Welder salary in Racine, WI
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Welders in the Racine–Mount Pleasant, WI area earn a median of $59,200 a year, or $28.46 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $68,130. Statewide, welders earn a median of $58,410; Racine is 1% above it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $22.23/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 370
- After cost of living
- $61,690
- Median hourly pay
- $28.46/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +10%
- vs Wisconsin median
- +1%
Entry-level to top welder pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $46,230–$50,320$22.23–$24.19/hr | |
| Experienced welder | $59,200$28.46/hr | |
| Top earners | $62,350–$68,130$29.98–$32.75/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Racine, WI compares
- Racine ranks 8th of 15 Wisconsin metro areas for welder pay.
- Welders are more concentrated in the Racine area than nationally: 4.8 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.8 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $68,130, is 1.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,230: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Wisconsin metro areas
Other trades in Racine, WI
Questions
- How much do welders make in Racine, WI?
- Welders in the Racine–Mount Pleasant, WI area earn a median of $59,200 a year, or $28.46 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $68,130.
- How much do welders make an hour in Racine, WI?
- The median hourly wage is $28.46. The middle half earn between $24.19 and $29.98 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice welders make in Racine, WI?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.23 an hour ($46,230 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.19.
- Do welders make more in Racine or Minneapolis?
- Minneapolis pays more: the median is $59,200 in Racine and $61,880 in Minneapolis, a 4% difference.
- How does Racine pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?
- The Racine median of $59,200 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 39540 (Racine-Mount Pleasant, 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 (96.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures