How much do welders make an hour in State College, PA?

The median hourly wage is $24.54. The middle half earn between $21.08 and $27.20 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in State College, PA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.58 an hour ($36,560 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.08.

Do welders make more in State College or Philadelphia?

Philadelphia pays more: the median is $51,030 in State College and $58,380 in Philadelphia, a 13% difference.

How does State College pay compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?

The State College median of $51,030 is 4% less than the Pennsylvania median of $52,900.

Welder salary in State College, PA

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in the State College, PA area earn a median of $51,030 a year, or $24.54 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $64,950. That's 4% less than the Pennsylvania median of $52,900.

Median yearly pay$51,030

Bottom 10% under$36,560Top 10% over$64,950

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $17.58/hr
Jobs in this area: 140
After cost of living: $52,740
Median hourly pay: $24.54/hr
vs U.S. median: −5%
vs Pennsylvania median: −4%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 44300, State College, PA). 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	$36,560–$43,850$17.58–$21.08/hr
Experienced welder	$51,030$24.54/hr
Top earners	$56,580–$64,950$27.20–$31.22/hr

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

How State College, PA compares

State College ranks 10th of 16 Pennsylvania metro areas for welder pay.
Welders are less concentrated in the State College area than nationally: 2.0 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.76 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $64,950, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,560: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Pennsylvania metro areas

Other trades in State College, PA

Electrician HVAC technician Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in State College, PA?: Welders in the State College, PA area earn a median of $51,030 a year, or $24.54 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $64,950.
How much do welders make an hour in State College, PA?: The median hourly wage is $24.54. The middle half earn between $21.08 and $27.20 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in State College, PA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.58 an hour ($36,560 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.08.
Do welders make more in State College or Philadelphia?: Philadelphia pays more: the median is $51,030 in State College and $58,380 in Philadelphia, a 13% difference.
How does State College pay compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?: The State College median of $51,030 is 4% less than the Pennsylvania median of $52,900.

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 44300 (State College, PA). 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 (96.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures