How much do welders make an hour in Fargo, ND-MN?

The median hourly wage is $29.39. The middle half earn between $25.13 and $30.83 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in Fargo, ND-MN?

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 $25.13.

Do welders make more in Fargo or Minot?

Minot pays more: the median is $61,140 in Fargo and $62,060 in Minot, a 1% difference.

How does Fargo pay compare with the rest of North Dakota?

The Fargo median of $61,140 is 1% less than the North Dakota median of $62,000.

Welder salary in Fargo, ND-MN

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in the Fargo, ND-MN area earn a median of $61,140 a year, or $29.39 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $74,230 a year. That's 1% less than the North Dakota median of $62,000.

Median yearly pay$61,140

Bottom 10% under$46,660Top 10% over$74,230

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $22.43/hr
Jobs in this area: 690
After cost of living: $67,280
Median hourly pay: $29.39/hr
vs U.S. median: +14%
vs North Dakota median: −1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 22020, Fargo, ND-MN). 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–$52,260$22.43–$25.13/hr
Experienced welder	$61,140$29.39/hr
Top earners	$64,130–$74,230$30.83–$35.69/hr

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

How Fargo, ND-MN compares

Fargo ranks 3rd of 4 North Dakota metro areas for welder pay.
Welders are more concentrated in the Fargo area than nationally: 4.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.7 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $74,230, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,660: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Dakota metro areas

Other trades in Fargo, ND-MN

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in Fargo, ND-MN?: Welders in the Fargo, ND-MN area earn a median of $61,140 a year, or $29.39 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $74,230 a year.
How much do welders make an hour in Fargo, ND-MN?: The median hourly wage is $29.39. The middle half earn between $25.13 and $30.83 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in Fargo, ND-MN?: 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 $25.13.
Do welders make more in Fargo or Minot?: Minot pays more: the median is $61,140 in Fargo and $62,060 in Minot, a 1% difference.
How does Fargo pay compare with the rest of North Dakota?: The Fargo median of $61,140 is 1% less than the North Dakota median of $62,000.

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 22020 (Fargo, ND-MN). 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 (90.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures