $17.65 to $35.47 | 2,100 |
| 48 | Alabama | $23.31 | $48,490 | $17.65 to $32.12 | 12,450 |
| 49 | Georgia | $23.28 | $48,430 | $18.29 to $31.33 | 13,130 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $23.10 | $48,040 | $18.19 to $30.87 | 12,510 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $23.06 | $47,970 | $17.97 to $30.21 | 6,150 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-4121, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers, all industries. Read from the BLS state and national data files. Counts leave out the self-employed.
From a wage to a price
If you run the business, the wage is only the start. At the national median of $25.84, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) give a rate of $115.97 per billable hour. Try yours in the labor rate calculator.
Licensing, training and running the business
- Quotes, invoices, booking and your website in one place: how welding and fabrication shops run on Koira.
Other trades
Welder salary FAQ
How much do welders make?
The national median was $25.84 an hour, or $53,750 a year, in May 2025: half of welders earned more and half less. The average (mean) was $27.29 an hour, or $56,760 a year.
What is the pay range for welders?
The lowest-paid tenth earned under $18.87 an hour ($39,240 a year) and the top tenth over $37.28 ($77,530 a year). The middle half earned between $22.50 and $30.29 an hour.
Which state pays welders the most?
By median hourly wage, Alaska ($38.87 an hour, $80,840 a year), then Hawaii ($37.98 an hour, $79,000 a year) and Connecticut ($31.19 an hour, $64,880 a year). These are wages as paid, not adjusted for living costs.
Which state pays welders the least?
Arkansas ($23.06 an hour, $47,970 a year) has the lowest median, then Tennessee ($23.10 an hour, $48,040 a year) and Georgia ($23.28 an hour, $48,430 a year).
How many welders work in the US?
BLS counts 416,210 on payrolls in May 2025. The self-employed are not in that count, so the real number is higher. The most work in Texas (52,000), California (26,060) and Ohio (20,330).
Where do these figures come from?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, SOC 51-4121 (welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers), across all industries. It covers wage and salary workers, not the self-employed.