How much do welders make an hour in Washington?

The median hourly wage is $30.30. The middle half earn between $26.32 and $35.41 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in Washington?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.07 an hour ($47,980 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.32.

Where in Washington do welders earn the most?

Among Washington metro areas, Bremerton–Silverdale–Port Orchard has the highest median at $71,720 a year, and Wenatchee–East Wenatchee the lowest at $49,780.

Do welders in Washington earn more than the national average?

The Washington median of $63,020 is 17% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Washington run 7% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $58,890 would nationally.

Welder salary in Washington

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in Washington earn a median of $63,020 a year, or $30.30 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $86,250 a year. Nationally the median is $53,750, so Washington pays 17% more than the U.S. overall and ranks 5th of 51.

Median yearly pay$63,020

Bottom 10% under$47,980Top 10% over$86,250

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $23.07/hr
Jobs in Washington: 7,720
After cost of living: $58,890
Median hourly pay: $30.30/hr
vs U.S. median: +17%
Rank among states: 5th of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 53). 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	$47,980–$54,740$23.07–$26.32/hr
Experienced welder	$63,020$30.30/hr
Top earners	$73,650–$86,250$35.41–$41.47/hr

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

How Washington compares

Welders are less concentrated in Washington than nationally: 2.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.81 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $86,250, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $47,980: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

See all Washington metro areas

Rural Washington

Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area$60,890
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area$60,240

Other trades in Washington

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in Washington?: Welders in Washington earn a median of $63,020 a year, or $30.30 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $86,250 a year.
How much do welders make an hour in Washington?: The median hourly wage is $30.30. The middle half earn between $26.32 and $35.41 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in Washington?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.07 an hour ($47,980 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.32.
Where in Washington do welders earn the most?: Among Washington metro areas, Bremerton–Silverdale–Port Orchard has the highest median at $71,720 a year, and Wenatchee–East Wenatchee the lowest at $49,780.
Do welders in Washington earn more than the national average?: The Washington median of $63,020 is 17% more than the U.S. median of $53,750. Prices in Washington run 7% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $58,890 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 53. 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 (107.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures