How much do welders make an hour in Arkansas?

The median hourly wage is $23.06. The middle half earn between $20.65 and $26.58 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in Arkansas?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.97 an hour ($37,380 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.65.

Where in Arkansas do welders earn the most?

Among Arkansas metro areas, Jonesboro has the highest median at $51,900 a year, and Texarkana the lowest at $41,920.

Do welders in Arkansas earn more than the national average?

The Arkansas median of $47,970 is 11% less than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Arkansas run 13% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $55,180 would nationally.

Welder salary in Arkansas

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in Arkansas earn a median of $47,970 a year, or $23.06 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $62,830. That's 11% less than the national median of $53,750, 51st of 51 states and DC.

Median yearly pay$47,970

Bottom 10% under$37,380Top 10% over$62,830

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $17.97/hr
Jobs in Arkansas: 6,150
After cost of living: $55,180
Median hourly pay: $23.06/hr
vs U.S. median: −11%
Rank among states: 51st of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 05). Excludes self-employed welders. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Entry-level to top welder pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Entry level	$37,380–$42,950$17.97–$20.65/hr
Experienced welder	$47,970$23.06/hr
Top earners	$55,280–$62,830$26.58–$30.21/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Arkansas compares

Welders are more concentrated in Arkansas than nationally: 4.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.8 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $62,830, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,380: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

Rural Arkansas

South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area$48,890
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area$48,410
West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area$47,540
North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area$46,790

Other trades in Arkansas

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in Arkansas?: Welders in Arkansas earn a median of $47,970 a year, or $23.06 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $62,830.
How much do welders make an hour in Arkansas?: The median hourly wage is $23.06. The middle half earn between $20.65 and $26.58 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in Arkansas?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.97 an hour ($37,380 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.65.
Where in Arkansas do welders earn the most?: Among Arkansas metro areas, Jonesboro has the highest median at $51,900 a year, and Texarkana the lowest at $41,920.
Do welders in Arkansas earn more than the national average?: The Arkansas median of $47,970 is 11% less than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Arkansas run 13% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $55,180 would nationally.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 51-4121 (Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers), area code 05. BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed welders and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (86.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures