Welder
Skilled trades
Custom, field, and structural welding requires hands-on skill, real-world access, and quality judgment that automated welding cannot fully replicate.
- BLS median pay
- $49,990 (May 2024)
- Job outlook
- 3% growth, 2024-34
- Training path
- Certificate or apprenticeship, 6-18 months
- Entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Physical demand
- High
- Category
- Skilled trades
- AI resilience
- Strong
Why This Role Is More Resilient
This career scores strongly on AI resilience. The combination of physical presence, patient or client interaction, and specialized hands-on skills makes it difficult to automate or offshore.
Best For
People who like focused, precise, independent work and want to enter a trade without a multi-year apprenticeship commitment.
Avoid If
Heat, fumes, UV exposure, protective gear all day, and physically demanding positions sound like dealbreakers.
First Step to Research
Enroll in a welding certificate program at a community college or trade school — programs range from 6 months to 2 years.
How to Start: First Jobs, Common Mistakes, and Fit
Distilled from how working people and job postings describe the entry path. Use it for direction, then verify licensing, pay, and program details locally.
First job titles to search
Entry roles often aren't posted under "Welder." Search and apply under these titles too:
- Welder helper
- Welding apprentice
- Entry-level welder
- Fabricator helper
- MIG welder
- Pipe welder apprentice
- Structural welder
Common beginner mistakes to avoid
- Searching only "Welder" and missing the real beginner titles: Welder helper, Welding apprentice, Entry-level welder, Fabricator helper.
- Paying for training before verifying local employer demand and official eligibility.
- Assuming national wage data equals local first-year pay.
- Buying tools, products, equipment, or supplies before receiving a real list.
- Ignoring schedule, commute, physical strain, and first-setting realities.
Signs this could be a good fit
- You can tolerate physical work and a multi-year learning ladder.
- You like learning by watching and doing.
- You can be punctual, safe, coachable, and humble.
- You can handle jobsite discomfort and changing locations.
Warning signs it may not be
- You need immediate full wages and cannot handle apprentice/helper pay.
- You cannot reliably commute or handle physical jobsite work.
- Local paths require expensive school with weak employer demand.
- You dislike being supervised closely while learning.
What This Pays in Your State
Welder salary & licensing by state
Real state and metro wages, license steps, and where to train as a welder in every state we cover:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources and Verification
Pay, education, training, and outlook data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers. Verified 2026-06-13. Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 51-4121 / Occupational Information Network (O*NET) 51-4121.00.
View BLS Occupational Outlook · View O*NET Profile
National median pay is a starting point only. State licensing, local wages, training costs, clinical placement rates, and local employer demand vary. Always verify with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, state licensing boards, and local training providers before making a decision.