How much do welders make an hour in Raleigh, NC?

The median hourly wage is $27.37. The middle half earn between $22.69 and $29.32 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in Raleigh, NC?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.45 an hour ($40,460 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.69.

Do welders make more in Raleigh or Virginia Beach?

Virginia Beach pays more: the median is $56,940 in Raleigh and $62,670 in Virginia Beach, a 9% difference.

How does Raleigh pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?

The Raleigh median of $56,940 is 13% more than the North Carolina median of $50,590.

Welder salary in Raleigh, NC

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in the Raleigh–Cary, NC area earn a median of $56,940 a year, or $27.37 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $71,800 a year. Statewide, welders earn a median of $50,590; Raleigh is 13% above it.

Median yearly pay$56,940

Bottom 10% under$40,460Top 10% over$71,800

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $19.45/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,090
After cost of living: $58,010
Median hourly pay: $27.37/hr
vs U.S. median: +6%
vs North Carolina median: +13%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 39580, Raleigh-Cary, NC). 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	$40,460–$47,190$19.45–$22.69/hr
Experienced welder	$56,940$27.37/hr
Top earners	$60,980–$71,800$29.32–$34.52/hr

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

How Raleigh, NC compares

Raleigh ranks 3rd of 14 North Carolina metro areas for welder pay.
Welders are less concentrated in the Raleigh area than nationally: 1.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.55 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $71,800, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $40,460: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Raleigh, NC

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in Raleigh, NC?: Welders in the Raleigh–Cary, NC area earn a median of $56,940 a year, or $27.37 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $71,800 a year.
How much do welders make an hour in Raleigh, NC?: The median hourly wage is $27.37. The middle half earn between $22.69 and $29.32 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in Raleigh, NC?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.45 an hour ($40,460 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.69.
Do welders make more in Raleigh or Virginia Beach?: Virginia Beach pays more: the median is $56,940 in Raleigh and $62,670 in Virginia Beach, a 9% difference.
How does Raleigh pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?: The Raleigh median of $56,940 is 13% more than the North Carolina median of $50,590.

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 39580 (Raleigh-Cary, NC). 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 (98.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures