How much does a Welder First Class make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Welder First Class in the United States is $48,647 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $23.
However, a Welder First Class's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $71,089
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $39,370 to $60,394
Key Factors That Influence Welder First Class Salaries
A Welder First Class's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Welder First Class 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 Welder First Classes. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $53,862.
California: $53,657.
Massachusetts: $52,942.
District of Columbia$53,862
California$53,657
Massachusetts$52,942
Washington$52,748
New Jersey$52,728
Alaska$52,660
Connecticut$51,989
New York$51,716
Hawaii$50,846
Rhode Island$50,437
Maryland$50,160
Minnesota$49,780
Colorado$49,634
Illinois$49,586
Oregon$49,401
Delaware$49,265
New Hampshire$49,179
Virginia$48,987
Pennsylvania$48,428
Nevada$48,146
North Dakota$48,053
Michigan$47,907
Wisconsin$47,854
Vermont$47,747
Texas$47,450
Maine$47,431
Arizona$47,401
Ohio$47,367
Georgia$46,920
Indiana$46,696
Wyoming$46,652
Utah$46,584
Iowa$46,555
Kansas$46,321
Louisiana$46,253
North Carolina$46,229
Missouri$46,219
Florida$46,030
Montana$45,927
Nebraska$45,830
Kentucky$45,777
South Carolina$45,582
Tennessee$45,460
Idaho$45,412
New Mexico$45,057
Oklahoma$44,979
Alabama$44,692
South Dakota$44,210
Arkansas$43,948
West Virginia$43,806
Mississippi$43,383
Top Paying Cities for Welder First Classes
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: $61,358
San Francisco: $60,686
Oakland: $59,407
San Jose, CA$61,358
San Francisco, CA$60,686
Oakland, CA$59,407
New York, NY$56,011
Paramus, NJ$55,330
Queens Village, NY$55,328
Passaic, NJ$55,282
Bergenfield, NJ$55,277
Stamford, CT$55,170
Huntington, NY$55,150
Newark, NJ$54,791
Bridgeport, CT$54,688
Vallejo, CA$54,591
New Brunswick, NJ$54,572
Petaluma, CA$54,543
Middlesex, NJ$54,450
Somerset, NJ$54,416
Santa Cruz, CA$54,353
Boston, MA$54,056
Monterey, CA$53,886
Seattle, WA$53,774
Santa Rosa, CA$53,764
Los Angeles, CA$53,750
Juneau, AK$53,623
Washington, DC$53,570
Orange, CA$53,397
Santa Ana, CA$53,268
Long Beach, CA$53,220
Anaheim, CA$53,210
Anchorage, AK$53,186
Santa Maria, CA$53,040
Everett, WA$53,030
Danbury, CT$52,859
Bremerton, WA$52,792
Tacoma, WA$52,616
New Suffolk, NY$52,615
Sacramento, CA$52,602
Santa Barbara, CA$52,548
Trenton, NJ$52,495
San Diego, CA$52,495
Brockton, MA$52,441
Fairbanks, AK$52,322
Lompoc, CA$52,198
Lowell, MA$52,159
Ventura, CA$52,149
Nashua, NH$52,140
Stockton, CA$52,135
Modesto, CA$51,780
Poughkeepsie, NY$51,673
Olympia, WA$51,580
Kennewick, WA$51,580
New Haven, CT$51,561
Lawrence, MA$51,386
Hartford, CT$51,337
Riverside, CA$51,327
New Bedford, MA$51,279
Richland, WA$51,279
Bakersfield, CA$51,210
San Bernardino, CA$51,191
New Britain, CT$51,186
Atlantic City, NJ$51,186
New London, CT$51,167
Norwich, CT$51,152
Portsmouth, NH$51,142
Boulder, CO$51,039
Portland, OR$50,972
Worcester, MA$50,967
Minneapolis, MN$50,816
Philadelphia, PA$50,748
Honolulu, HI$50,588
Saint Paul, MN$50,564
Vineland, NJ$50,554
Providence, RI$50,413
Chicago, IL$50,272
Bellingham, WA$50,213
Springfield, MA$50,174
Baltimore, MD$50,160
Chico, CA$50,038
Pittsfield, MA$49,907
Manchester, NH$49,814
Spokane, WA$49,600
Denver, CO$49,595
Albany, NY$49,367
Troy, NY$49,347
Nassau, NY$49,295
Schenectady, NY$49,245
Wilmington, DE$49,206
Burlington, VT$49,138
Salem, OR$49,119
Portland, ME$48,968
Yakima, WA$48,919
Rochester, MN$48,768
Reno, NV$48,744
Fresno, CA$48,744
Milwaukee, WI$48,700
Detroit, MI$48,652
Ann Arbor, MI$48,643
Allentown, PA$48,637
Colorado Springs, CO$48,554
Syracuse, NY$48,530
Carson City, NV$48,530
Houston, TX$48,462
Eugene, OR$48,438
Gary, IN$48,379
Springfield, OR$48,340
Bismarck, ND$48,331
Galveston, TX$48,297
Medford, OR$48,224
Fort Collins, CO$48,204
Concord, NH$48,180
Austin, TX$48,165
Mesa, AZ$48,063
Reading, PA$48,058
Phoenix, AZ$48,053
Dallas, TX$48,039
Saint Cloud, MN$47,992
Madison, WI$47,927
Utica, NY$47,795
Rochester, NY$47,718
Des Moines, IA$47,713
Raleigh, NC$47,708
Atlanta, GA$47,635
Battle Creek, MI$47,620
Salt Lake City, UT$47,606
Lancaster, PA$47,533
Harrisburg, PA$47,465
Kansas City, MO$47,416
Champaign, IL$47,406
Kansas City, KS$47,406
Fort Worth, TX$47,401
Columbus, OH$47,393
Boca Raton, FL$47,382
Pittsburgh, PA$47,363
Richmond, VA$47,343
Indianapolis, IN$47,333
Cleveland, OH$47,328
Las Vegas, NV$47,270
Cincinnati, OH$47,270
Petersburg, VA$47,197
Huntsville, AL$47,124
Lansing, MI$47,092
Lebanon, PA$47,085
Pueblo, CO$47,080
Appleton, WI$47,066
Buffalo, NY$47,046
Dayton, OH$47,032
Racine, WI$47,022
Charlotte, NC$47,017
Saint Louis, MO$47,003
York, PA$46,973
Elkhart, IN$46,973
Gastonia, NC$46,964
Billings, MT$46,952
Beaumont, TX$46,939
Lorain, OH$46,930
Benton Harbor, MI$46,920
Toledo, OH$46,910
Binghamton, NY$46,886
Rock Hill, SC$46,881
Rockford, IL$46,857
Springfield, IL$46,837
Elyria, OH$46,832
Fargo, ND$46,832
Flagstaff, AZ$46,798
Fort Lauderdale, FL$46,769
Duluth, MN$46,740
Miami, FL$46,740
Cheyenne, WY$46,706
Grand Forks, ND$46,706
Bangor, ME$46,599
Cedar Rapids, IA$46,545
Durham, NC$46,525
Louisville, KY$46,521
Grand Rapids, MI$46,511
Hialeah, FL$46,506
Casper, WY$46,438
Scranton, PA$46,380
New Orleans, LA$46,365
Virginia Beach, VA$46,360
Akron, OH$46,336
Peoria, IL$46,273
Sarasota, FL$46,263
Nashville, TN$46,229
Omaha, NE$46,229
Green Bay, WI$46,229
Baton Rouge, LA$46,205
Charleston, SC$46,195
Jamestown, NY$46,171
Davenport, IA$46,171
Tucson, AZ$46,146
Saint Petersburg, FL$46,117
Tampa, FL$46,107
Evansville, IN$46,078
Port Arthur, TX$46,078
Bradenton, FL$46,059
Santa Fe, NM$45,971
Orlando, FL$45,884
Clearwater, FL$45,869
Canton, OH$45,767
La Crosse, WI$45,767
Albuquerque, NM$45,738
Newport News, VA$45,733
High Point, NC$45,718
Ogden, UT$45,699
Corpus Christi, TX$45,660
Norfolk, VA$45,631
Laramie, WY$45,631
Rock Island, IL$45,602
Saginaw, MI$45,592
Jacksonville, FL$45,587
Salisbury, NC$45,577
Boise, ID$45,567
Moline, IL$45,543
Fort Myers, FL$45,529
Memphis, TN$45,519
Tulsa, OK$45,494
Waterloo, IA$45,465
Spartanburg, SC$45,417
Lincoln, NE$45,392
Fort Wayne, IN$45,383
Provo, UT$45,378
Cedar Falls, IA$45,319
San Antonio, TX$45,300
Greensboro, NC$45,280
South Bend, IN$45,276
Savannah, GA$45,222
Muskegon, MI$45,203
Birmingham, AL$45,198
Winston Salem, NC$45,174
Lake Charles, LA$45,057
Anderson, IN$45,047
Lexington, KY$45,032
Augusta, GA$45,018
Greenville, SC$45,018
Lima, OH$44,979
Wichita, KS$44,974
Tuscaloosa, AL$44,974
Columbia, SC$44,930
Springfield, OH$44,920
Asheville, NC$44,843
Bloomington, IN$44,809
Knoxville, TN$44,633
Shreveport, LA$44,629
Wilmington, NC$44,565
Roanoke, VA$44,565
Topeka, KS$44,478
Frankfort, KY$44,472
Oklahoma City, OK$44,439
Chillicothe, OH$44,419
Longview, TX$44,415
Melbourne, FL$44,410
Sioux Falls, SD$44,332
Mobile, AL$44,327
Terre Haute, IN$44,308
Altoona, PA$44,278
Amarillo, TX$44,244
Killeen, TX$44,230
Fayetteville, AR$44,191
Chattanooga, TN$44,176
Sioux City, IA$44,132
Idaho Falls, ID$44,123
Lynchburg, VA$44,084
Gainesville, FL$44,020
Portsmouth, OH$43,996
Little Rock, AR$43,986
Lafayette, LA$43,967
Youngstown, OH$43,967
Daytona Beach, FL$43,938
Clarksville, TN$43,933
Pensacola, FL$43,928
Temple, TX$43,925
Hopkinsville, KY$43,782
Erie, PA$43,772
Florence, SC$43,753
Charleston, WV$43,675
Great Falls, MT$43,651
Macon, GA$43,583
Tallahassee, FL$43,578
Fayetteville, NC$43,568
Waco, TX$43,558
Helena, MT$43,524
Pine Bluff, AR$43,506
Vincennes, IN$43,446
Lubbock, TX$43,427
Alamogordo, NM$43,398
Twin Falls, ID$43,354
Rapid City, SD$43,339
Jackson, MS$43,252
Huntington, WV$43,248
Greenville, MS$43,247
Parkersburg, WV$43,197
Montgomery, AL$43,189
Wichita Falls, TX$43,140
Springfield, MO$43,140
Biloxi, MS$43,116
Monroe, LA$43,067
Johnstown, PA$43,033
Sumter, SC$43,014
Columbus, GA$43,009
Pascagoula, MS$42,916
Abilene, TX$42,916
Kingsport, TN$42,790
Albany, GA$42,790
Gulfport, MS$42,775
Alexandria, LA$42,615
Fort Smith, AR$42,493
El Paso, TX$42,362
Las Cruces, NM$42,143
Harlingen, TX$42,019
Pocatello, ID$42,011
Florence, AL$41,948
Brownsville, TX$41,938
Mcallen, TX$41,836
Dothan, AL$41,768
Columbus, MS$41,479
Altus, OK$41,252
Lawton, OK$41,160
Pierre, SD$40,985
Welder First Class Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Welder First Class'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$39,370
Average$48,647/year
$60,394
$3,281
Average$4,054/month
$5,033
$757
Average$936/week
$1,161
$19
Average$23/hour
$29
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$60,394
$5,033
$1,161
$29
Average
$48,647
$4,054
$936
$23
25th Percentile
$39,370
$3,281
$757
$19
Salaries of Jobs related to Welder First Class
Petty Officer First Class$94,614
Sergeant First Class$68,955
Class A Lineman$63,073
Class Underwriter$62,825
Welder$55,755
E&I First Class$54,717
cdl class a$52,770
Class Observer$48,770
Class A Driver$48,387
First Class Machinist$47,793
Airman First Class$43,472
Most common benefits for Welder First Class
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
