What are the main factors that influence a Lead Welder's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Lead Welder's salary?

A Lead Welder's salary grows with experience: a Welder I (0-1 years)earns $44,100, a Welder II (1-3 years)earns $54,517, a Lead Welder (3-5 years)earns $61,480, a Welder IV (5-7 years)earns $70,139,

What are the highest paying states for a Lead Welder?

Lead Welder salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Lead Welder roles are District of Columbia $66,570, California $66,318, Massachusetts $65,434. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Lead Welder roles make?

Salaries for Lead Welder level roles vary by specialization: Welder Lead Hand: $65,300; Ship Welder: $57,886; Aerospace Welder: $57,554; fabrication welder: $57,379; Arc Welder: $56,837.

How do different companies affect a Lead Welder's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Lead Welder roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Lead Welder Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Welder make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Welder in the United States is $60,125 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

However, a Lead Welder's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $69,382
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $53,619 to $64,970
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $47,696

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Lead Welder Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$64,970	$5,414	$1,249	$31
Average	$60,125	$5,010	$1,156	$29
25th Percentile	$53,619	$4,468	$1,031	$26

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Key Factors That Influence Lead Welder Salaries

A Lead Welder's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Lead Welder Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Lead Welders. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $66,570.
California: $66,318.
Massachusetts: $65,434.

District of Columbia $66,570 California $66,318 Massachusetts $65,434 Washington $65,193 New Jersey $65,169 Alaska $65,085 Connecticut $64,255 New York $63,919

Hawaii $62,842 Rhode Island $62,337 Maryland $61,995 Minnesota $61,526 Colorado $61,345 Illinois $61,285 Oregon $61,057 Delaware $60,888

New Hampshire $60,782 Virginia $60,546 Pennsylvania $59,854 Nevada $59,505 North Dakota $59,391 Michigan $59,211 Wisconsin $59,145 Vermont $59,012

Texas $58,646 Maine $58,622 Arizona $58,586 Ohio $58,543 Georgia $57,990 Indiana $57,714 Wyoming $57,660 Utah $57,575

Iowa $57,539 Kansas $57,251 Louisiana $57,167 North Carolina $57,137 Missouri $57,124 Florida $56,890 Montana $56,764 Nebraska $56,643

Kentucky $56,577 South Carolina $56,337 Tennessee $56,187 Idaho $56,126 New Mexico $55,687 Oklahoma $55,591 Alabama $55,237 South Dakota $54,641

Arkansas $54,317 West Virginia $54,142 Mississippi $53,619

Top Paying Cities for Lead Welders

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $75,835
San Francisco: $75,090
Oakland: $73,424

San Jose, CA $75,835

San Francisco, CA $75,090

Oakland, CA $73,424

New York, NY $69,679

Queens Village, NY $69,228

Paramus, NJ $68,747

Passaic, NJ $68,686

Bergenfield, NJ $68,626

Stamford, CT $68,536

Huntington, NY $68,476

Newark, NJ $68,085

Bridgeport, CT $67,965

New Brunswick, NJ $67,767

Vallejo, CA $67,640

Middlesex, NJ $67,604

Somerset, NJ $67,550

Petaluma, CA $67,412

Santa Cruz, CA $67,177

Boston, MA $67,057

Monterey, CA $66,756

Fairbanks, AK $66,714

Los Angeles, CA $66,600

Washington, DC $66,570

Seattle, WA $66,462

Santa Rosa, CA $66,450

Juneau, AK $66,275

Orange, CA $66,077

Anchorage, AK $65,969

Anaheim, CA $65,927

Santa Ana, CA $65,837

Nassau, NY $65,800

Long Beach, CA $65,776

Danbury, CT $65,758

Santa Maria, CA $65,554

Everett, WA $65,542

Bremerton, WA $65,247

Trenton, NJ $65,133

Sacramento, CA $65,109

San Diego, CA $65,079

Brockton, MA $65,055

Tacoma, WA $65,031

Santa Barbara, CA $64,947

Lowell, MA $64,706

New Suffolk, NY $64,682

Nashua, NH $64,610

Lompoc, CA $64,514

Ventura, CA $64,454

Stockton, CA $64,436

New Haven, CT $64,315

Atlantic City, NJ $64,159

Hartford, CT $64,027

Modesto, CA $63,997

Poughkeepsie, NY $63,864

New Britain, CT $63,834

Olympia, WA $63,750

Kennewick, WA $63,750

New London, CT $63,738

Norwich, CT $63,720

Lawrence, MA $63,690

Bakersfield, CA $63,522

Riverside, CA $63,438

New Bedford, MA $63,438

Richland, WA $63,377

Portsmouth, NH $63,329

Vineland, NJ $63,317

San Bernardino, CA $63,269

Boulder, CO $63,101

Worcester, MA $63,053

Portland, OR $62,999

Saint Paul, MN $62,927

Minneapolis, MN $62,927

Philadelphia, PA $62,842

Honolulu, HI $62,524

Springfield, MA $62,313

Providence, RI $62,307

Chicago, IL $62,133

Bellingham, WA $62,061

Baltimore, MD $61,995

Chico, CA $61,844

Wilmington, DE $61,742

Pittsfield, MA $61,682

Manchester, NH $61,568

Spokane, WA $61,303

Denver, CO $61,297

Albany, NY $61,015

Troy, NY $60,990

Schenectady, NY $60,864

Burlington, VT $60,732

Portland, ME $60,522

Salem, OR $60,473

Yakima, WA $60,461

Ann Arbor, MI $60,443

Rochester, MN $60,275

Fresno, CA $60,245

Reno, NV $60,245

Milwaukee, WI $60,191

Detroit, MI $60,131

Allentown, PA $60,113

Carson City, NV $60,107

Houston, TX $60,016

Colorado Springs, CO $60,010

Syracuse, NY $59,980

Eugene, OR $59,866

Bismarck, ND $59,794

Gary, IN $59,794

Galveston, TX $59,794

Springfield, OR $59,746

Medford, OR $59,602

Fort Collins, CO $59,578

Austin, TX $59,529

Mesa, AZ $59,403

Phoenix, AZ $59,391

Dallas, TX $59,373

Reading, PA $59,337

Saint Cloud, MN $59,313

Concord, NH $59,259

Madison, WI $59,235

Utica, NY $59,073

Raleigh, NC $59,024

Las Vegas, NV $59,018

Rochester, NY $58,976

Des Moines, IA $58,970

Atlanta, GA $58,874

Battle Creek, MI $58,856

Salt Lake City, UT $58,838

Lancaster, PA $58,748

Champaign, IL $58,736

Harrisburg, PA $58,664

Durham, NC $58,610

Kansas City, MO $58,604

Kansas City, KS $58,592

Fort Worth, TX $58,586

Boca Raton, FL $58,561

Cleveland, OH $58,555

Columbus, OH $58,543

Pittsburgh, PA $58,537

Richmond, VA $58,513

Indianapolis, IN $58,501

Cincinnati, OH $58,423

Petersburg, VA $58,333

Billings, MT $58,201

Lansing, MI $58,201

Huntsville, AL $58,201

Lebanon, PA $58,195

Dayton, OH $58,189

Pueblo, CO $58,189

Appleton, WI $58,171

Buffalo, NY $58,147

Racine, WI $58,117

Charlotte, NC $58,111

Saint Louis, MO $58,092

Springfield, IL $58,068

Elkhart, IN $58,056

York, PA $58,056

Gastonia, NC $58,050

Benton Harbor, MI $58,050

Beaumont, TX $58,014

Lorain, OH $58,002

Toledo, OH $57,978

Binghamton, NY $57,948

Rock Hill, SC $57,942

Rockford, IL $57,912

Fargo, ND $57,882

Elyria, OH $57,882

Flagstaff, AZ $57,840

Fort Lauderdale, FL $57,804

Miami, FL $57,768

Duluth, MN $57,672

Bangor, ME $57,593

Cedar Rapids, IA $57,527

Louisville, KY $57,497

Grand Rapids, MI $57,485

Hialeah, FL $57,479

Casper, WY $57,395

Scranton, PA $57,323

New Orleans, LA $57,305

Virginia Beach, VA $57,299

Akron, OH $57,269

Peoria, IL $57,191

Sarasota, FL $57,179

Green Bay, WI $57,137

Baton Rouge, LA $57,106

Charleston, SC $57,094

Nashville, TN $57,076

Jamestown, NY $57,064

Davenport, IA $57,064

Tucson, AZ $57,034

Cheyenne, WY $57,016

Saint Petersburg, FL $56,998

Tampa, FL $56,986

Omaha, NE $56,974

Port Arthur, TX $56,950

Evansville, IN $56,950

Bradenton, FL $56,926

Santa Fe, NM $56,818

Orlando, FL $56,758

Clearwater, FL $56,692

Canton, OH $56,565

La Crosse, WI $56,565

Grand Forks, ND $56,547

Albuquerque, NM $56,529

Tulsa, OK $56,529

Newport News, VA $56,523

High Point, NC $56,505

Ogden, UT $56,481

Corpus Christi, TX $56,433

Laramie, WY $56,397

Norfolk, VA $56,397

Rock Island, IL $56,361

Saginaw, MI $56,349

Jacksonville, FL $56,343

Salisbury, NC $56,331

Memphis, TN $56,319

Moline, IL $56,289

Fort Myers, FL $56,271

Waterloo, IA $56,193

Spartanburg, SC $56,132

Lincoln, NE $56,102

Fort Wayne, IN $56,090

Birmingham, AL $56,024

Cedar Falls, IA $56,012

Provo, UT $56,006

Springfield, OH $56,000

San Antonio, TX $55,988

Greensboro, NC $55,964

South Bend, IN $55,958

Winston Salem, NC $55,952

Boise, ID $55,934

Savannah, GA $55,892

Muskegon, MI $55,784

Lima, OH $55,712

Lake Charles, LA $55,687

Anderson, IN $55,675

Lexington, KY $55,657

Augusta, GA $55,639

Greenville, SC $55,639

Wichita, KS $55,585

Tuscaloosa, AL $55,585

Columbia, SC $55,531

Bloomington, IN $55,381

Roanoke, VA $55,345

Asheville, NC $55,267

Knoxville, TN $55,164

Shreveport, LA $55,158

Wilmington, NC $55,080

Frankfort, KY $54,966

Oklahoma City, OK $54,924

Chillicothe, OH $54,900

Longview, TX $54,894

Topeka, KS $54,876

Mobile, AL $54,786

Terre Haute, IN $54,762

Erie, PA $54,756

Altoona, PA $54,726

Melbourne, FL $54,707

Amarillo, TX $54,683

Killeen, TX $54,665

Fayetteville, AR $54,617

Sioux Falls, SD $54,575

Chattanooga, TN $54,539

Idaho Falls, ID $54,533

Gainesville, FL $54,407

Portsmouth, OH $54,377

Little Rock, AR $54,365

Lynchburg, VA $54,365

Lafayette, LA $54,341

Youngstown, OH $54,341

Temple, TX $54,317

Daytona Beach, FL $54,305

Clarksville, TN $54,299

Pensacola, FL $54,293

Hopkinsville, KY $54,112

Charleston, WV $54,106

Florence, SC $54,076

Sioux City, IA $54,040

Macon, GA $53,866

Tallahassee, FL $53,860

Fayetteville, NC $53,848

Waco, TX $53,836

Wichita Falls, TX $53,836

Pine Bluff, AR $53,812

Vincennes, IN $53,697

Lubbock, TX $53,673

Great Falls, MT $53,637

Alamogordo, NM $53,631

Abilene, TX $53,583

Rapid City, SD $53,505

Monroe, LA $53,505

Albany, GA $53,469

Huntington, WV $53,463

Jackson, MS $53,457

Greenville, MS $53,451

Parkersburg, WV $53,391

Montgomery, AL $53,379

Johnstown, PA $53,367

Springfield, MO $53,319

Biloxi, MS $53,289

Sumter, SC $53,162

Columbus, GA $53,156

Twin Falls, ID $53,120

Pascagoula, MS $53,042

Kingsport, TN $52,886

Gulfport, MS $52,868

Alexandria, LA $52,669

Fort Smith, AR $52,519

El Paso, TX $52,357

Helena, MT $52,278

Las Cruces, NM $52,086

Harlingen, TX $51,918

Pocatello, ID $51,864

Florence, AL $51,846

Brownsville, TX $51,834

Dothan, AL $51,737

Mcallen, TX $51,707

Columbus, MS $51,262

Altus, OK $50,986

Lawton, OK $50,872

Pierre, SD $50,655

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Welder's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 2.19% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Product Quality (Mentioned in 1.13% Job Postings): Product quality refers to how well a product satisfies customer needs, serves its purpose and meets industry standards. When evaluating product quality, businesses consider several key factors, including whether a product solves a problem, works efficiently or suits customers' purposes.
Work Ethic (Mentioned in 0.83% Job Postings): A belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. A set of values centered on importance of work and manifested by determination or desire to work hard.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	2.19%
Product Quality	1.13%
Work Ethic	0.83%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Lead Welder's salary.

Lean: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Preventive Maintenance: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Container: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Lean	$70,346	17%
Preventive Maintenance	$67,941	13%
Container	$64,935	8%
Communication Skills	$63,732	6%
Dedication	$63,131	5%
Accountability	$62,530	4%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Lead Welder's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lead Welders enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Lead Welder with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $62,425 and $67,129).

Lead Welder Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lead Welder

No Diploma 1.6%

High School 80.1%

Associates 12.6%

Bachelors 3.1%

Masters 2.1%

Doctorate 0.5%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.6%
High School	80.1%
Associates	12.6%
Bachelors	3.1%
Masters	2.1%
Doctorate	0.5%

view as graph

Lead Welder Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead Welder's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

$53,619

Average $60,125/year

$64,970

$4,468

Average $5,010/month

$5,414

$1,031

Average $1,156/week

$1,249

$26

Average $29/hour

$31

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$64,970	$5,414	$1,249	$31
Average	$60,125	$5,010	$1,156	$29
25th Percentile	$53,619	$4,468	$1,031	$26

Salaries of jobs related to Lead Welder

Salary Trends for Lead Welder

Salaries for a Lead Welder can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $51,836 in 2023 to around $51,065 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Welder salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Welder Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$51,836

2024

$51,641

2025

$51,065

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$51,836
2024	$51,641
2025	$51,065
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Lead Welder

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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