How much do welders make an hour in Tennessee?

The median hourly wage is $23.10. The middle half earn between $20.00 and $27.62 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in Tennessee?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.19 an hour ($37,840 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.00.

Where in Tennessee do welders earn the most?

Among Tennessee metro areas, Kingsport–Bristol has the highest median at $55,690 a year, and Jackson the lowest at $45,460.

Do welders in Tennessee earn more than the national average?

The Tennessee median of $48,040 is 11% less than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Tennessee run 8% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $52,290 would nationally.

Welder salary in Tennessee

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in Tennessee earn a median of $48,040 a year, or $23.10 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $64,200 a year. Tennessee ranks 50th of 51 states and DC for welder pay, at 11% less than the U.S. median of $53,750.

Median yearly pay$48,040

Bottom 10% under$37,840Top 10% over$64,200

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $18.19/hr
Jobs in Tennessee: 12,510
After cost of living: $52,290
Median hourly pay: $23.10/hr
vs U.S. median: −11%
Rank among states: 50th of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 47). 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	$37,840–$41,600$18.19–$20.00/hr
Experienced welder	$48,040$23.10/hr
Top earners	$57,450–$64,200$27.62–$30.87/hr

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

How Tennessee compares

Welders are more concentrated in Tennessee than nationally: 3.8 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $64,200, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,840: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

See all Tennessee metro areas

Rural Tennessee

West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$49,920
East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$47,610
South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$46,770
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$46,460

Other trades in Tennessee

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in Tennessee?: Welders in Tennessee earn a median of $48,040 a year, or $23.10 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $64,200 a year.
How much do welders make an hour in Tennessee?: The median hourly wage is $23.10. The middle half earn between $20.00 and $27.62 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in Tennessee?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.19 an hour ($37,840 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.00.
Where in Tennessee do welders earn the most?: Among Tennessee metro areas, Kingsport–Bristol has the highest median at $55,690 a year, and Jackson the lowest at $45,460.
Do welders in Tennessee earn more than the national average?: The Tennessee median of $48,040 is 11% less than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Tennessee run 8% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $52,290 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 47. 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 (91.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures