Occupation salary profile

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

SOC 51-4121 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$53,750
▲ +5.39% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$56,760
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
416,210
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$39,240
25th$46,790
Median (50th)$53,750
75th$63,010
90th — top pay$77,530

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

BLS projects employment of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers to grow 2.4% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 40,300 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
437,700 → 448,100
+10,300 jobs
Projected change
+2.4%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
40,300
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
4.3% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Quality Control Analysis3.1
  • Monitoring3.0
  • Critical Thinking2.9
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.9
  • Operations Monitoring2.8
  • Time Management2.8
  • Active Listening2.6
  • Operation and Control2.6
  • Speaking2.6
  • Complex Problem Solving2.5
Top knowledge areas
  • Production and Processing3.5
  • Mechanical3.1
  • Mathematics2.9
  • English Language2.9
  • Design2.8
  • Engineering and Technology2.6
  • Education and Training2.5
  • Public Safety and Security2.5
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WindowsOracle DatabaseEZ PipeFred's Tip Cartridge PickerIBM NotesOmniFleet Equipment Maintenance ManagementRecordkeeping softwareScientific Software Group Filter Drain FDValue Analysis

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers do

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.
Also called
BrazerSoldererWelderWirerAssembly Line BrazerFabrication WelderMaintenance WelderMIG Welder (Metal Inert Gas Welder)TIG Welder (Tungsten Inert Gas Welder)Welder Fitter
More job titles for this occupation (80)
Acetylene BurnerAcetylene CutterAcetylene OperatorAcetylene Torch BurnerAcetylene Torch OperatorAcetylene Torch SoldererAluminum WelderArc CutterArc WedlerArc WelderAssembler BrazerAtomic WelderBar WelderBarrel Ribs SoldererBasin Finish OperatorBit WelderBlade WorkerBlow Torch BurnerBlow Torch OperatorBody WelderBoiler WelderBonderBrazing Furnace OperatorBurnerButt WelderCan SoldererCertified Maintenance WelderCombination WelderConnectorCutting Torch OperatorDeicer FinisherDie WelderDip BrazierDipperElectric Arc WelderElectric SoldererElectric Spot WelderElectric WelderElectrical SoldererExperimental WelderFilament WelderFlame BurnerFlame CutterFlash WelderFrame WelderGas BrazerGas Burner OperatorGas CutterGas Torch BrazierGas Torch SoldererGas WelderGetter WelderGun WelderHand Thermal CutterHeliarc WelderHelium Arc WelderInduction Heating Equipment SetterIndustrial WelderIron CutterLap WelderLine WelderMachine OperatorMetal Fabrication WelderMetal SoldererMetal WelderOxyacetylene BurnerOxyacetylene CutterOxyacetylene Torch OperatorOxyacetylene WelderOxyhydrogen WelderPipe WelderProduction Line SoldererProduction Line WelderProduction WelderRail BonderRefrigeration BrazerRefrigeration SoldererResistance BrazerRetrofit WelderRobotic Welder

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.