How much do welders make an hour in North Dakota?

The median hourly wage is $29.81. The middle half earn between $26.28 and $34.89 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in North Dakota?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.43 an hour ($46,660 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.28.

Where in North Dakota do welders earn the most?

Among North Dakota metro areas, Minot has the highest median at $62,060 a year, and Grand Forks the lowest at $58,200.

Do welders in North Dakota earn more than the national average?

The North Dakota median of $62,000 is 15% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in North Dakota run 11% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $69,700 would nationally.

Welder salary in North Dakota

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in North Dakota earn a median of $62,000 a year, or $29.81 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $83,290 a year. Nationally the median is $53,750, so North Dakota pays 15% more than the U.S. overall and ranks 10th of 51.

Median yearly pay$62,000

Bottom 10% under$46,660Top 10% over$83,290

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $22.43/hr
Jobs in North Dakota: 2,590
After cost of living: $69,700
Median hourly pay: $29.81/hr
vs U.S. median: +15%
Rank among states: 10th of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 38). 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	$46,660–$54,660$22.43–$26.28/hr
Experienced welder	$62,000$29.81/hr
Top earners	$72,560–$83,290$34.89–$40.05/hr

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

How North Dakota compares

Welders are more concentrated in North Dakota than nationally: 6.0 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.3 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $83,290, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,660: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

Rural North Dakota

East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area$72,560
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area$62,590

Other trades in North Dakota

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in North Dakota?: Welders in North Dakota earn a median of $62,000 a year, or $29.81 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $83,290 a year.
How much do welders make an hour in North Dakota?: The median hourly wage is $29.81. The middle half earn between $26.28 and $34.89 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in North Dakota?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.43 an hour ($46,660 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.28.
Where in North Dakota do welders earn the most?: Among North Dakota metro areas, Minot has the highest median at $62,060 a year, and Grand Forks the lowest at $58,200.
Do welders in North Dakota earn more than the national average?: The North Dakota median of $62,000 is 15% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in North Dakota run 11% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $69,700 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 38. 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 (89.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures