Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
SOC code 51-4121 · O*NET-SOC 51-4121.00 · Little to some preparation needed · Manufacturing and production
Welding is certification-driven: employers test your welds, and each additional process or position you certify in — pipe, structural, underwater — raises your rate. Training can be as short as a few months at a technical college.
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$53,750
a year
Hourly
$25.84
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$56,760
$27.29 per hour
Middle 50%
$46,790 – $63,010
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$39,240 – $77,530
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
416,210
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $39,240
- $18.87/hr
- 25th percentile
- $46,790
- $22.50/hr
- Median percentile
- $53,750
- $25.84/hr
- 75th percentile
- $63,010
- $30.29/hr
- 90th percentile
- $77,530
- $37.28/hr
Job outlook · federal projection 2024–34
+2%
Growing about as fast as average
457,300
jobs in 2024
467,200
projected for 2034
About 9,900 more jobs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, 2024–34. Projections describe the broader occupation group and are estimates, not guarantees.
What do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers do?
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.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
- Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
- Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
- Check grooves, angles, or gap allowances, using micrometers, calipers, and precision measuring instruments.
- Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
- Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.
- Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
- Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
How to qualify for this work
Most people in this role hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged) — 54% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 2 — Little to some preparation needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)54%
- Less than a High School Diploma21%
- Post-Secondary Certificate12%
- Some College Courses11%
Common questions
How much does a welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn?
The national median is $53,750 a year. The full range runs from $39,240 at the 10th percentile to $77,530 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers without a degree?
Yes — this occupation sits in preparation zone 2, meaning the typical entry route is usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. A four-year degree is not the standard requirement, though licensing or certification may still apply.
Is welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in demand?
Federal projections expect employment to grow by about 2% between 2024 and 2034 — growing about as fast as average. Openings also come from people retiring or changing jobs, which the growth figure does not count.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Critical Thinking2.9/5
- Active Listening2.6/5
- Speaking2.6/5
- Reading Comprehension2.5/5
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing3.5/5
- Mechanical3.1/5
- Mathematics2.9/5
- English Language2.9/5
- Design2.8/5
- Engineering and Technology2.6/5
- Education and Training2.5/5
- Public Safety and Security2.5/5
Transferable strengths: Quality Control Analysis, Judgment and Decision Making, Operations Monitoring, Time Management, Operation and Control.