BLS welder pay an hour and a year by percentile, state and industry, with overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers earned a median of $25.84 an hour in May 2025, or $53,750 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' count of 416,210 on payrolls. A new welder sits near the bottom tenth at $18.87; the top tenth earned over $37.28. Shift differentials and overtime, both common in manufacturing, aren't counted in those figures.
This is the BLS line for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers (SOC 51-4121) on an employer's payroll; self-employed welders are not in the survey. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.87 | $39,240 | $3,270 | $33,709 |
| 25th percentile | $22.50 | $46,790 | $3,899 | $39,776 |
| Median | $25.84 | $53,750 | $4,479 | $45,368 |
| 75th percentile | $30.29 | $63,010 | $5,251 | $52,809 |
| 90th percentile | $37.28 | $77,530 | $6,461 | $63,372 |
Alaska ($38.87) and Hawaii ($37.98) pay welders far more than anywhere else; Connecticut is next at $31.19. Arkansas is lowest at $23.06. Texas employs 52,000 welders, twice as many as any other state, at $25.64 an hour.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $38.87 | $80,840 | 790 |
| Hawaii | $37.98 | $79,000 | 520 |
| Connecticut | $31.19 | $64,880 | 1,790 |
| Wyoming | $30.69 | $63,820 | 1,850 |
| Washington | $30.30 | $63,020 | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $30.08 | $62,570 | 2,830 |
| New Hampshire | $29.98 | $62,360 | 1,110 |
| Louisiana | $29.93 | $62,250 | 13,690 |
| Maine | $29.92 | $62,220 | 1,690 |
| North Dakota | $29.81 | $62,000 | 2,590 |
| Nevada | $29.58 | $61,520 | 1,600 |
| Vermont | $29.27 | $60,890 | 340 |
| Maryland | $29.00 | $60,310 | 2,850 |
| Minnesota | $28.98 | $60,280 | 9,270 |
| District of Columbia | $28.93 | $60,180 | 280 |
| New Mexico | $28.77 | $59,840 | 2,390 |
| New Jersey | $28.58 | $59,440 | 3,730 |
| Oregon | $28.58 | $59,450 | 5,240 |
| Virginia | $28.45 | $59,180 | 10,100 |
| New York | $28.43 | $59,140 | 8,310 |
| Colorado | $28.17 | $58,590 | 4,970 |
| Wisconsin | $28.08 | $58,410 | 15,320 |
| Utah | $28.07 | $58,380 | 4,440 |
| California | $27.91 | $58,060 | 26,060 |
| Delaware | $27.54 | $57,270 | 600 |
| Arizona | $26.73 | $55,600 | 7,270 |
| Montana | $26.73 | $55,610 | 1,530 |
| Iowa | $26.49 | $55,090 | 9,270 |
| Texas | $25.64 | $53,340 | 52,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $25.43 | $52,900 | 17,850 |
| Nebraska | $25.10 | $52,220 | 4,200 |
| Missouri | $24.98 | $51,950 | 10,600 |
| Kentucky | $24.74 | $51,470 | 6,630 |
| Illinois | $24.67 | $51,320 | 16,260 |
| Mississippi | $24.57 | $51,100 | 6,460 |
| Florida | $24.35 | $50,640 | 16,420 |
| North Carolina | $24.32 | $50,590 | 11,750 |
| Rhode Island | $24.32 | $50,580 | 2,300 |
| Idaho | $24.30 | $50,530 | 3,300 |
| Ohio | $24.20 | $50,340 | 20,330 |
| Michigan | $24.03 | $49,990 | 13,330 |
| South Carolina | $24.03 | $49,980 | 7,380 |
| Indiana | $23.91 | $49,730 | 13,280 |
| Oklahoma | $23.90 | $49,720 | 9,960 |
| South Dakota | $23.77 | $49,440 | 3,250 |
| Kansas | $23.75 | $49,410 | 6,370 |
| West Virginia | $23.46 | $48,810 | 2,100 |
| Alabama | $23.31 | $48,490 | 12,450 |
| Georgia | $23.28 | $48,430 | 13,130 |
| Tennessee | $23.10 | $48,040 | 12,510 |
| Arkansas | $23.06 | $47,970 | 6,150 |
Specialty trade contractors pay the most ($59,440), repair and maintenance shops $56,080, and manufacturing, which employs 63% of welders, $51,210 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Specialty trade contractors | $59,440 |
| Repair and maintenance | $56,080 |
| Manufacturing | $51,210 |
Most welders work full time and some work more than 40 hours a week. Many manufacturers run two or three 8- to 12-hour shifts a day, so welders may work evenings and weekends (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Pay varies with experience and skill, industry and company size; BLS's figures exclude shift differentials and overtime.
Hourly welders are non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek (U.S. Department of Labor). On 10- or 12-hour shift patterns, a few of those hours land in overtime most weeks; enter your average.
Employers often prefer a high school diploma and technical training from a high school, community college or welding school, or an apprenticeship. Some states and localities license welders, professional organisations offer certification, and some employers require general or specific certification and may pay for training and testing; OSHA requires electrical safety training (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). BLS doesn't publish a certified-welder premium; industry is the clearest official difference — see the table below.
More ways to work with your welder pay:
$25.84 an hour ($53,750 a year) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $22.50 to $30.29 an hour.
Alaska ($38.87 an hour, $80,840 a year), then Hawaii and Connecticut; Arkansas pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Often, because certification opens jobs that require it, but BLS doesn't publish a separate wage for certified welders. The percentile and industry tables on this page are the official measure of how much skill and employer move pay.
Hourly welders are non-exempt under the FLSA and owed time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek (U.S. Department of Labor).
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.