Welding is a great profession to get into and can help you earn a good annual salary. Welder salaries tend to range from about $30,000 – $65,000 per year which is equivalent to $15 – $30 per hour.
The average yearly welders salary in 2021 was $48,290, with an average $23.21 hourly wage. This is slightly below the USA average salary across all jobs. The salary a welder receives varies greatly depending on state and job.
The United States Labor Department reported that in 2021 there were 397,600 people employed in the welding, cutting soldering and brazing industry. This figure has been decreased from approximately 410,000 in 2019.
The American Welding Society (AWS) estimates that there are a total of 754,000 welding professionals in the U.S in 2021, including self-employed welders. It is predicted by AWS that the welding industry could face a shortage of up to 400,000 welders by 2024 due to upcoming retirements in the industry.
The median annual welding salary in 2021 was $47,010, with the lowest 10% percentile earning $31,350 annually ($15.07/hour) and the highest 10% percentile earning $63,660 ($30.61/hour).
Where is the Highest Pay for Welders?
The highest average pay for welders is in Alaska, Wyoming, Washington, Hawaii, New Mexico, Colorado and North Dakota. You’ll find many of these to be high demand pipeline welder jobs that are needed to transport oil from the region, hence their high salaries.
Starting Salary for Welders
Starting salaries to welders tends to be in the lower percentiles but will improve as you get more experiences. You should expect between $14 and $18 per hour when you start out. The annual salary typically starts at around $30,000.
Where to Find the Most Welding Jobs
You’ll find a lot of welding jobs situated along the coast where there are job opportunities in shipbuilding. As you can see below, California, Texas, Florida and North Carolina have many jobs available in the welding industry. Where the most jobs are can greatly influence where you choose to go to welding school.
Hopefully, this gives you an indication of what you can make by being a welder. Some welders even make over $100,000 a year! There’s still plenty of opportunities available so it’s a great industry to get into.
Welding isn’t an easy job, you can work long hours pipe welding with early mornings getting hot inside your helmet. However, it can be a fun, rewarding and lucrative career choice.