How much do welders make an hour in Oklahoma?

The median hourly wage is $23.90. The middle half earn between $21.59 and $29.23 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in Oklahoma?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.20 an hour ($37,860 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.59.

Where in Oklahoma do welders earn the most?

Among Oklahoma metro areas, Tulsa has the highest median at $53,550 a year, and Fort Smith the lowest at $46,630.

Do welders in Oklahoma earn more than the national average?

The Oklahoma median of $49,720 is 7% less than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Oklahoma run 12% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $56,600 would nationally.

Welder salary in Oklahoma

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in Oklahoma earn a median of $49,720 a year, or $23.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $70,640 a year. That's 7% less than the national median of $53,750, 44th of 51 states and DC.

Median yearly pay$49,720

Bottom 10% under$37,860Top 10% over$70,640

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $18.20/hr
Jobs in Oklahoma: 9,960
After cost of living: $56,600
Median hourly pay: $23.90/hr
vs U.S. median: −7%
Rank among states: 44th of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 40). 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	$37,860–$44,920$18.20–$21.59/hr
Experienced welder	$49,720$23.90/hr
Top earners	$60,790–$70,640$29.23–$33.96/hr

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

How Oklahoma compares

Welders are more concentrated in Oklahoma than nationally: 5.8 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.2 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $70,640, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,860: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

Rural Oklahoma

Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area$57,790
Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area$48,770
Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area$46,130
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area$45,680

Other trades in Oklahoma

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in Oklahoma?: Welders in Oklahoma earn a median of $49,720 a year, or $23.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $70,640 a year.
How much do welders make an hour in Oklahoma?: The median hourly wage is $23.90. The middle half earn between $21.59 and $29.23 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in Oklahoma?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.20 an hour ($37,860 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.59.
Where in Oklahoma do welders earn the most?: Among Oklahoma metro areas, Tulsa has the highest median at $53,550 a year, and Fort Smith the lowest at $46,630.
Do welders in Oklahoma earn more than the national average?: The Oklahoma median of $49,720 is 7% less than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Oklahoma run 12% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $56,600 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 40. 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 (87.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures