Pay by state · 54 states
Welder Salary by State (2026)
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers earn the most in Alaska at $80,840 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $30,220 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $53,750. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $80,840Alaska
- National median
- $53,750BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $30,220Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Welder salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AKAlaska | $80,840 | $61,280 | $98,500 | 790 | $78,977 |
| 2 | HIHawaii | $79,000 | $63,030 | $90,830 | 520 | $71,850 |
| 3 | CTConnecticut | $64,880 | $49,240 | $81,590 | 1,790 | $62,619 |
| 4 | WYWyoming | $63,820 | $56,380 | $78,890 | 1,850 | $68,852 |
| 5 | WAWashington | $63,020 | $54,740 | $73,650 | 7,720 | $58,890 |
| 6 | MAMassachusetts | $62,570 | $53,680 | $74,050 | 2,830 | $59,164 |
| 7 | NHNew Hampshire | $62,360 | $50,620 | $74,420 | 1,110 | $59,867 |
| 8 | LALouisiana | $62,250 | $50,680 | $77,310 | 13,690 | $70,573 |
| 9 | MEMaine | $62,220 | $51,800 | $69,130 | 1,690 | $64,111 |
| 10 | NDNorth Dakota | $62,000 | $54,660 | $72,560 | 2,590 | $69,695 |
| 11 | NVNevada | $61,520 | $48,700 | $76,670 | 1,600 | $61,533 |
| 12 | VTVermont | $60,890 | $51,190 | $65,490 | 340 | $62,159 |
| 13 | MDMaryland | $60,310 | $48,150 | $77,810 | 2,850 | $57,461 |
| 14 | MNMinnesota | $60,280 | $50,960 | $65,410 | 9,270 | $61,123 |
| 15 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $60,180 | $50,110 | $75,580 | 280 | $54,758 |
| 16 | NMNew Mexico | $59,840 | $44,750 | $82,550 | 2,390 | $64,894 |
| 17 | OROregon | $59,450 | $49,690 | $66,570 | 5,240 | $57,517 |
| 18 | NJNew Jersey | $59,440 | $49,870 | $71,060 | 3,730 | $54,630 |
| 19 | VAVirginia | $59,180 | $49,020 | $65,400 | 10,100 | $58,534 |
| 20 | NYNew York | $59,140 | $49,050 | $71,960 | 8,310 | $54,799 |
| 21 | COColorado | $58,590 | $47,860 | $69,540 | 4,970 | $56,855 |
| 22 | WIWisconsin | $58,410 | $50,320 | $62,220 | 15,320 | $62,076 |
| 23 | UTUtah | $58,380 | $48,580 | $66,870 | 4,440 | $59,051 |
| 24 | CACalifornia | $58,060 | $48,480 | $70,400 | 26,060 | $52,439 |
| 25 | DEDelaware | $57,270 | $49,830 | $61,630 | 600 | $57,380 |
| 26 | MTMontana | $55,610 | $47,590 | $63,520 | 1,530 | $58,756 |
| 27 | AZArizona | $55,600 | $48,000 | $65,660 | 7,270 | $55,226 |
| 28 | IAIowa | $55,090 | $48,250 | $60,200 | 9,270 | $62,772 |
| 29 | TXTexas | $53,340 | $45,750 | $64,770 | 52,000 | $54,957 |
| 30 | PAPennsylvania | $52,900 | $47,240 | $61,920 | 17,850 | $54,216 |
| 31 | NENebraska | $52,220 | $47,830 | $61,810 | 4,200 | $57,956 |
| 32 | MOMissouri | $51,950 | $45,930 | $61,660 | 10,600 | $57,203 |
| 33 | KYKentucky | $51,470 | $46,380 | $59,900 | 6,630 | $57,088 |
| 34 | ILIllinois | $51,320 | $46,500 | $61,520 | 16,260 | $51,342 |
| 35 | MSMississippi | $51,100 | $41,000 | $63,440 | 6,460 | $58,767 |
| 36 | FLFlorida | $50,640 | $46,460 | $60,600 | 16,420 | $48,968 |
| 37 | NCNorth Carolina | $50,590 | $45,400 | $60,870 | 11,750 | $53,633 |
| 38 | RIRhode Island | $50,580 | $50,580 | $68,260 | 2,300 | $49,452 |
| 39 | IDIdaho | $50,530 | $46,120 | $59,350 | 3,300 | $52,914 |
| 40 | OHOhio | $50,340 | $45,750 | $59,510 | 20,330 | $54,261 |
| 41 | MIMichigan | $49,990 | $46,520 | $59,190 | 13,330 | $51,955 |
| 42 | SCSouth Carolina | $49,980 | $45,230 | $58,370 | 7,380 | $53,313 |
| 43 | INIndiana | $49,730 | $45,620 | $60,710 | 13,280 | $53,285 |
| 44 | OKOklahoma | $49,720 | $44,920 | $60,790 | 9,960 | $56,601 |
| 45 | SDSouth Dakota | $49,440 | $45,710 | $59,360 | 3,250 | $55,810 |
| 46 | KSKansas | $49,410 | $45,210 | $59,200 | 6,370 | $54,859 |
| 47 | WVWest Virginia | $48,810 | $39,900 | $60,170 | 2,100 | $54,538 |
| 48 | ALAlabama | $48,490 | $40,080 | $60,120 | 12,450 | $54,592 |
| 49 | GAGeorgia | $48,430 | $44,150 | $58,240 | 13,130 | $50,294 |
| 50 | TNTennessee | $48,040 | $41,600 | $57,450 | 12,510 | $52,291 |
| 51 | ARArkansas | $47,970 | $42,950 | $55,280 | 6,150 | $55,178 |
| 52 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $46,270 | $45,090 | $72,170 | 60 | N/A |
| 53 | GUGuam | $40,600 | $40,520 | $44,580 | 360 | N/A |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $30,220 | $27,660 | $33,840 | 1,680 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, that changes the ranking: Alaska leads on raw pay at $80,840, while Alaska leads once prices are taken into account at $78,977.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Welder pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers the most?
Alaska reports the highest median wage for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers at $80,840 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Hawaii ($79,000) and Connecticut ($64,880).
Which state pays Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers at $30,220 a year, $50,620 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Alaska first at $78,977 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $80,840. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.