Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,240 | $18.87 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $53,750 | $25.84 |
| Mean (average) | $56,760 | $27.29 |
| 90th percentile | $77,530 | $37.28 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,490 | $36,710 | $66,820 | 12,450 | 2.2 |
| Alaska | $80,840 | $49,660 | $109,940 | 790 | 0.9 |
| Arizona | $55,600 | $39,970 | $81,280 | 7,270 | 0.84 |
| Arkansas | $47,970 | $37,380 | $62,830 | 6,150 | 1.76 |
| California | $58,060 | $44,520 | $81,940 | 26,060 | 0.53 |
| Colorado | $58,590 | $44,100 | $79,700 | 4,970 | 0.65 |
| Connecticut | $64,880 | $43,590 | $87,980 | 1,790 | 0.39 |
| Delaware | $57,270 | $45,550 | $75,560 | 600 | 0.46 |
| District of Columbia | $60,180 | $48,400 | $75,580 | 280 | 0.15 |
| Florida | $50,640 | $39,200 | $70,390 | 16,420 | 0.62 |
| Georgia | $48,430 | $38,030 | $65,160 | 13,130 | 1 |
| Guam | $40,600 | $37,460 | $55,990 | 360 | 2.03 |
| Hawaii | $79,000 | $50,000 | $100,220 | 520 | 0.31 |
| Idaho | $50,530 | $40,370 | $70,790 | 3,300 | 1.44 |
| Illinois | $51,320 | $38,890 | $76,730 | 16,260 | 1 |
| Indiana | $49,730 | $38,410 | $74,880 | 13,280 | 1.55 |
| Iowa | $55,090 | $45,590 | $65,250 | 9,270 | 2.22 |
| Kansas | $49,410 | $37,790 | $66,680 | 6,370 | 1.66 |
| Kentucky | $51,470 | $39,300 | $69,010 | 6,630 | 1.24 |
| Louisiana | $62,250 | $42,810 | $81,750 | 13,690 | 2.64 |
| Maine | $62,220 | $47,230 | $76,220 | 1,690 | 0.99 |
| Maryland | $60,310 | $40,590 | $95,280 | 2,850 | 0.39 |
| Massachusetts | $62,570 | $47,720 | $83,430 | 2,830 | 0.29 |
| Michigan | $49,990 | $39,090 | $70,200 | 13,330 | 1.13 |
| Minnesota | $60,280 | $45,690 | $75,710 | 9,270 | 1.17 |
| Mississippi | $51,100 | $36,800 | $64,440 | 6,460 | 2.08 |
| Missouri | $51,950 | $38,200 | $78,150 | 10,600 | 1.35 |
| Montana | $55,610 | $43,720 | $81,470 | 1,530 | 1.12 |
| Nebraska | $52,220 | $43,850 | $66,900 | 4,200 | 1.53 |
| Nevada | $61,520 | $44,530 | $95,050 | 1,600 | 0.39 |
| New Hampshire | $62,360 | $47,540 | $80,290 | 1,110 | 0.61 |
| New Jersey | $59,440 | $43,290 | $81,760 | 3,730 | 0.33 |
| New Mexico | $59,840 | $36,860 | $92,760 | 2,390 | 1.03 |
| New York | $59,140 | $43,840 | $87,110 | 8,310 | 0.32 |
| North Carolina | $50,590 | $38,540 | $71,240 | 11,750 | 0.89 |
| North Dakota | $62,000 | $46,660 | $83,290 | 2,590 | 2.26 |
| Ohio | $50,340 | $38,990 | $70,510 | 20,330 | 1.37 |
| Oklahoma | $49,720 | $37,860 | $70,640 | 9,960 | 2.18 |
| Oregon | $59,450 | $46,070 | $79,230 | 5,240 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,900 | $40,510 | $74,870 | 17,850 | 1.1 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,220 | $26,280 | $36,530 | 1,680 | 0.67 |
| Rhode Island | $50,580 | $35,560 | $81,000 | 2,300 | 1.71 |
| South Carolina | $49,980 | $38,720 | $64,510 | 7,380 | 1.2 |
| South Dakota | $49,440 | $38,100 | $63,380 | 3,250 | 2.66 |
| Tennessee | $48,040 | $37,840 | $64,200 | 12,510 | 1.43 |
| Texas | $53,340 | $38,380 | $80,240 | 52,000 | 1.38 |
| Utah | $58,380 | $43,850 | $79,520 | 4,440 | 0.96 |
| Vermont | $60,890 | $45,650 | $74,870 | 340 | 0.42 |
| Virgin Islands | $46,270 | $37,720 | $81,630 | 60 | 0.68 |
| Virginia | $59,180 | $42,520 | $79,630 | 10,100 | 0.92 |
| Washington | $63,020 | $47,980 | $86,250 | 7,720 | 0.81 |
| West Virginia | $48,810 | $36,700 | $73,780 | 2,100 | 1.12 |
| Wisconsin | $58,410 | $47,060 | $70,720 | 15,320 | 1.95 |
| Wyoming | $63,820 | $47,220 | $89,610 | 1,850 | 2.46 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 40,300. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 4.3%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Welding Engineering Technology/Technician CIP 15.0614
- Welding Technology/Welder CIP 48.0508
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
- Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
- Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
- Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
- Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.
- Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
- Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
- Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Oracle Database (hot technology)
- EZ Pipe
- Fred's Tip Cartridge Picker
- IBM Notes
- OmniFleet Equipment Maintenance Management
- Recordkeeping software
- Scientific Software Group Filter Drain FD
- Value Analysis
Transferable skills for career changers: Quality Control Analysis, Judgment and Decision Making, Operations Monitoring, Time Management, Operation and Control, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Assembly Line Brazer, Brazer, Fabrication Welder, Maintenance Welder, MIG Welder (Metal Inert Gas Welder), Solderer, TIG Welder (Tungsten Inert Gas Welder), Welder, Welder Fitter, Wirer.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make?
The national median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers was $53,750 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $39,240 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $77,530. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers to change +2.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 40,300 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Alaska ($80,840), Hawaii ($79,000), Connecticut ($64,880). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.