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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

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 estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
389,190 0.9 % $21.33 $44,360 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.73 $16.43 $19.89 $24.73 $30.64
Annual Wage (2) $28,560 $34,180 $41,380 $51,430 $63,740


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 67,790 14.27 $19.85 $41,290
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) 54,620 7.51 $20.33 $42,290
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) 22,180 4.68 $19.86 $41,300
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing 21,300 13.17 $19.37 $40,290
Employment Services 16,000 0.44 $20.31 $42,250

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing 3,620 17.10 $19.94 $41,470
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 67,790 14.27 $19.85 $41,290
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing 21,300 13.17 $19.37 $40,290
Ship and Boat Building 12,710 9.35 $23.89 $49,700
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) 54,620 7.51 $20.33 $42,290

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 1,190 0.30 $38.83 $80,760
Natural Gas Distribution 680 0.62 $37.97 $78,970
Other Pipeline Transportation 40 0.48 $36.39 $75,690
Scientific Research and Development Services 160 0.02 $30.69 $63,840
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 1,340 1.19 $30.28 $62,980


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 50,120 4.14 1.54 $22.18 $46,140
California 26,970 1.59 0.59 $22.39 $46,560
Ohio 18,220 3.36 1.25 $19.89 $41,380
Pennsylvania 15,870 2.71 1.01 $20.97 $43,630
Wisconsin 15,550 5.46 2.03 $20.91 $43,490




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Dakota 2,970 7.02 2.61 $18.47 $38,420
Louisiana 13,310 6.95 2.59 $25.39 $52,810
Wyoming 1,780 6.61 2.46 $29.31 $60,960
Oklahoma 9,970 6.25 2.32 $22.14 $46,040
North Dakota 2,320 5.57 2.07 $24.45 $50,860




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 510 1.61 0.60 $32.37 $67,330
Wyoming 1,780 6.61 2.46 $29.31 $60,960
District of Columbia 50 0.07 0.03 $29.22 $60,780
Hawaii 540 0.84 0.31 $28.43 $59,120
New Mexico 1,800 2.21 0.82 $26.08 $54,240





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 18,010 6.04 2.25 $24.09 $50,100
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 9,480 2.66 0.99 $19.81 $41,210
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 8,590 1.40 0.52 $20.95 $43,580
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 7,270 0.76 0.28 $24.60 $51,160
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,240 1.56 0.58 $21.66 $45,060
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 4,730 2.40 0.89 $20.64 $42,930
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 4,630 1.73 0.64 $18.69 $38,890
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,420 2.26 0.84 $22.82 $47,460
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 4,090 2.06 0.77 $25.47 $52,970
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 3,940 1.92 0.71 $20.80 $43,270