How much do welders make an hour in New Jersey?

The median hourly wage is $28.58. The middle half earn between $23.98 and $34.17 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in New Jersey?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.81 an hour ($43,290 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.98.

Where in New Jersey do welders earn the most?

Among New Jersey metro areas, New York–Newark–Jersey City has the highest median at $61,680 a year, and Vineland the lowest at $53,000.

Do welders in New Jersey earn more than the national average?

The New Jersey median of $59,440 is 11% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in New Jersey run 9% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $54,630 would nationally.

Welder salary in New Jersey

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in New Jersey earn a median of $59,440 a year, or $28.58 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,760. New Jersey ranks 18th of 51 states and DC for welder pay, at 11% more than the U.S. median of $53,750.

Median yearly pay$59,440

Bottom 10% under$43,290Top 10% over$81,760

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $20.81/hr
Jobs in New Jersey: 3,730
After cost of living: $54,630
Median hourly pay: $28.58/hr
vs U.S. median: +11%
Rank among states: 18th of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 34). 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	$43,290–$49,870$20.81–$23.98/hr
Experienced welder	$59,440$28.58/hr
Top earners	$71,060–$81,760$34.17–$39.31/hr

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

How New Jersey compares

Welders are less concentrated in New Jersey than nationally: 0.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.33 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $81,760, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $43,290: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

Other trades in New Jersey

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Questions

How much do welders make in New Jersey?: Welders in New Jersey earn a median of $59,440 a year, or $28.58 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,760.
How much do welders make an hour in New Jersey?: The median hourly wage is $28.58. The middle half earn between $23.98 and $34.17 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in New Jersey?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.81 an hour ($43,290 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.98.
Where in New Jersey do welders earn the most?: Among New Jersey metro areas, New York–Newark–Jersey City has the highest median at $61,680 a year, and Vineland the lowest at $53,000.
Do welders in New Jersey earn more than the national average?: The New Jersey median of $59,440 is 11% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in New Jersey run 9% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $54,630 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 34. 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 (108.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures