Welder salary in Pennsylvania
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Welders in Pennsylvania earn a median of $52,900 a year, or $25.43 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $74,870. Pennsylvania ranks 30th of 51 states and DC for welder pay, at 2% less than the U.S. median of $53,750.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $19.48/hr
- Jobs in Pennsylvania
- 17,850
- After cost of living
- $54,220
- Median hourly pay
- $25.43/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −2%
- Rank among states
- 30th of 51
Entry-level to top welder pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $40,510–$47,240$19.48–$22.71/hr | |
| Experienced welder | $52,900$25.43/hr | |
| Top earners | $61,920–$74,870$29.77–$35.99/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Pennsylvania compares
- Welders are more concentrated in Pennsylvania than nationally: 2.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $74,870, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $40,510: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Pennsylvania
- Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area$49,980
- Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area$49,460
- Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area$48,730
- Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area$48,700
Other trades in Pennsylvania
Questions
- How much do welders make in Pennsylvania?
- Welders in Pennsylvania earn a median of $52,900 a year, or $25.43 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $74,870.
- How much do welders make an hour in Pennsylvania?
- The median hourly wage is $25.43. The middle half earn between $22.71 and $29.77 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice welders make in Pennsylvania?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.48 an hour ($40,510 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.71.
- Where in Pennsylvania do welders earn the most?
- Among Pennsylvania metro areas, Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington has the highest median at $58,380 a year, and Johnstown the lowest at $46,780.
- Do welders in Pennsylvania earn more than the national average?
- The Pennsylvania median of $52,900 is 2% less than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Pennsylvania run 2% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $54,220 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 42. 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 (97.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures