Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary
Production Occupations · 416K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$53,750
Median hourly
$26
Average annual
$56,760
Typical range
$39,240–$77,530
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is $53,750 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $26 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $39,240 and $77,530 a year. There are roughly 416K people employed as welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
- Hourly
- $25.84
- Daily
- $207
- Weekly
- $1,034
- Bi-weekly
- $2,067
- Monthly
- $4,479
- Annual
- $53,750
$53,750 a year is around the 50th percentile for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazerss. The median is $53,750.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Alaska$80,840
- 2Hawaii$79,000
- 3Connecticut$64,880
- 4Wyoming$63,820
- 5Washington$63,020
- 6Massachusetts$62,570
- 7New Hampshire$62,360
- 8Louisiana$62,250
- 9Maine$62,220
- 10North Dakota$62,000
- 11Nevada$61,520
- 12Vermont$60,890
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Lima, OH$85,790
- 2Urban Honolulu, HI$81,120
- 3Fairbanks-College, AK$80,210
- 4Baton Rouge, LA$78,170
- 5Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$75,040
- 6Anchorage, AK$74,000
- 7Lake Charles, LA$72,920
- 8Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,720
- 9Kahului-Wailuku, HI$67,280
- 10Portland-South Portland, ME$66,420
- 11Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$66,240
- 12St. Joseph, MO-KS$66,060
Related job titles
Employers advertise Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,920
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$51,330
- Boilermakers$76,410
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$65,380
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers$53,710
- Tool and Die Makers$64,050
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,380
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers$56,210
What a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers does
- Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
- Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.
- Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring that there is no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreign matter.
- Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
- Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
- Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
- Connect and turn regulator valves to activate and adjust gas flow and pressure so that desired flames are obtained.
- Position and secure workpieces, using hoists, cranes, wire, and banding machines or hand tools.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers make?
- The median annual wage for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is $53,750 ($26 per hour). Pay ranges from about $39,240 at the 10th percentile to $77,530 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $56,760, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazerss the most?
- Alaska has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $80,840.
- Is Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 416K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers do?
- Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.; Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.; Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring that there is no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreign matter..