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Welder

Join metal for structures, pipelines, pressure vessels and manufactured goods to a qualified procedure.

Median pay
$48,940/yr
Entry path
3–4 years for structural or pipe apprenticeships
Job outlook
+2%

What welders do

Welders fuse metal using processes such as SMAW, GMAW, FCAW and GTAW, working from drawings and welding procedure specifications. Pay separates dramatically by qualification: a production MIG welder and a certified pipe welder with a 6G position test are in effectively different labor markets. Certification is process-, position- and material-specific, and is usually held against an AWS or ASME code.

Median annual pay
$48,940
$23.53 per hour
Typical range
$35,990–$72,970
10th to 90th percentile
Projected growth
+2%
2023–2033 projections
Annual openings
45,800
Growth plus replacement

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2023 national wage estimates. Local pay varies substantially with union scale, prevailing wage projects and regional demand. Estimate pay for your area.

The work itself

A typical day

  • Read weld symbols and welding procedure specifications
  • Fit up, tack and prep joints to spec
  • Run passes to a qualified procedure and heat input range
  • Grind, inspect and correct discontinuities
  • Support NDT and document weld maps

Where you work

  • Fabrication shops
  • Structural steel erection at height
  • Refineries and petrochemical turnarounds
  • Shipyards and manufacturing lines

Physical demands

Extended time in fixed positions, heat, fume exposure and often work at height or in confined spaces. Vision, steadiness and stamina matter more than raw strength.

The honest tradeoffs

What works in your favor

  • Shortest training path of the major trades
  • Certifications are portable across employers and states
  • Pipeline, turnaround and rig work pays exceptionally well
  • Clear route into inspection, engineering or your own shop

What to go in knowing

  • Median pay is lower than the licensed building trades
  • Top pay usually requires travel and long shutdown hours
  • Fume, heat and noise exposure demands real PPE discipline
  • Production welding is increasingly automated

Getting in

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Training route
6–18 month welding program, or an apprenticeship
Apprenticeship length
3–4 years for structural or pipe apprenticeships
Licensing
No general license. Work is gated by weld procedure qualification tests specific to process, position and material.
How to become a welderWelder apprenticeships

Where the trade splits

Pay and working conditions diverge sharply by specialization. These are the paths most welders end up choosing between.

  • Structural steel welding
  • Pipe welding (6G)
  • Pressure vessel and boilermaking
  • TIG / precision fabrication
  • Underwater welding
  • Aerospace and aluminum
  • Pipeline welding
  • Robotic welding operation

Credentials that matter

  • AWS Certified WelderAmerican Welding Society
  • ASME Section IX Procedure QualificationEmployer under ASME code
  • AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)American Welding Society
  • API 1104 Pipeline QualificationEmployer under API code
  • OSHA 10/30-HourOSHA-authorized trainer

Welder field tools

The calculators this trade uses on the job. Everything runs in the browser.

Related trades

Trades that share skills, tools or career adjacency.