Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Welder Salary in Chicago
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Welding · COL Index: 107
Welders in Chicago, IL earn a median annual wage of $50,700 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $37,950 and the 90th at $70,910. After cost of living, that translates to $47,383 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: D (51/100).
What Welders Take Home in Chicago
The $32,960 spread between entry-level and top-decile welders in Chicago is relatively narrow — about 65% of the median. That tight band usually signals a trade where pay scales primarily with experience rather than employer or specialization. New entrants can expect to climb steadily toward median pay over their first 5-10 years.
Chicago's cost-of-living index of 107 is within a few points of the U.S. average, so the $50,700 median for welders here translates almost directly into real purchasing power — roughly $47,383 in U.S.-average terms. What you see is what you take home, with no significant adjustment up or down.
With a Trade Pay Score of 51 (D), this trade-city pairing is below average. That typically reflects either weak nominal wages, sluggish 5-year wage growth, a high cost of living that hollows out real pay, or some combination. Workers should examine both the per-trade page (other cities for the same trade) and the per-city page (other trades in the same metro) to find a stronger fit.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $37,950 | $35,467 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $44,200 | $41,308 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $50,700 | $47,383 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $59,960 | $56,037 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $70,910 | $66,271 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — a survey of about 1.2 million employers per release covering more than 800 occupations and every U.S. metropolitan statistical area. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%) into a single 0-100 grade. Read the full methodology.
Career outlook detail — projected 2032 employment levels for welders, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in Chicago are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Welder make in Chicago?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median welder salary in Chicago, IL is $50,700. The 10th percentile is $37,950 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $70,910 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Chicago pay compare for Welders?
With a Trade Pay Score of 51/100 and a grade of D, the Chicago-Welder pairing is below average — workers should consider whether a different metro for the same trade might deliver a higher grade.
What is the apprenticeship path for Welders in Chicago?
Welders typically complete a 3-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($37,950) and progressing toward the median. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Welder pay in Chicago?
Chicago has a cost-of-living index of 107. The median welder salary of $50,700 translates to $47,383 in U.S.-average purchasing power — a downward adjustment because the metro is more expensive than average.
Where does this salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median or percentile from the 2024 release at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys roughly 1.2 million U.S. employers per release. Career outlook context (projected employment growth through 2032) comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. Both are public-domain U.S. government data sources.
Welders in Chicago, IL earn a median annual wage of $50,700 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $37,950 and the 90th at $70,910. After cost of living, that translates to $47,383 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: D (51/100).
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.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
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.