How Much Does a Structural Welder Make? (2024)
Welding · SOC Code 51-4121 · 3-year apprenticeship
The average structural welder earns $54,982 per year ($26/hour) as of 2024, according to BLS data. Yearly income ranges from $48,340 to $64,510 depending on city, with entry-level workers earning about $49,210 and top earners making $88,200+.
Most structural welders don't hit $100K — top-decile pay tops out at $88,200
The 90th-percentile structural welder in Seattle, WA earns $88,200 per year ($42/hour). Workers who hit six figures in this trade are usually overtime-heavy industrial workers, foremen, or contractor-owners — those numbers sit outside what the BLS wage survey captures for typical W-2 employment.
National Salary Range
Structural Welder salaries range from $48,340 to $64,510 median across cities, depending on location, union membership, and experience level.
Structural Welder Salary by City
| City | Median | Range (10th-90th) | COL-Adjusted | Grade | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $64,510 | $49,210 – $88,200 | $43,295 | D | 3,270 |
| San Francisco, CA | $63,890 | $49,620 – $102,200 | $33,626 | D | 1,940 |
| Boston, MA | $62,240 | $47,410 – $84,230 | $40,947 | D | 2,270 |
| Portland, OR | $60,940 | $47,330 – $82,930 | $46,877 | D | 3,010 |
| New York, NY | $60,840 | $41,550 – $96,590 | $32,535 | D | 4,930 |
| New Orleans, LA | $60,590 | $45,620 – $82,330 | $63,779 | C | 1,470 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $60,340 | $47,940 – $75,610 | $56,925 | C | 4,720 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $58,930 | $42,570 – $78,460 | $56,663 | C | 1,370 |
| Denver, CO | $58,700 | $46,200 – $77,080 | $45,859 | D | 1,730 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $58,200 | $45,330 – $89,180 | $35,060 | D | 7,560 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $57,520 | $40,000 – $79,410 | $55,308 | C | 950 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $57,370 | $47,690 – $65,440 | $59,760 | C | 4,020 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $56,110 | $41,560 – $74,030 | $48,791 | D | 4,030 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $54,650 | $42,750 – $83,110 | $53,058 | C | 5,670 |
| Raleigh, NC | $54,080 | $40,640 – $70,500 | $54,080 | C | 1,100 |
| Houston, TX | $53,810 | $36,700 – $79,410 | $56,052 | C | 17,750 |
| Charlotte, NC | $53,760 | $41,200 – $76,890 | $54,857 | C | 3,720 |
| Kansas City, MO | $52,920 | $41,530 – $74,580 | $56,298 | C | 2,420 |
| Miami, FL | $51,390 | $39,880 – $73,480 | $42,123 | D | 3,520 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $51,080 | $38,440 – $69,700 | $55,522 | C | 2,740 |
| Chicago, IL | $50,700 | $37,950 – $70,910 | $47,383 | D | 9,150 |
| Nashville, TN | $50,660 | $39,880 – $74,440 | $49,184 | D | 2,410 |
| Columbus, OH | $50,400 | $39,520 – $68,310 | $54,194 | C | 2,230 |
| St. Louis, MO | $50,280 | $37,500 – $69,020 | $55,867 | C | 3,000 |
| Detroit, MI | $50,250 | $38,500 – $76,370 | $56,461 | C | 5,240 |
| Atlanta, GA | $49,590 | $39,090 – $68,110 | $46,783 | D | 5,720 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $49,300 | $38,720 – $69,830 | $54,176 | C | 2,290 |
| Dallas, TX | $49,290 | $37,440 – $76,140 | $48,324 | D | 11,870 |
| Tampa, FL | $48,790 | $37,990 – $65,200 | $48,307 | D | 2,370 |
| San Antonio, TX | $48,340 | $35,270 – $73,580 | $53,711 | C | 2,340 |
About Structural Welder Pay
Structural Welders earn a national median salary of $54,982 based on 2024 BLS occupational wage data. The highest-paying city for this trade is Seattle at $64,510 median, while San Antonio offers the lowest at $48,340.
Becoming a structural welder typically requires a 3-year apprenticeship program. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) can expect around $49,210, while master-level tradespeople (90th percentile) earn $88,200 or more. With 4% wage growth over the past 5 years, this trade is growing at a steady pace.
See how this compares to other trades on our highest paying trades ranking, or browse the best cities for trade workers.
Thinking about becoming a structural welder?
Step-by-step path: 3-year apprenticeship, certifications, state licensing, and apprentice-to-master pay timeline.
Related Welding Trades
Frequently Asked Questions
The average structural welder salary is $54,982 per year ($26/hour) based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Average yearly income ranges from $48,340 to $64,510 depending on city, experience, and union status.
Structural Welders earn an average hourly wage of $26/hour based on a 2,080-hour work year. Entry-level (10th percentile) hourly pay is about $24/hour, while top earners (90th percentile) make $42/hour or more.
Seattle offers the highest median pay for structural welders at $64,510. However, cost of living matters, the COL-adjusted pay may tell a different story. Check our city-by-city breakdown above.
With a Trade Pay Score of C and 4% wage growth over 5 years, structural welder offers steady career prospects. There are approximately 124,810 jobs nationwide across 30 metro areas.
Becoming a structural welder typically requires a 3-year apprenticeship program combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Entry-level pay starts around $49,210 (10th percentile).
Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024. Trade Pay Scores are a composite of median wage vs. metro income, wage growth, job demand, and COL-adjusted pay.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.