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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.


National estimates for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Industry profile for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Geographic profile for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

National estimates for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
397,550 0.9 % $ 22.45 $ 46,690 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.73 $ 17.37 $ 21.25 $ 25.88 $ 31.85
Annual Wage (2) $ 30,640 $ 36,140 $ 44,190 $ 53,820 $ 66,250


Industry profile for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 68,560 14.48 $ 21.05 $ 43,780
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) 58,760 8.17 $ 21.45 $ 44,610
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) 22,610 5.00 $ 20.85 $ 43,370
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing 21,420 14.57 $ 19.80 $ 41,180
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 14,910 1.61 $ 23.81 $ 49,520

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing 3,450 15.99 $ 22.68 $ 47,170
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing 21,420 14.57 $ 19.80 $ 41,180
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 68,560 14.48 $ 21.05 $ 43,780
Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 3,040 9.43 $ 23.50 $ 48,880
Ship and Boat Building 12,550 9.15 $ 25.35 $ 52,720

Top paying industries for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 60 0.01 $ 44.34 $ 92,230
Natural Gas Distribution 750 0.70 $ 38.31 $ 79,680
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 1,150 0.30 $ 37.32 $ 77,620
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 700 0.64 $ 35.37 $ 73,570
Other Pipeline Transportation 30 0.37 $ 33.09 $ 68,840


Geographic profile for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 48,940 4.04 1.41 $ 23.11 $ 48,070
California 30,050 1.83 0.64 $ 23.62 $ 49,130
Pennsylvania 17,700 3.21 1.12 $ 22.54 $ 46,870
Ohio 16,840 3.28 1.15 $ 20.97 $ 43,610
Wisconsin 16,280 6.01 2.10 $ 22.95 $ 47,740




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 1,910 7.28 2.55 $ 28.75 $ 59,800
South Dakota 2,770 6.73 2.36 $ 19.65 $ 40,870
Oklahoma 10,420 6.67 2.33 $ 21.65 $ 45,040
Louisiana 11,840 6.58 2.30 $ 26.88 $ 55,920
Wisconsin 16,280 6.01 2.10 $ 22.95 $ 47,740




Top paying states for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 530 1.79 0.63 $ 34.55 $ 71,860
Hawaii 540 0.95 0.33 $ 31.56 $ 65,650
District of Columbia 130 0.19 0.07 $ 30.90 $ 64,270
Wyoming 1,910 7.28 2.55 $ 28.75 $ 59,800
North Dakota 2,390 5.98 2.09 $ 27.56 $ 57,320





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 18,090 6.09 2.13 $ 24.64 $ 51,260
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 9,940 1.71 0.60 $ 21.78 $ 45,300
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 9,050 2.52 0.88 $ 20.95 $ 43,570
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,710 1.77 0.62 $ 22.23 $ 46,240
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 6,000 0.68 0.24 $ 26.60 $ 55,330
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 5,620 2.13 0.75 $ 20.22 $ 42,060
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,790 2.59 0.91 $ 24.33 $ 50,610
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 4,540 5.65 1.98 $ 24.78 $ 51,540
Tulsa, OK 4,430 10.35 3.62 $ 22.31 $ 46,390
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 4,310 2.42 0.85 $ 21.34 $ 44,390




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Elkhart-Goshen, IN 2,390 18.95 6.63 $ 19.31 $ 40,160
Erie, PA 2,050 17.97 6.29 $ 22.07 $ 45,900
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 1,450 17.75 6.21 $ 23.61 $ 49,120
Casper, WY 580 15.76 5.51 $ 28.14 $ 58,540
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS 2,050 14.50 5.07 $ 26.50 $ 55,120
Lafayette, LA 2,390 12.63 4.42 $ 22.95 $ 47,740
Odessa, TX 910 12.30 4.30 $ 28.87 $ 60,050
Farmington, NM 520 12.02 4.20 $ 30.90 $ 64,260
Wausau, WI 820 11.95 4.18 $ 22.54 $ 46,880
Texarkana, TX-AR 590 10.89 3.81 $ 18.77 $ 39,040




Top paying metropolitan areas for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fairbanks, AK 80 2.53 0.89 $ 36.09 $ 75,080
Wheeling, WV-OH (8) (8) (8) $ 36.04 $ 74,970
Anchorage, AK 180 1.06 0.37 $ 35.48 $ 73,790
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 30 0.49 0.17 $ 33.64 $ 69,960
Baton Rouge, LA 3,160 8.50 2.97 $ 33.45 $ 69,570
Urban Honolulu, HI 470 1.14 0.40 $ 31.75 $ 66,040
Lake Charles, LA 780 7.65 2.68 $ 31.64 $ 65,810
Farmington, NM 520 12.02 4.20 $ 30.90 $ 64,260
Kennewick-Richland, WA 160 1.42 0.50 $ 30.09 $ 62,600
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 350 2.65 0.93 $ 30.05 $ 62,510

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 3,530 9.34 3.27 $ 19.82 $ 41,230
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 3,000 11.14 3.90 $ 20.81 $ 43,290
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 2,850 14.08 4.93 $ 18.68 $ 38,850
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 2,630 11.01 3.85 $ 20.96 $ 43,600
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 2,430 13.49 4.72 $ 23.48 $ 48,850

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 1,010 16.52 5.78 $ 26.98 $ 56,130
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 2,850 14.08 4.93 $ 18.68 $ 38,850
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 2,430 13.49 4.72 $ 23.48 $ 48,850
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 1,600 12.53 4.38 $ 19.52 $ 40,590
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 3,000 11.14 3.90 $ 20.81 $ 43,290

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 280 2.76 0.97 $ 33.52 $ 69,720
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 740 6.44 2.25 $ 31.44 $ 65,400
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 260 2.80 0.98 $ 30.62 $ 63,690
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 280 3.03 1.06 $ 30.57 $ 63,590
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 110 1.20 0.42 $ 29.63 $ 61,630


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021