Experience
Industry
The estimated total pay for a Welder is $47,503 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $45,697 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $1,807 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.
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For Welder
Download as data table
Job Title | Salary |
---|---|
Welder | $47,503 /yr |
Senior Welder | $63,098 /yr |
Lead Welder | $50,324 /yr |
For a Welder in United States
Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Welder in United States. Employers include BNSF Railway, SpaceX and Cameron.
For Welder in United States
1 | BNSF Railway | $57,742 | |
2 | SpaceX | $56,231 | |
3 | Cameron | $55,149 | |
4 | McDermott | $55,121 | |
5 | Koch Industries | $55,040 | |
6 | AITX | $54,671 | |
7 | Union Pacific | $53,229 | |
8 | CSX | $53,045 | |
9 | Martin Marietta Materials | $52,503 | |
10 | WM | $51,989 |
For Welder
Download as data table
Job Title | Salary |
---|---|
Welder | $47,503 /yr |
Senior Welder | $63,098 /yr |
Lead Welder | $50,324 /yr |
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For a Welder in United States
The top 5 paying industries for a Welder in United States are Transportation & Logistics with a median total pay of $51,825, Energy, Mining & Utilities with a median total pay of $51,724, Aerospace & Defense with a median total pay of $50,473, Information Technology with a median total pay of $48,345, and Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services with a median total pay of $47,437.
1% Higher than other industries
Top paying companies in Transportation & Logistics for Welder are BNSF Railway, AITX, and Union Pacific.
What is the pay outlook for Skilled Labor & Manufacturing?
Skilled labor jobs like manufacturing, construction and warehousing are in high demand. Warehousing and logistics jobs are projected to grow rapidly with the growth of e-commerce and often pay higher salaries than other jobs that don't require a college degree. While a college degree is not generally required, training in new skills or earning certifications and licenses can be a way to earn a higher salary. While job opportunities are projected to grow, automation remains a risk to the long-term job outlook.
For welder
Job Title
Location
Total Pay
Base Pay | Additional Pay
Total Years of Experience
Years at Recent Employer
Submitted
Date or Time
United States of America
| 1-3 years
/hr
$15 | $300
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 4-6 years
/hr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 4-6 years
/hr
$29 | $800
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 4-6 years
/hr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/hr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 4-6 years
/hr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 4-6 years
/hr
Submitted Yesterday
The average salary for a Welder is $47,503 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 7435 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Welder employees in United States.
The highest salary for a Welder in United States is $54,778 per year.
The lowest salary for a Welder in United States is $41,322 per year.
If you are thinking of becoming a Welder or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Welder.
Welding provides fulfilling and accessible work to candidates who wish to pursue mastery in a vocational trade instead of a four-year academic education. Pay for welding roles is similar to that of other skilled trades such as automotive specialists and bakers. Many manufacturing firms have two to three shifts varying between eight to twelve hours in length. This schedule allows them to produce around the clock. Welders can increase their pay by working multiple shifts.
Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research
According to Glassdoor data, around 63% of welders are satisfied with their salaries. In addition to a regular salary, welders may earn $1,806.74 each year. It's also common to receive company and union benefits, such as medical insurance and retirement plans.
Based on data collected by Glassdoor, welders have an annual salary that averages around $45,696.69. New welders will likely start around $36,478.05. Throughout a welder's career path, assuming skills and performance improve, the welder should have an opportunity to earn a higher salary and more lucrative overtime opportunities, eventually reaching a maximum salary of around $62,244.49.
If you already have a job, you can take steps to earn a higher salary as a welder. As you learn more advanced welds and get better at doing the common welds more quickly, you should be able to move up, eventually becoming a senior or lead welder. Focus on improving your ability to read complex blueprints, as well as improving the quality of your flat groove and horizontal flat fillet welds using manual, semi-automatic, and automatic welding equipment. Your welds should receive passing scores on Ultrasonic inspections. You may also find your career advancing more quickly if you receive training on Flux Core and Carbon Arcing Weld processes.
If you are just starting your career, you may be able to demand a higher salary by doing well in your welder job interview and showing off some impressive example welds.
For those already in a welder role and looking to negotiate a higher salary, do a welder job search for your desired position and talk about why you exceed those requirements. Be prepared to discuss your performance and safety metrics and provide examples of advanced welds. Make certain to discuss examples of leadership skills. If you are a top performer in the shop, don't be afraid to ask for a raise.
About 63.45% of Welder professionals feel satisfied with their salary, according to anonymous Glassdoor ratings. An additional $1,807 in potential pay per year, among other factors, can qualify the annual pay of a Welder in United States as a good salary.
Welder professionals in United States have a wide total pay range, between $36,478 and $62,244 depending on experience, with an estimated total pay of $47,503 following the average career path of a Welder.