Welder Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

Data from 2008 shows about 409,000 jobs for welders in the US. This job is ranked high for unemployment. On the order of 7% of employees could not find work in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Houma (Louisiana), Odessa (Texas), and Casper (Wyoming) can boast the most welders for their size. San Francisco (California), Barnstable (Massachusetts), and Springfield (Illinois) have the fewest per capita.

The highest salaries for workers are found in Bay City (Michigan), Kokomo (Indiana), and Bakersfield (California), and the lowest-paying areas are in Dalton (Georgia), Brownsville (Texas), and Joplin (Missouri).

Training and Education

Many employers require that job applicants for this career have a postsecondary vocational award. The percentage of welders with a bachelor's degree or better is 2%. Approximately 25% of workers went to college, but did not have to get a four year degree. Completing high school was all that was needed for 73% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

About 2% of people in this field work less than full time. Self-employment is the path of choice for 6% of workers.

Welders: An Introductory Video

Welders Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of welders compared to other locations (that is, jobs per population). Single or double up or down arrows indicate the relative popularity in that location. Within each state listing, metro areas are sorted by the actual number of jobs for welders.

Alabama

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Birmingham	$34,000	2,110
Mobile	$33,000	1,500
Montgomery	$31,000	670
Anniston	$40,000	530
Decatur	$32,000	490
Huntsville	$32,000	270
Dothan	$26,000	240
Tuscaloosa	$45,000	200
Florence	$27,000	150
Auburn	$26,000	110
Gadsden	$26,000	110

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$54,000	270
Fairbanks	$53,000	130

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Phoenix	$33,000	4,060
Tucson	$33,000	620
Kingman	$33,000	110
Yuma	$34,000	90
Prescott	$35,000	80
Flagstaff	$34,000	40

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Little Rock	$33,000	780
Fort Smith	$30,000	740
Fayetteville	$30,000	570
Jonesboro	$29,000	340
Pine Bluff	$30,000	130
Hot Springs	$30,000	70

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Riverside	$32,000	3,370
Santa Ana	$35,000	3,140
San Diego	$39,000	2,290
Oakland	$41,000	2,160
San Jose	$40,000	1,190
Sacramento	$37,000	1,030
Bakersfield	$52,000	1,010
Stockton	$33,000	950
Fresno	$31,000	750
Oxnard	$35,000	650
Modesto	$38,000	570
San Francisco	$43,000	440
Santa Rosa	$39,000	340
Visalia	$29,000	270
Santa Barbara	$35,000	250
Vallejo	$40,000	220
San Luis Obispo	$42,000	220
Merced	$35,000	170
Madera	$34,000	140
Chico	$35,000	140
Napa	$37,000	140
Salinas	$45,000	100
El Centro	$33,000	100
Redding	$35,000	80
Hanford	$28,000	80
Yuba City	$35,000	70
Santa Cruz	$40,000	70

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Denver	$37,000	1,470
Greeley	$37,000	490
Colorado Springs	$33,000	330
Grand Junction	$39,000	320
Fort Collins	$35,000	260
Pueblo	$32,000	210
Boulder	$40,000	160

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Hartford	$41,000	850
New Haven	$39,000	320
Bridgeport	$39,000	260
Norwich	$40,000	240
Danbury	$37,000	120
Waterbury	$35,000	70

Delaware

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wilmington	$44,000	480
Dover	$37,000	70

District of Columbia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Washington	$44,000	1,600

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Orlando	$36,000	2,160
Tampa	$32,000	1,970
Miami	$35,000	1,690
Jacksonville	$35,000	1,470
Lakeland	$34,000	1,030
Fort Lauderdale	$36,000	900
Sarasota	$28,000	580
West Palm Beach	$44,000	410
Palm Bay	$37,000	380
Ocala	$32,000	290
Panama City	$35,000	260
Deltona	$31,000	200
Pensacola	$32,000	170
Port St Lucie	$36,000	140
Gainesville	$26,000	140
Naples	$35,000	80
Sebastian	$35,000	60

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Atlanta	$32,000	5,150
Gainesville	$32,000	920
Augusta	$34,000	490
Rome	$29,000	310
Savannah	$39,000	310
Athens	$30,000	240
Dalton	$25,000	230
Valdosta	$32,000	210
Macon	$31,000	190
Albany	$33,000	130
Brunswick	$36,000	80

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$52,000	590

Idaho

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Boise	$30,000	1,270
Idaho Falls	$30,000	120
Coeur Dalene	$32,000	110
Lewiston	$38,000	90

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Chicago	$36,000	7,360
Peoria	$33,000	3,080
Rockford	$37,000	590
Champaign	$36,000	180
Kankakee	$28,000	90
Decatur	$40,000	90
Springfield	$41,000	40

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Indianapolis	$35,000	1,580
Elkhart	$34,000	1,570
Gary	$39,000	1,540
Fort Wayne	$32,000	850
Evansville	$31,000	500
South Bend	$33,000	400
Terre Haute	$34,000	260
Anderson	$32,000	120
Muncie	$28,000	110
Michigan City	$34,000	90
Kokomo	$48,000	90

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Davenport	$39,000	850
Des Moines	$35,000	830
Waterloo	$33,000	760
Cedar Rapids	$32,000	410
Sioux City	$31,000	260
Dubuque	$35,000	180
Ames	$31,000	110
Iowa City	$31,000	90

Kansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wichita	$35,000	1,410
Topeka	$28,000	230

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Louisville	$35,000	2,810
Lexington	$34,000	670
Owensboro	$33,000	550
Elizabethtown	$38,000	160
Bowling Green	$29,000	70

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers
New Orleans	$40,000	3,760
Houma	$38,000	2,670
Baton Rouge	$44,000	2,630
Lafayette	$38,000	1,040
Shreveport	$38,000	720
Lake Charles	$47,000	680
Monroe	$35,000	310
Alexandria	$39,000	100

Maine

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$38,000	160
Lewiston	$31,000	70

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Baltimore	$38,000	1,530
Bethesda	$40,000	400
Hagerstown	$34,000	250
Cumberland	$37,000	40

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Boston	$45,000	1,070
Worcester	$38,000	420
Brockton	$42,000	250
Springfield	$39,000	230
New Bedford	$38,000	180
Haverhill	$39,000	170
Lowell	$41,000	160
Framingham	$44,000	80
Taunton	$41,000	70
Leominster	$42,000	70
Lawrence	$39,000	50
Barnstable Town	$37,000	40

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Warren	$46,000	2,600
Detroit	$40,000	1,460
Grand Rapids	$36,000	760
Lansing	$33,000	580
Holland	$34,000	410
Muskegon	$36,000	370
Flint	$34,000	260
Kalamazoo	$34,000	260
Niles	$37,000	210
Monroe	$41,000	210
Saginaw	$31,000	150
Ann Arbor		120
Jackson	$35,000	120
Bay City	$45,000	50

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Minneapolis	$40,000	4,760
Rochester	$39,000	460
Duluth	$37,000	420
St Cloud	$38,000	410

Mississippi

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Jackson	$33,000	510
Gulfport	$34,000	370
Hattiesburg	$31,000	120

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Kansas City	$36,000	2,740
St Louis	$35,000	2,710
Springfield	$33,000	1,510
Joplin	$25,000	390
Jefferson City	$31,000	110
Columbia	$33,000	60

Montana

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Billings	$34,000	300
Missoula	$34,000	80
Great Falls	$32,000	60

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$32,000	1,250
Lincoln	$34,000	710

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Las Vegas	$42,000	1,090
Reno	$36,000	530
Carson City	$36,000	70

New Hampshire

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Nashua	$41,000	230
Portsmouth	$45,000	200
Rochester	$46,000	100
Manchester	$35,000	60

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Newark	$38,000	1,030
Edison	$37,000	960
Camden	$41,000	530
Trenton	$37,000	270

New Mexico

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Albuquerque	$33,000	610
Farmington	$47,000	590
Las Cruces	$35,000	170

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers
New York	$40,000	2,800
Buffalo	$40,000	1,710
Nassau	$34,000	1,270
Rochester	$35,000	690
Syracuse	$35,000	630
Albany	$49,000	460
Poughkeepsie	$39,000	230
Binghamton	$26,000	190
Utica	$36,000	150
Elmira	$36,000	120

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Charlotte	$35,000	1,650
Greensboro	$37,000	940
Raleigh	$33,000	890
Winston Salem	$38,000	750
Hickory	$29,000	390
Asheville	$32,000	320
Durham	$37,000	210
Wilmington	$35,000	200
Rocky Mount	$29,000	180
Fayetteville	$39,000	110
Goldsboro	$29,000	100
Greenville	$34,000	100
Jacksonville	$33,000	50
Burlington	$32,000	40

North Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Fargo	$34,000	850
Grand Forks	$31,000	140
Bismarck	$31,000	60

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Cleveland	$35,000	2,530
Cincinnati	$36,000	2,470
Columbus	$32,000	1,730
Akron	$38,000	1,180
Canton	$33,000	1,020
Youngstown	$33,000	860
Dayton	$36,000	670
Toledo	$37,000	660
Mansfield	$33,000	200
Springfield	$30,000	150
Lima	$33,000	90
Sandusky	$38,000	50

Oklahoma

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Tulsa	$34,000	3,920
Oklahoma City	$32,000	3,410
Lawton	$28,000	80

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Portland	$38,000	3,960
Eugene	$32,000	600
Salem	$31,000	350
Medford	$31,000	240
Bend	$32,000	100
Corvallis	$37,000	50

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Pittsburgh	$34,000	2,950
Philadelphia	$40,000	2,780
York	$38,000	1,050
Allentown	$35,000	920
Lancaster	$35,000	880
Erie	$29,000	740
Reading	$34,000	610
Scranton	$33,000	600
Harrisburg	$37,000	340
Johnstown	$31,000	250
Williamsport	$31,000	180
Lebanon	$33,000	180
State College	$31,000	120
Altoona	$35,000	90

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$38,000	1,520

South Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Columbia	$34,000	1,240
Greenville	$34,000	1,080
Charleston	$34,000	820
Spartanburg	$35,000	710
Florence	$31,000	540
Anderson	$30,000	310
Sumter	$26,000	180
Myrtle Beach	$37,000	70

South Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Sioux Falls	$31,000	410
Rapid City	$31,000	170

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Nashville	$32,000	2,300
Chattanooga	$37,000	1,220
Knoxville	$33,000	1,180
Memphis	$34,000	1,000
Kingsport	$29,000	420
Clarksville	$34,000	400
Morristown	$35,000	340
Johnson City	$27,000	270
Jackson	$31,000	140
Cleveland	$31,000	50

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Houston	$38,000	19,040
Dallas	$34,000	5,740
Fort Worth	$35,000	4,200
Beaumont	$39,000	2,370
San Antonio	$28,000	1,760
Corpus Christi	$37,000	1,530
Longview	$38,000	1,280
Austin	$36,000	1,030
Odessa	$39,000	1,010
Brownsville	$23,000	970
Tyler	$36,000	900
Mcallen	$26,000	740
Midland	$37,000	740
El Paso	$26,000	520
Killeen	$31,000	500
Waco	$31,000	470
Abilene	$33,000	440
Wichita Falls	$30,000	400
Lubbock	$27,000	340
Texarkana		310
Victoria	$37,000	280
Amarillo	$31,000	270
College Station	$32,000	250
Sherman	$30,000	210
San Angelo	$27,000	180
Laredo	$25,000	60

Utah

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Salt Lake City	$35,000	1,990
Ogden	$36,000	1,190
Provo	$34,000	520
Logan	$31,000	160

Vermont

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Burlington	$39,000	110

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Virginia Beach	$40,000	2,660
Richmond	$37,000	850
Lynchburg	$35,000	620
Roanoke	$30,000	390
Harrisonburg	$35,000	240
Blacksburg	$34,000	100
Charlottesville	$35,000	70
Winchester	$35,000	60
Danville	$34,000	60

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Seattle	$44,000	2,560
Tacoma	$41,000	820
Bremerton	$49,000	600
Spokane	$35,000	550
Bellingham	$39,000	510
Yakima	$34,000	210
Mount Vernon	$40,000	180
Longview	$36,000	120
Kennewick	$39,000	120
Olympia	$35,000	70
Wenatchee	$31,000	70

West Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Huntington	$35,000	690
Charleston	$43,000	600
Parkersburg	$32,000	220
Wheeling	$40,000	170
Morgantown	$29,000	120
Weirton		110

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Milwaukee	$35,000	3,690
Oshkosh	$45,000	1,180
Madison	$36,000	820
Wausau	$35,000	710
Green Bay	$35,000	700
Appleton	$37,000	500
Eau Claire	$35,000	450
Racine	$32,000	380
Janesville	$34,000	320
Fond	$41,000	190
Sheboygan	$34,000	150

Wyoming

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Casper	$40,000	640
Cheyenne	$37,000	120

Our welder career and school information is provided by CTI Career Search.