U.S. welding careers combine substantial employment with steady replacement demand. The occupation held 437,700 jobs in 2025, with about 40,300 openings projected each year from 2025 through 2035. The figures below cover welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers, generally classified as SOC 51-4121, and keep each source’s measurement period and scope explicit.
Contents
- Employment and outlook
- Wages and earnings
- Industries employing welders
- States with the most jobs
- Location concentration and state pay
- Working conditions
- Education and training
Employment and outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook reports 437,700 jobs for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in 2025. BLS projects 448,100 jobs by 2035, an increase of 10,300 jobs over the decade. That is projected growth of 2% from 2025 to 2035. The same BLS outlook projects about 40,300 openings per year on average during 2025–2035. These annual openings include opportunities created by employment changes and by workers leaving the occupation, so they are not the same as net new jobs. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
ONET reports a different reference year and estimate: 457,300 employees in 2024. Its projection is 45,600 job openings over 2024–2034, with growth described as slower than average and in the 1% to 2% range. Because the BLS and ONET estimates use different periods and projection windows, they should be read as separate published measures rather than combined into one series. O*NET, 51-4121.00
| Measure | Published figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Employment | 437,700 jobs | 2025 |
| Projected employment | 448,100 jobs | 2035 projection |
| Net projected increase | 10,300 jobs | 2025–2035 projection |
| Average annual openings | 40,300 | 2025–2035 projection |
| O*NET employment estimate | 457,300 employees | 2024 |
| O*NET projected openings | 45,600 | 2024–2034 projection |
Wages and earnings
BLS reported a median annual wage of $53,750 and a median hourly wage of $25.84 in May 2025. At the lower end of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $39,240 annually. At the upper end, the highest-paid 10% earned more than $77,530 annually. These are national occupation figures, not guaranteed starting salaries or individual wage offers. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
The more detailed BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) table provides an earlier May 2023 benchmark. It reported a nationwide mean hourly wage of $25.31 and a mean annual wage of $52,640. The May 2023 annual distribution included a 10th-percentile wage of $36,830, a median of $48,940, and a 90th-percentile wage of $72,970. The 2023 median and mean should not be substituted for the newer May 2025 BLS median: they measure different dates and different summary statistics. BLS OEWS occupation table
Industry can affect pay. In May 2025, BLS reported median annual wages of $59,440 in specialty trade contractors, $56,080 in repair and maintenance, and $51,210 in manufacturing. Those industry medians are useful for comparing broad sectors, while the May 2023 OEWS industry table supplies detailed employment and mean-wage figures below. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
Industries employing welders
The May 2023 OEWS industry data show that welding employment is distributed across metal manufacturing, machinery, vehicles, and construction. Fabricated metal product manufacturing in NAICS 3323 and 3324 employed 68,110 welders. Machinery manufacturing in the listed NAICS groups employed 60,390. Another listed fabricated-metal group, covering NAICS 3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329, employed 25,220.
Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing employed 24,950, while foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors employed 18,210. These are OEWS estimates for May 2023 and exclude self-employed workers. BLS OEWS occupation table
The corresponding mean annual wages also varied by industry:
- Welders in the NAICS 3323–3324 fabricated-metal manufacturing group had a mean annual wage of $49,550.
- Welders in the listed machinery-manufacturing groups had a mean annual wage of $50,350.
- Welders in the other listed fabricated-metal manufacturing group had a mean annual wage of $49,200.
- Welders in motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing had a mean annual wage of $47,310.
- Welders in foundation, structure, and building exterior contracting had a mean annual wage of $55,290.
The annual OEWS wage figures use the BLS year-round, full-time convention. They therefore describe an annualized wage measure and should not be interpreted as proof that every worker in an industry works identical hours or receives the same compensation.
States with the most jobs
Among the published May 2023 state employment levels, Texas had the most welder jobs, with 52,820. California had 28,300, followed by Ohio with 19,750, Wisconsin with 17,440, and Illinois with 17,280. These are employment counts, so they identify where the largest number of jobs was reported, not necessarily where welding represents the greatest share of the local workforce.
| State | Welder jobs, May 2023 |
|---|---|
| Texas | 52,820 |
| California | 28,300 |
| Ohio | 19,750 |
| Wisconsin | 17,440 |
| Illinois | 17,280 |
The state figures come from the detailed BLS OEWS occupation table. They are estimates for May 2023, and the table’s scope excludes self-employed workers. BLS OEWS occupation table
Location concentration and state pay
A location quotient compares an area’s employment concentration with the national average. A value above 1.00 indicates a higher concentration than the national benchmark; it is not a count of jobs and does not measure wage levels. In May 2023, South Dakota had the highest listed welder location quotient at 2.84. Wyoming recorded 2.55, Louisiana 2.40, Wisconsin 2.18, and North Dakota 2.09. BLS OEWS occupation table
The highest listed state mean annual wages in the same May 2023 data were reported in Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska’s mean annual welder wage was $79,210, while Hawaii’s was $75,590. These state means are not directly interchangeable with the May 2025 national median or with the 2023 national mean because geography, date, and statistic type differ.
Working conditions
O*NET’s 2026 occupation-page data describe response distributions from survey respondents, not a census of every welder. They indicate that 86% reported wearing common protective or safety equipment every day, 74% reported using their hands continually or almost continually, and 72% reported facing time pressure every day. Face-to-face discussions were reported every day by 67%.
Precision is also prominent: 56% rated being exact or accurate as extremely important. Exposure was common in the reported distributions: 62% reported daily exposure to contaminants, 58% reported daily exposure to distracting or uncomfortable noise, 48% reported daily exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings, and 41% reported daily exposure to hazardous equipment.
Regarding setting and schedule, 65% reported a typical 40-hour work week, 59% reported working indoors without environmental control every day, and 40% reported standing continually or almost continually. Together, these percentages suggest a job that combines hands-on work, safety practices, physical positioning, precision, and time-sensitive production demands. The percentages should not be treated as universal requirements for every workplace. O*NET, 51-4121.00
Education and training
ONET places the occupation in Job Zone 1–2 and reports on-the-job training ranging from a few days to one year. Among the education responses shown on the 2026 ONET occupation page, 54% said a high school diploma or equivalent is required for a new hire to perform the job. Another 21% said less than a high school diploma is required, while 12% said a post-secondary certificate is required.
Those displayed education categories do not necessarily sum to 100%, so they should not be read as a complete distribution of every entry route. They describe reported response categories on the occupation page, not a universal hiring rule. The available data therefore support a range of preparation pathways, from employer training to certificate-level education, with the exact expectation depending on the job and employer. O*NET, 51-4121.00
For career planning, the statistics point to three practical distinctions: the occupation has modest projected net growth but many annual openings; pay varies by percentile, industry, state, and measurement year; and training expectations can range from short on-the-job preparation to a post-secondary certificate. Compare the date, geography, source, and definition behind any welding statistic before using it to evaluate a specific opportunity.