Welder salary in South Carolina
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Welders in South Carolina earn a median of $49,980 a year, or $24.03 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $64,510. That's 7% less than the national median of $53,750, 42nd of 51 states and DC.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $18.62/hr
- Jobs in South Carolina
- 7,380
- After cost of living
- $53,310
- Median hourly pay
- $24.03/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −7%
- Rank among states
- 42nd of 51
Entry-level to top welder pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $38,720–$45,230$18.62–$21.75/hr | |
| Experienced welder | $49,980$24.03/hr | |
| Top earners | $58,370–$64,510$28.06–$31.01/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How South Carolina compares
- Welders are more concentrated in South Carolina than nationally: 3.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $64,510, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,720: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural South Carolina
- Northeastern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area$50,910
- Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area$50,790
- Southern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area$47,150
Other trades in South Carolina
Questions
- How much do welders make in South Carolina?
- Welders in South Carolina earn a median of $49,980 a year, or $24.03 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $64,510.
- How much do welders make an hour in South Carolina?
- The median hourly wage is $24.03. The middle half earn between $21.75 and $28.06 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice welders make in South Carolina?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.62 an hour ($38,720 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.75.
- Where in South Carolina do welders earn the most?
- Among South Carolina metro areas, Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia has the highest median at $56,070 a year, and Sumter the lowest at $44,540.
- Do welders in South Carolina earn more than the national average?
- The South Carolina median of $49,980 is 7% less than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in South Carolina run 6% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $53,310 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 45. 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 (93.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures