Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
Welder
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers join metal parts in manufacturing, construction, shipyards, pipelines, and repair shops using several processes. Pay rises sharply with certifications and willingness to travel.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a welder makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$53,750
$25.84 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $46,790
- 75th percentile
- $63,010
- 90th percentile
- $77,530
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 99%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +2.4%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 40,300
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
A high school diploma plus a welding certificate from a community college or technical school (6 to 18 months) is the common path; some employers train helpers on the job. AWS certification tests in specific processes and positions are what employers actually check, and union apprenticeships exist through the ironworkers, pipefitters, and boilermakers.
The work, as O*NET defines it: 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.
The next step
Welding certificate program and AWS certified welder tests
- Typical cost
- $3,000 to $15,000 for a program; AWS tests $50 to $300 each
- Time to complete
- 6 to 18 months
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $38.87 | $80,840 | $61,280 to $98,500 | 790 |
| Hawaii | $37.98 | $79,000 | $63,030 to $90,830 | 520 |
| Connecticut | $31.19 | $64,880 | $49,240 to $81,590 | 1,790 |
| Wyoming | $30.69 | $63,820 | $56,380 to $78,890 | 1,850 |
| Washington | $30.30 | $63,020 | $54,740 to $73,650 | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $30.08 | $62,570 | $53,680 to $74,050 | 2,830 |
| New Hampshire | $29.98 | $62,360 | $50,620 to $74,420 | 1,110 |
| Louisiana | $29.93 | $62,250 | $50,680 to $77,310 | 13,690 |
| Maine | $29.92 | $62,220 | $51,800 to $69,130 | 1,690 |
| North Dakota | $29.81 | $62,000 | $54,660 to $72,560 | 2,590 |
| Nevada | $29.58 | $61,520 | $48,700 to $76,670 | 1,600 |
| Vermont | $29.27 | $60,890 | $51,190 to $65,490 | 340 |
| Maryland | $29.00 | $60,310 | $48,150 to $77,810 | 2,850 |
| Minnesota | $28.98 | $60,280 | $50,960 to $65,410 | 9,270 |
| District of Columbia | $28.93 | $60,180 | $50,110 to $75,580 | 280 |
| New Mexico | $28.77 | $59,840 | $44,750 to $82,550 | 2,390 |
| Oregon | $28.58 | $59,450 | $49,690 to $66,570 | 5,240 |
| New Jersey | $28.58 | $59,440 | $49,870 to $71,060 | 3,730 |
| Virginia | $28.45 | $59,180 | $49,020 to $65,400 | 10,100 |
| New York | $28.43 | $59,140 | $49,050 to $71,960 | 8,310 |
| Colorado | $28.17 | $58,590 | $47,860 to $69,540 | 4,970 |
| Wisconsin | $28.08 | $58,410 | $50,320 to $62,220 | 15,320 |
| Utah | $28.07 | $58,380 | $48,580 to $66,870 | 4,440 |
| California | $27.91 | $58,060 | $48,480 to $70,400 | 26,060 |
| Delaware | $27.54 | $57,270 | $49,830 to $61,630 | 600 |
| Montana | $26.73 | $55,610 | $47,590 to $63,520 | 1,530 |
| Arizona | $26.73 | $55,600 | $48,000 to $65,660 | 7,270 |
| Iowa | $26.49 | $55,090 | $48,250 to $60,200 | 9,270 |
| Texas | $25.64 | $53,340 | $45,750 to $64,770 | 52,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $25.43 | $52,900 | $47,240 to $61,920 | 17,850 |
| Nebraska | $25.10 | $52,220 | $47,830 to $61,810 | 4,200 |
| Missouri | $24.98 | $51,950 | $45,930 to $61,660 | 10,600 |
| Kentucky | $24.74 | $51,470 | $46,380 to $59,900 | 6,630 |
| Illinois | $24.67 | $51,320 | $46,500 to $61,520 | 16,260 |
| Mississippi | $24.57 | $51,100 | $41,000 to $63,440 | 6,460 |
| Florida | $24.35 | $50,640 | $46,460 to $60,600 | 16,420 |
| North Carolina | $24.32 | $50,590 | $45,400 to $60,870 | 11,750 |
| Rhode Island | $24.32 | $50,580 | $50,580 to $68,260 | 2,300 |
| Idaho | $24.30 | $50,530 | $46,120 to $59,350 | 3,300 |
| Ohio | $24.20 | $50,340 | $45,750 to $59,510 | 20,330 |
| Michigan | $24.03 | $49,990 | $46,520 to $59,190 | 13,330 |
| South Carolina | $24.03 | $49,980 | $45,230 to $58,370 | 7,380 |
| Indiana | $23.91 | $49,730 | $45,620 to $60,710 | 13,280 |
| Oklahoma | $23.90 | $49,720 | $44,920 to $60,790 | 9,960 |
| South Dakota | $23.77 | $49,440 | $45,710 to $59,360 | 3,250 |
| Kansas | $23.75 | $49,410 | $45,210 to $59,200 | 6,370 |
| West Virginia | $23.46 | $48,810 | $39,900 to $60,170 | 2,100 |
| Alabama | $23.31 | $48,490 | $40,080 to $60,120 | 12,450 |
| Georgia | $23.28 | $48,430 | $44,150 to $58,240 | 13,130 |
| Tennessee | $23.10 | $48,040 | $41,600 to $57,450 | 12,510 |
| Arkansas | $23.06 | $47,970 | $42,950 to $55,280 | 6,150 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a welder?
No. BLS lists "high school diploma or equivalent" as the typical education for entry, and 99% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is welding certificate program and AWS certified welder tests.
How much does a welder make?
The median pay was $53,750 a year ($25.84 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $46,790 and $63,010, and the top 10 percent earned more than $77,530.
How long does it take to become a welder?
6 to 18 months. The typical cost is $3,000 to $15,000 for a program; AWS tests $50 to $300 each.
Is welder work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 2.4% from 2025 to 2035 with about 40,300 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 51-4121.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile