How much do welders make an hour in the District of Columbia?

The median hourly wage is $28.93. The middle half earn between $24.09 and $36.34 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in the District of Columbia?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.27 an hour ($48,400 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.09.

Do welders in the District of Columbia earn more than the national average?

The District of Columbia median of $60,180 is 12% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in the District of Columbia run 10% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $54,760 would nationally.

Welder salary in the District of Columbia

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in the District of Columbia earn a median of $60,180 a year, or $28.93 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $75,580 a year. That's 12% more than the national median of $53,750, 15th of 51 states and DC.

Median yearly pay$60,180

Bottom 10% under$48,400Top 10% over$75,580

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $23.27/hr
Jobs in the District of Columbia: 280
After cost of living: $54,760
Median hourly pay: $28.93/hr
vs U.S. median: +12%
Rank among states: 15th of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 11). 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	$48,400–$50,110$23.27–$24.09/hr
Experienced welder	$60,180$28.93/hr
Top earners	$75,580–$75,580$36.34–$36.34/hr

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

How the District of Columbia compares

Welders are less concentrated in the District of Columbia than nationally: 0.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.15 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $75,580, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $48,400: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

Washington–Arlington–Alexandria$60,670

Other trades in the District of Columbia

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in the District of Columbia?: Welders in the District of Columbia earn a median of $60,180 a year, or $28.93 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $75,580 a year.
How much do welders make an hour in the District of Columbia?: The median hourly wage is $28.93. The middle half earn between $24.09 and $36.34 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in the District of Columbia?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.27 an hour ($48,400 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.09.
Do welders in the District of Columbia earn more than the national average?: The District of Columbia median of $60,180 is 12% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in the District of Columbia run 10% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $54,760 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 11. 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 (109.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures