Welder salary in California
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Welders in California earn a median of $58,060 a year, or $27.91 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $81,940. Nationally the median is $53,750, so California pays 8% more than the U.S. overall and ranks 24th of 51.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $21.40/hr
- Jobs in California
- 26,060
- After cost of living
- $52,440
- Median hourly pay
- $27.91/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +8%
- Rank among states
- 24th of 51
Entry-level to top welder pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $44,520–$48,480$21.40–$23.31/hr | |
| Experienced welder | $58,060$27.91/hr | |
| Top earners | $70,400–$81,940$33.85–$39.40/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How California compares
- Welders are less concentrated in California than nationally: 1.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.53 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $81,940, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $44,520: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
- San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont$64,320
- San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara$64,140
- Vallejo$63,860
- Napa$62,890
- San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad$62,560
- El Centro$58,350
- Salinas$58,240
- Bakersfield–Delano$57,360
See all California metro areas
- Sacramento–Roseville–Folsom$57,290
- Santa Rosa–Petaluma$56,720
- Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim$56,160
- Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura$54,560
- San Luis Obispo–Paso Robles$53,280
- Santa Maria–Santa Barbara$52,800
- Modesto$52,590
- Redding$52,450
- Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario$52,050
- Stockton–Lodi$51,480
- Yuba City$51,040
- Santa Cruz–Watsonville$50,840
- Fresno$50,550
- Merced$50,340
- Chico$48,740
- Hanford–Corcoran$47,520
- Visalia$46,850
Rural California
- Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area$59,990
- North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area$52,800
- North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area$47,770
Other trades in California
Questions
- How much do welders make in California?
- Welders in California earn a median of $58,060 a year, or $27.91 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $81,940.
- How much do welders make an hour in California?
- The median hourly wage is $27.91. The middle half earn between $23.31 and $33.85 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice welders make in California?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.40 an hour ($44,520 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.31.
- Where in California do welders earn the most?
- Among California metro areas, San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont has the highest median at $64,320 a year, and Visalia the lowest at $46,850.
- Do welders in California earn more than the national average?
- The California median of $58,060 is 8% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in California run 11% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $52,440 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 06. 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 (110.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures