Welder salary in San Luis Obispo, CA
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Welders in the San Luis Obispo–Paso Robles, CA area earn a median of $53,280 a year, or $25.62 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $81,070. Across all of California, the median is $58,060, so San Luis Obispo pays 8% less than the state as a whole.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $20.31/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 180
- After cost of living
- $49,060
- Median hourly pay
- $25.62/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −1%
- vs California median
- −8%
Entry-level to top welder pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $42,240–$48,060$20.31–$23.11/hr | |
| Experienced welder | $53,280$25.62/hr | |
| Top earners | $67,650–$81,070$32.53–$38.98/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How San Luis Obispo, CA compares
- San Luis Obispo ranks 13th of 25 California metro areas for welder pay.
- Welders are less concentrated in the San Luis Obispo area than nationally: 1.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.55 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $81,070, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $42,240: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other California metro areas
Other trades in San Luis Obispo, CA
Questions
- How much do welders make in San Luis Obispo, CA?
- Welders in the San Luis Obispo–Paso Robles, CA area earn a median of $53,280 a year, or $25.62 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $81,070.
- How much do welders make an hour in San Luis Obispo, CA?
- The median hourly wage is $25.62. The middle half earn between $23.11 and $32.53 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice welders make in San Luis Obispo, CA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.31 an hour ($42,240 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.11.
- Do welders make more in San Luis Obispo or San Francisco?
- San Francisco pays more: the median is $53,280 in San Luis Obispo and $64,320 in San Francisco, a 17% difference.
- How does San Luis Obispo pay compare with the rest of California?
- The San Luis Obispo median of $53,280 is 8% less than the California median of $58,060.
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 42020 (San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA). 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 (108.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures