Welder key facts
- National median pay
- $53,750 per yearBLS, May 2025
- Projected growth
- 2%BLS, 2025 to 2035
- Annual openings
- 40,300BLS, 2025 to 2035 average
- Typical entry education
- Typically a high school diploma or equivalent plus technical and on-the-job training.
- Typical training route
- Technical school / community collegeVaries by credential
- Licensing note
- AWS Certified WelderWidely recognized optional credential
- Primary source
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Last verified
- Data verified September 2026 · BLS May 2025 wages · BLS 2025 to 2035 projections
Career overview
What does a welder career actually involve?
Welders use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join, repair or cut metal parts and products. Welding skills are used across manufacturing, construction, repair, energy, shipbuilding, fabrication and infrastructure.
BLS says welders typically need a high school diploma or equivalent plus technical and on-the-job training. Training may come from vocational schools, community colleges, private welding schools, the military, apprenticeships or employer programs. Certification requirements depend on the employer, process, code and project; some states or localities also have licensing rules.
Typical work
Read drawings, specifications and welding symbols.
Set up welding machines, torches, clamps and protective equipment.
Join, cut or repair metal using the process required for the job.
Inspect welds and adjust technique to meet quality requirements.
Follow ventilation, electrical, fire and personal-protective-equipment safety procedures.
Step-by-step path
How to enter this career
Build a foundation in math, drawings and shop safety
Blueprint reading, shop math, mechanical drawing and basic electricity are useful preparation. A high school diploma or equivalent is commonly preferred or required by employers.
Choose technical training or an apprenticeship
Training is available through vocational-technical schools, community colleges, private welding schools, employer apprenticeships and military programs. Compare how much supervised booth time and real fabrication practice each program provides.
Practice the processes employers in your market use
Employers hire for demonstrated process and position competence, not just course completion. Your target industry may emphasize structural steel, sheet metal, pipe, fabrication, maintenance or another specialty.
Earn job-relevant welding qualifications
AWS offers a performance-based Certified Welder program through accredited testing facilities. There are no prerequisite courses for the AWS Certified Welder performance test, but the exact qualification an employer wants depends on the procedure and industry.
AWS Certified Welder programKeep stacking skill and verified qualifications
Higher-value welding careers usually come from a combination of process mastery, code-specific qualifications, difficult positions, field experience, reliability and safety — not from one generic certificate alone.
Pay, without the hype
How much does a welder make?
The BLS national median for this occupation is $53,750 per year (May 2025 wages). Half of workers earn more and half earn less, so it is not a starting wage: the lowest-paid 10% earned under $39,240, and apprentices usually earn less than fully trained workers while they train.
Median pay in selected industries
BLS wage data cover the broad occupation of welders, cutters, solderers and brazers. Specialty project compensation, overtime, per diem and self-employment may not be reflected in the national median, while entry-level production work may pay less. Avoid treating exceptional specialty-welder anecdotes as typical national pay.
Training choices
Compare the main routes into the field
Technical school / community college
Structured practice before applying to employersPrograms can teach process fundamentals, blueprint reading, shop safety and fabrication. Compare total hands-on hours, equipment and employer placement rather than choosing by program length alone.
Employer-based apprenticeship / OJT
People who can enter a shop and learn while workingSome employers and apprenticeships train entry-level workers on the job. Even formally trained welders typically continue learning under experienced workers after hire.
Certification-first skill validation
Experienced welders who need proof of a specific capabilityAWS Certified Welder testing is performance-based. Passing a qualification can demonstrate ability for a specific procedure, but it does not replace employer, project or local requirements.
Licenses & credentials
What you may actually need to work
AWS Certified Welder
Widely recognized optional credentialAWS testing is performance-based and offered through Accredited Testing Facilities. Welders can hold multiple qualifications for different procedures.
AWS Certified WelderEmployer / code-specific qualification
Often job-specificMany welding jobs require qualification to a procedure, code or position specified by the employer or project. Requirements differ across structural, pipe, manufacturing and repair work.
State/local license
Location-dependentBLS notes that welders must be licensed in some states and localities. Verify the rules for the jurisdiction and type of work you plan to perform.
2025 to 2035 job outlook
What is driving demand?
BLS projects 2% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3% average for all occupations, but still projects about 40,300 openings per year on average because workers leave the occupation or labor force.
BLS expects aging infrastructure and manufacturing to continue creating welding needs, while automation in manufacturing may limit overall employment growth. That makes portable skills, multiple processes and quality credentials especially valuable.
Career fit
Who tends to fit this work — and what to consider first
This path may fit you if…
- You like precision work and improving a physical skill through repetition.
- You can stay focused around heat, sparks and safety hazards.
- You are comfortable working from drawings and specifications.
- You want a skill that transfers across manufacturing, construction and repair industries.
- You are willing to keep qualifying on new processes or procedures as your career changes.
Know the realities
- •Welders may work outdoors, at heights, in confined areas or in awkward positions.
- •Fumes, intense light, hot materials and electrical hazards require disciplined protective practices.
- •Manufacturing shifts can include evenings, weekends and overtime.
- •National BLS pay is much more reliable than viral claims about six-figure specialty welding, which depend on location, travel, overtime, skill and project conditions.
One possible progression
Trainee / helper
Learn shop safety, preparation, material handling and basic process control.
Production / structural welder
Build consistency in the processes, positions and materials used by your employer.
Multi-process / code-qualified welder
Stack demonstrated qualifications and experience for more complex work.
Lead / specialty welder
Move toward difficult field work, pipe, repair, fabrication leadership or other specialty areas based on proven ability.
Inspection / supervision / business path
With additional qualifications and experience, some welders move into supervision, quality, inspection or independent fabrication.
Keep researching
Related TrainingForFuture guides
Head-to-head career comparisons
Compare welder with a nearby choice.
See current BLS pay, growth, openings, training routes and work-style differences on one page.
Source transparency
Where this guide gets its facts
TrainingForFuture prioritizes primary government and industry sources for pay, projections, licensing and certification. Data below was checked for this guide in September 2026.
Occupational Outlook Handbook — Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
May 2025 wages, 2025 to 2035 outlook, training and work environment.
Open official source American Welding SocietyCertified Welder Program
Performance-based AWS Certified Welder qualification information.
Open official source U.S. Department of LaborCareerOneStop License Finder
Starting point for state/local licensing questions.
Open official sourceFrequently asked questions
Quick answers
How long does it take to become a welder?
There is no single national timeline. BLS says welders typically need a high school diploma or equivalent plus technical and on-the-job training. Program length varies by school, employer, process and credential.
What is the national median welder salary?
The BLS median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers was $53,750 in May 2025. The lowest 10% earned less than $39,240 and the highest 10% earned more than $77,530.
Do welders need AWS certification?
Not every welding job requires AWS certification, but employers may require specific welding qualifications. The AWS Certified Welder program is a performance-based way to validate particular skills.
Is welding demand growing?
BLS projects 2% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, but about 40,300 openings per year on average are still projected, largely because workers leave the occupation or labor force.
Can welders make over $100,000?
Some specialty, travel, overtime or self-employed welding roles may exceed the national wage distribution, but they are not typical. BLS reports the May 2025 national 90th-percentile threshold above $77,530 for the broad welder occupation.