How much do welders make an hour in La Crosse, WI-MN?

The median hourly wage is $28.27. The middle half earn between $26.00 and $37.66 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in La Crosse, WI-MN?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.45 an hour ($48,780 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.00.

Do welders make more in La Crosse or Minneapolis?

Minneapolis pays more: the median is $58,800 in La Crosse and $61,880 in Minneapolis, a 5% difference.

How does La Crosse pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

The La Crosse median of $58,800 is 1% more than the Wisconsin median of $58,410.

Welder salary in La Crosse, WI-MN

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in the La Crosse–Onalaska, WI-MN area earn a median of $58,800 a year, or $28.27 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,320. Statewide, welders earn a median of $58,410; La Crosse is 1% above it.

Median yearly pay$58,800

Bottom 10% under$48,780Top 10% over$78,320

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $23.45/hr
Jobs in this area: 300
After cost of living: $64,070
Median hourly pay: $28.27/hr
vs U.S. median: +9%
vs Wisconsin median: +1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 29100, La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN). 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	$48,780–$54,090$23.45–$26.00/hr
Experienced welder	$58,800$28.27/hr
Top earners	$78,320–$78,320$37.66–$37.66/hr

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

How La Crosse, WI-MN compares

La Crosse ranks 11th of 15 Wisconsin metro areas for welder pay.
Welders are more concentrated in the La Crosse area than nationally: 3.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.3 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $78,320, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $48,780: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Other trades in La Crosse, WI-MN

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in La Crosse, WI-MN?: Welders in the La Crosse–Onalaska, WI-MN area earn a median of $58,800 a year, or $28.27 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,320.
How much do welders make an hour in La Crosse, WI-MN?: The median hourly wage is $28.27. The middle half earn between $26.00 and $37.66 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in La Crosse, WI-MN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.45 an hour ($48,780 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.00.
Do welders make more in La Crosse or Minneapolis?: Minneapolis pays more: the median is $58,800 in La Crosse and $61,880 in Minneapolis, a 5% difference.
How does La Crosse pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?: The La Crosse median of $58,800 is 1% more than the Wisconsin median of $58,410.

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 29100 (La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN). 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 (91.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures