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Welders in Washington: what they earn
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in Washington earned a median $63,020 a year in May 2025, $30.30 an hour. 7,720 people held the job, 2.2 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 17% above the national figure of $53,750, and Washington ranks 5 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Washington
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.07 | $47,980 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $26.32 | $54,740 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $30.30 | $63,020 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $35.41 | $73,650 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $41.47 | $86,250 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $31.89 | $66,340 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Pay by metro area in Washington
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA employs the most welders of the 11 metro areas based in Washington that BLS publishes, 3,230, at a median $66,240 a year. The best-paid is Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA at $71,720.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,230 | $66,240 | $50,270 | $89,630 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 740 | $71,720 | $53,770 | $101,360 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 630 | $59,350 | $45,090 | $74,450 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 430 | $62,800 | $49,150 | $84,480 |
| Bellingham, WA | 320 | $63,720 | $49,910 | $80,970 |
| Yakima, WA | 290 | $57,450 | $45,800 | $71,550 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 260 | $64,720 | $50,010 | $95,400 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 140 | $58,680 | $49,400 | $83,830 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | 120 | $59,860 | $46,440 | $76,600 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 90 | $49,780 | $39,450 | $73,930 |
| Walla Walla, WA | 80 | $59,380 | $46,290 | $71,490 |
Metropolitan statistical areas as BLS publishes them in the same May 2025 estimates. A metro that crosses a state line is listed only under its primary state, so part of a neighboring state's metro can sit outside this table. Areas outside any metro are not shown. Listed under another state but reaching into Washington: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA and Lewiston, ID-WA.
Washington against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Hawaii | $79,000 | 520 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $64,880 | 1,790 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $63,820 | 1,850 |
| 5 | Washington | $63,020 | 7,720 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $62,570 | 2,830 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $62,360 | 1,110 |
| 8 | Louisiana | $62,250 | 13,690 |
The complete ranking is on the Welders page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $63,020 | $53,750 |
| Median hourly | $30.30 | $25.84 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $47,980 | $39,240 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $86,250 | $77,530 |
| Employed | 7,720 | 416,210 |
Apprenticeships in Washington
U.S. Department of Labor records list 48 registered apprentices active in Washington in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (SOC 51-4121). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023, the latest year the file holds in full, 16 apprentices started; 16 have a starting wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs here. Of those who completed that year, 21 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs.
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in Washington
Electricians ($95,220) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($81,030) · HVAC technicians ($75,660) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($64,760) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($133,060) · Elevator installers ($137,180) · Ironworkers ($107,660) · Sheet metal workers ($98,550) · Carpenters ($74,190) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($83,190) · Auto service technicians ($57,270) · Diesel mechanics ($77,900) · Heavy equipment operators ($81,700) · Machinists ($66,160)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Washington.
No state licensing records are sourced here for welders. The steps into the trade are on the Welders page. Numbers on this page are the May 2025 BLS estimates, apart from the apprenticeship figures, which are DOL's; see how the numbers are built.