Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary in California: $63,500 Average

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Average base salary, California

$63,500 / year

≈ $5,300 per month · $30.53 per hour

LocationOr metro area

BLS May 2025 state data for California · median $60,000

25th percentile
$50,000Average
$63,50075th percentile
$73,000

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers salary by state

Alabama$53,000

Alaska$83,000

Arizona$61,000

Arkansas$52,000

California$63,500

Colorado$62,500

Connecticut$69,000

Delaware$60,500

District of Columbia$64,000

Florida$56,000

Georgia$53,500

Hawaii$80,000

Idaho$56,000

Illinois$58,000

Indiana$56,000

Iowa$57,500

Kansas$54,500

Kentucky$55,500

Louisiana$66,000

Maine$64,000

Maryland$66,500

Massachusetts$67,500

Michigan$55,500

Minnesota$62,500

Mississippi$55,000

Missouri$57,500

Montana$60,500

Nebraska$57,000

Nevada$67,000

New Hampshire$65,000

New Jersey$64,500

New Mexico$66,000

New York$65,000

North Carolina$55,500

North Dakota$67,000

Ohio$55,000

Oklahoma$54,500

Oregon$62,500

Pennsylvania$58,500

Rhode Island$60,000

South Carolina$54,000

South Dakota$54,000

Tennessee$52,000

Texas$59,000

Utah$61,500

Vermont$62,500

Virginia$62,500

Washington$68,500

West Virginia$55,000

Wisconsin$60,000

Wyoming$70,500

About this role

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is a professional role within the function in the Production job family.

Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazerss do

Typical education: High School Diploma

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.

Top skills: Quality Control Analysis Monitoring Judgment and Decision Making Critical Thinking Time Management Operations Monitoring

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers pay by experience level

Entry level$40,500

Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)

Early career$48,500

A few years in (about the 25th percentile)

Experienced$55,500

Mid-career median pay

Senior$65,000

Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)

Top earners$80,000

Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)

Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.

Job outlook

+2.2%

projected change in jobs, 2024–2034

45,600

projected openings per year

Growing slower than average

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers salary by industry

Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing

112,520 workers

$56,000

Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)

70,020 workers

$55,500

Machinery Manufacturing

63,880 workers

$56,500

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

63,500 workers

$56,500

Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)

56,750 workers

$56,500

Specialty Trade Contractors

33,270 workers

$63,000

Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)

25,910 workers

$56,000

Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing

22,560 workers

$53,000

Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods

19,990 workers

$54,500

Repair and Maintenance

17,530 workers

$59,000

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.

How this role compares

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers pays 5% above the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).

Similar-paying roles in Production

Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$58,500

Tire Builder$59,000

Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$58,000

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers$60,000

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders$57,500

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$56,000

Machinist$61,500

Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$55,500

Semiconductor Processing Technician$62,500

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$55,000

Careers related to Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$52,000

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$56,000

Boilermaker$83,000

Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$74,000

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers$60,000

Tool and Die Makers$69,000

Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers make?

The average base salary for a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in the United States is $59,000 per year, or about $28.37 per hour.

What is the typical salary range?

Pay typically falls between $48,500 and $65,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.

How does this compare with other Production roles?

The Production job family averages $56,000 across 112 roles tracked by WePayFairly.

Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.

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