How much do welders make an hour in Milwaukee, WI?

The median hourly wage is $28.55. The middle half earn between $24.29 and $30.29 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice welders make in Milwaukee, WI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.17 an hour ($48,190 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.29.

Do welders make more in Milwaukee or Minneapolis?

Minneapolis pays more: the median is $59,390 in Milwaukee and $61,880 in Minneapolis, a 4% difference.

How does Milwaukee pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

The Milwaukee median of $59,390 is 2% more than the Wisconsin median of $58,410.

Welder salary in Milwaukee, WI

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Welders in the Milwaukee–Waukesha, WI area earn a median of $59,390 a year, or $28.55 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $72,370. That's 2% more than the Wisconsin median of $58,410.

Median yearly pay$59,390

Bottom 10% under$48,190Top 10% over$72,370

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $23.17/hr
Jobs in this area: 3,400
After cost of living: $61,270
Median hourly pay: $28.55/hr
vs U.S. median: +10%
vs Wisconsin median: +2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 33340, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI). 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	$48,190–$50,520$23.17–$24.29/hr
Experienced welder	$59,390$28.55/hr
Top earners	$63,010–$72,370$30.29–$34.79/hr

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

How Milwaukee, WI compares

Milwaukee ranks 7th of 15 Wisconsin metro areas for welder pay.
Welders are more concentrated in the Milwaukee area than nationally: 4.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.6 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $72,370, is 1.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $48,190: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Other trades in Milwaukee, WI

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do welders make in Milwaukee, WI?: Welders in the Milwaukee–Waukesha, WI area earn a median of $59,390 a year, or $28.55 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $72,370.
How much do welders make an hour in Milwaukee, WI?: The median hourly wage is $28.55. The middle half earn between $24.29 and $30.29 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice welders make in Milwaukee, WI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.17 an hour ($48,190 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.29.
Do welders make more in Milwaukee or Minneapolis?: Minneapolis pays more: the median is $59,390 in Milwaukee and $61,880 in Minneapolis, a 4% difference.
How does Milwaukee pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?: The Milwaukee median of $59,390 is 2% 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 33340 (Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI). 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 (96.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures