SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-4121.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $39,240 | $3,270 | $755 | $18.87 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $46,790 | $3,899 | $900 | $22.50 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $53,750 | $4,479 | $1,034 | $25.84 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $63,010 | $5,251 | $1,212 | $30.29 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $77,530 | $6,461 | $1,491 | $37.28 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is $53,750, which is 5% higher. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 24 by median pay. With 416,210 jobs, it makes up about 27 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Alaska ($80,840), Hawaii ($79,000) and Connecticut ($64,880). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($30,220), Guam ($40,600) and Virgin Islands ($46,270). The most jobs were in Texas (52,000), California (26,060) and Ohio (20,330). The occupation is most concentrated in South Dakota, where its share of all jobs is 2.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 790 | $80,840 | $80,100 | $38.87 |
| Hawaii | 520 | $79,000 | $77,430 | $37.98 |
| Connecticut | 1,790 | $64,880 | $66,800 | $31.19 |
| Wyoming | 1,850 | $63,820 | $67,990 | $30.69 |
| Washington | 7,720 | $63,020 | $66,340 | $30.30 |
| Massachusetts | 2,830 | $62,570 | $65,050 | $30.08 |
| New Hampshire | 1,110 | $62,360 | $62,900 | $29.98 |
| Louisiana | 13,690 | $62,250 | $63,750 | $29.93 |
| Maine | 1,690 | $62,220 | $61,930 | $29.92 |
| North Dakota | 2,590 | $62,000 | $64,880 | $29.81 |
| Nevada | 1,600 | $61,520 | $64,590 | $29.58 |
| Vermont | 340 | $60,890 | $60,210 | $29.27 |
| Maryland | 2,850 | $60,310 | $64,410 | $29.00 |
| Minnesota | 9,270 | $60,280 | $60,360 | $28.98 |
| District of Columbia | 280 | $60,180 | $61,620 | $28.93 |
| New Mexico | 2,390 | $59,840 | $63,720 | $28.77 |
| Oregon | 5,240 | $59,450 | $60,390 | $28.58 |
| New Jersey | 3,730 | $59,440 | $62,500 | $28.58 |
| Virginia | 10,100 | $59,180 | $60,410 | $28.45 |
| New York | 8,310 | $59,140 | $62,810 | $28.43 |
| Colorado | 4,970 | $58,590 | $60,410 | $28.17 |
| Wisconsin | 15,320 | $58,410 | $57,920 | $28.08 |
| Utah | 4,440 | $58,380 | $59,640 | $28.07 |
| California | 26,060 | $58,060 | $61,120 | $27.91 |
| Delaware | 600 | $57,270 | $58,470 | $27.54 |
| Montana | 1,530 | $55,610 | $58,680 | $26.73 |
| Arizona | 7,270 | $55,600 | $59,040 | $26.73 |
| Iowa | 9,270 | $55,090 | $55,580 | $26.49 |
| Texas | 52,000 | $53,340 | $56,940 | $25.64 |
| Pennsylvania | 17,850 | $52,900 | $56,300 | $25.43 |
| Nebraska | 4,200 | $52,220 | $55,290 | $25.10 |
| Missouri | 10,600 | $51,950 | $55,470 | $24.98 |
| Kentucky | 6,630 | $51,470 | $53,710 | $24.74 |
| Illinois | 16,260 | $51,320 | $55,930 | $24.67 |
| Mississippi | 6,460 | $51,100 | $52,930 | $24.57 |
| Florida | 16,420 | $50,640 | $54,030 | $24.35 |
| North Carolina | 11,750 | $50,590 | $53,720 | $24.32 |
| Rhode Island | 2,300 | $50,580 | $58,180 | $24.32 |
| Idaho | 3,300 | $50,530 | $54,290 | $24.30 |
| Ohio | 20,330 | $50,340 | $53,370 | $24.20 |
| Michigan | 13,330 | $49,990 | $53,820 | $24.03 |
| South Carolina | 7,380 | $49,980 | $52,120 | $24.03 |
| Indiana | 13,280 | $49,730 | $54,220 | $23.91 |
| Oklahoma | 9,960 | $49,720 | $52,860 | $23.90 |
| South Dakota | 3,250 | $49,440 | $51,980 | $23.77 |
| Kansas | 6,370 | $49,410 | $52,780 | $23.75 |
| West Virginia | 2,100 | $48,810 | $53,350 | $23.46 |
| Alabama | 12,450 | $48,490 | $51,120 | $23.31 |
| Georgia | 13,130 | $48,430 | $51,520 | $23.28 |
| Tennessee | 12,510 | $48,040 | $50,450 | $23.10 |
| Arkansas | 6,150 | $47,970 | $50,020 | $23.06 |
| Virgin Islands | 60 | $46,270 | $54,660 | $22.24 |
| Guam | 360 | $40,600 | $44,010 | $19.52 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,680 | $30,220 | $31,330 | $14.53 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
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Common questions
How much do Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $53,750 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $39,240 and the highest-paid 10% more than $77,530.
How many people work as Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers?
About 416,210 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.