State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Welder Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is $53,750 a year ($25.84/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 2.2% through 2034, with about 45,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 51-4121ProductionLast updated August 23, 2026
- Median pay
- $53,750
- Projected growth
- +2.2%
- Openings a year
- 45,600
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Assembly Line Brazer, Brazer, Fabrication Welder, Maintenance Welder, MIG Welder (Metal Inert Gas Welder), Solderer.
How much do Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers make?
10th percentile$39,240
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$46,790
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$53,750
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$63,010
Upper quartile
90th percentile$77,530
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $53,750 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $25.84/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $56,760 |
| People employed | 416,210 |
Versus all US occupations
At $53,750, Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers earn 5% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $2,770 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $47,920, this is 12% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $77,530 or more while the bottom 10% earn $39,240, a gap of 2.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 35% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Alaska pays the most at $80,840, and still leads at $78,977 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $80,840 | $78,977 | 790 |
| Hawaii | $79,000 | $71,850 | 520 |
| Connecticut | $64,880 | $62,619 | 1,790 |
| Wyoming | $63,820 | $68,852 | 1,850 |
| Washington | $63,020 | $58,890 | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $62,570 | $59,164 | 2,830 |
| New Hampshire | $62,360 | $59,867 | 1,110 |
| Louisiana | $62,250 | $70,573 | 13,690 |
| Maine | $62,220 | $64,111 | 1,690 |
| North Dakota | $62,000 | $69,695 | 2,590 |
Is Welder a growing career?
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers2.2%
All US occupations3.1%
+2.2% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers to change 2.2% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 9,900 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 45,600 openings are projected each year, 10.0% of the 457,300 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Despite limited employment growth, about 45,600 openings for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The nation’s aging infrastructure will require the expertise of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers to help rebuild bridges, highways, and buildings. These workers also will be needed in manufacturing plants, such as those that produce metal products and machinery. However, automation in manufacturing may limit overall demand for these workers.
How to become a Welder
Welding is generally not a licensed profession — a few states and localities do license it, but for most jobs the gate is passing a hands-on welder qualification test for the code or welding procedure the work is built to, and the most portable credential proving that is the American Welding Society's Certified Welder.
The credential path, step by step
- Get a high school diploma and welding training
Employers often prefer or require a high school diploma or equivalent plus technical training, available through high school technical education, vocational-technical institutes, community colleges, private welding schools, or the US Armed Forces. Blueprint reading, shop mathematics and mechanical drawing are useful.
- Get on the tools
Some employers hire inexperienced entry-level workers and train them; others prefer people who have finished a training or credentialing program, and even those workers still get several months of on-the-job training. Employer-based apprenticeships exist for both beginners and vocational-school graduates.
- Pass the qualification test for the work you want
The real gate is a performance test against the code or welding procedure the job uses — structural, pipeline, sheet metal or pressure work each qualify differently, and a qualification is specific to the process, material and position tested.
- Earn the AWS Certified Welder credentialDigital credential issued about two to three weeks after AWS receives the application
Contact an AWS Accredited Test Facility, test against the QC47 specification, and the facility submits your application to AWS. This gives you a transferable credential rather than one tied to a single employer.
- Keep the certification active
Submit the six-month maintenance (continuity) documentation confirming you continue to use the certified process, or the certification goes inactive and requires retesting.
Exams you have to pass
Certified Welder performance qualification test (CW)
A strictly performance-based weld test conducted in accordance with the AWS QC47 specification. There are no prerequisite courses or certifications: if you can make the weld, you are eligible. The program tests welders on procedures used in structural steel, petroleum pipeline, sheet metal and chemical refinery welding, and welders commonly hold several certifications covering different processes and positions.
Administered by AWS Accredited Test Facilities.
- Program accreditation
ATF · AWS Accredited Test Facility
Certified Welder tests can only be taken at an AWS Accredited Testing Facility, which operates under AWS welder testing standards and submits your Certified Welder application to AWS. You schedule an appointment with a facility directly; there is no course prerequisite.
- Continuing education
Required to stay credentialed
An AWS Certified Welder certification remains valid only as long as continuity is maintained: you must submit certification maintenance documentation every six months confirming you are still performing the welding process you were certified in, via an annual WeldCert Pro subscription. Kept current, the certification can stay active indefinitely; lapse it and it goes inactive and you must requalify by testing.
Licensing and state variation
Not a state license
Welding is not a state-licensed profession in most of the country, though BLS notes that welders must be licensed in some states and localities and that those requirements vary — worth checking with the local government licensing agency where you plan to work. What actually gates the job is qualification: employers hire against a code or welding procedure (for example AWS D1.1 for structural steel, or the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section IX and B31.1/B31.3 piping codes for pressure work), and some employers require general or specific certification for particular jobs and will pay for the training and testing.
Who governs the credential
- American Welding Society (AWS) — Publishes the welding codes that most US welding work is qualified against, including AWS D1.1/D1.1M Structural Welding Code — Steel, and runs the Certified Welder program through its network of Accredited Test Facilities.
- NCCER — Describes itself as the nation's leader in providing construction industry education, assessments, credentials and accreditation, and issues craft credentials that employers use to verify training across the construction trades.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) — Federal workplace safety regulator; per BLS, OSHA requires welders to complete training on electrical safety, while its other training is generally not required.
Credential detail for welders is researched by hand from the bodies that issue it, not derived from BLS or O*NET. Sources last checked August 23, 2026. Requirements change: confirm with your own state board before enrolling in anything.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, How to Become One · checked August 23, 2026
- American Welding Society — Certified Welder Program · checked August 23, 2026
- American Welding Society — Welder Performance Qualifier Endorsement (WPQ1), listing AWS D1.1/D1.1M Structural Welding Code — Steel among the reference codes · checked August 23, 2026
- American Welding Society — ASME BPVC Section IX, Power B31.1 and Process B31.3 Piping endorsement · checked August 23, 2026
- NCCER — About · checked August 23, 2026
What the federal data says
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, combined with technical and on-the-job training, to enter the occupation.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers.
- High School Diploma53.6%
- Less than a High School Diploma20.8%
- Post-Secondary Certificate11.6%
- Some College Courses11.3%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)1.8%
What does a Welder do?
Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join or cut metal parts. They also fill holes, indentations, or seams in metal products.
Day-to-day tasks
- Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
- 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.
- Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
- Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
- Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring that there is no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreign matter.
- Position and secure workpieces, using hoists, cranes, wire, and banding machines or hand tools.
- Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
- Chip or grind off excess weld, slag, or spatter, using hand scrapers or power chippers, portable grinders, or arc-cutting equipment.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Many manufacturing firms have two or three 8- to 12-hour shifts each day, allowing the firm to continue production around the clock if needed. As a result, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers may work evenings and weekends.
Working with people
- Little or no dealing with customers or the public
Pressure and stakes
- Meeting strict deadlines at least weekly
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
Where welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers work
| Manufacturing | 61% |
|---|---|
| Specialty trade contractors | 8% |
| Self-employed workers | 6% |
| Repair and maintenance | 4% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Critical Thinking2.9/5
- Active Listening2.6/5
- Speaking2.6/5
- Reading Comprehension2.5/5
- Active Learning2.3/5
- Mathematics2.1/5
- Learning Strategies2.0/5
Transferable skills
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Operations Monitoring2.8/5
- Time Management2.8/5
- Operation and Control2.6/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.5/5
- Troubleshooting2.5/5
- Coordination2.4/5
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Computer aided design CAD software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Welder?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative2.1
Artistic1.4
Social1.1
Enterprising1.5
Conventionalprimary3.6
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Welder: frequently asked questions
How much do Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers make?
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers earn a median of $53,750 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 5% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $25.84/hr. The middle half earn between $46,790 and $63,010. The top 10% earn $77,530 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Welder?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 53.6% hold high school diploma.
Is Welder a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.2% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 45,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Welder do?
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join or cut metal parts. A core O*NET task: operate safety equipment and use safe work habits. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers the most?
The highest state medians for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers are Alaska ($80,840), Hawaii ($79,000), Connecticut ($64,880) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Welder?
O*NET scores Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.
Do you need a license to work as a Welder?
Not a state license. Welding is not a state-licensed profession in most of the country, though BLS notes that welders must be licensed in some states and localities and that those requirements vary — worth checking with the local government licensing agency where you plan to work. What actually gates the job is qualification: employers hire against a code or welding procedure (for example AWS D1.1 for structural steel, or the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section IX and B31.1/B31.3 piping codes for pressure work), and some employers require general or specific certification for particular jobs and will pay for the training and testing.
What exams and certifications apply to a Welder?
The CW (Certified Welder performance qualification test). A strictly performance-based weld test conducted in accordance with the AWS QC47 specification. There are no prerequisite courses or certifications: if you can make the weld, you are eligible. The program tests welders on procedures used in structural steel, petroleum pipeline, sheet metal and chemical refinery welding, and welders commonly hold several certifications covering different processes and positions.