---
title: "Welder Salary in California: Pay & Jobs"
canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/welder/california/
description: "Welder pay in California: BLS average $61,120 (all experience levels), median $58,060, bottom 10% $44,520. 156 listed programs."
updated: 2026-11-03
wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15"
---

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 California

# Welder pay in *California*

What welders earn in California: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 25 metro areas, plus job counts and 156 listed training programs.

- **$61,120** Average pay (state)
- **$44,520** Entry-level / bottom 10%
- **$58,060** Median pay (state)
- **$81,940** Top 10% earn over

26,060 jobs in California · 156 listed programs. [Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025)](https://highpayingtrades.com/methodology/).

BLS wage data

## Welder pay in California

Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| California | $44,520 | $48,480 | $58,060 | $70,400 | $81,940 | $61,120 | 26,060 |
| United States | $39,240 | $46,790 | $53,750 | $63,010 | $77,530 | $56,760 | 416,210 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

### Metro areas

| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $48,010 | $56,680 | $64,320 | $78,920 | $99,930 | $70,680 | 1,990 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $49,130 | $57,420 | $64,140 | $76,730 | $92,310 | $69,120 | 1,050 |
| Vallejo, CA | $46,550 | $52,110 | $63,860 | $79,520 | $87,730 | $68,110 | 280 |
| Napa, CA | $44,580 | $50,020 | $62,890 | $78,930 | $87,480 | $67,150 | 70 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $46,700 | $50,400 | $62,560 | $76,630 | $82,470 | $65,350 | 2,940 |
| El Centro, CA | $38,280 | $45,370 | $58,350 | $74,200 | $90,930 | $60,400 | 70 |
| Salinas, CA | $39,920 | $48,530 | $58,240 | $72,470 | $89,330 | $61,120 | 200 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $38,020 | $46,280 | $57,360 | $70,220 | $78,710 | $58,650 | 800 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $47,220 | $49,210 | $57,290 | $63,980 | $79,950 | $60,940 | 1,530 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $46,260 | $49,360 | $56,720 | $70,280 | $85,900 | $61,320 | 260 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $44,530 | $47,910 | $56,160 | $64,800 | $79,870 | $60,120 | 7,850 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $40,690 | $47,860 | $54,560 | $64,250 | $80,120 | $58,550 | 580 |
Metropolitan area estimates, BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. Only areas BLS published are shown.

Find training

## Looking for a school or apprenticeship?

This page covers pay and job outlook. Our sister site RegisteredTradeSchools.com keeps the training directory for welders: registered apprenticeship sponsors, how to apply, and school routes.

[**Welding apprenticeships and training** Apprenticeship sponsors and school routes by state · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/trades/welding/)

Programs

## Top training programs in California

We matched 156 programs in California: 156 school programs (IPEDS 2023-24) and 0 registered apprenticeship sponsors (DOL). The 10 below are schools with published tuition first; the full directory is on RegisteredTradeSchools.com (links above).

| Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Advanced Career Institute](https://advanced.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Visalia, CA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 190 | $5,970 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Allan Hancock College](https://www.hancockcollege.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Santa Maria, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 19 | $1,158–$10,038 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Allan Hancock College](https://www.hancockcollege.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Santa Maria, CA | Associate degree | 11 | $1,158–$10,038 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Allan Hancock College](https://www.hancockcollege.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Santa Maria, CA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 40 | $1,158–$10,038 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [American River College](https://www.arc.losrios.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Sacramento, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 7 | $1,288–$12,472 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [American River College](https://www.arc.losrios.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Sacramento, CA | Associate degree | 11 | $1,288–$12,472 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [American River College](https://www.arc.losrios.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Sacramento, CA | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 0 | $1,288–$12,472 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [American River College](https://www.arc.losrios.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Sacramento, CA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 11 | $1,288–$12,472 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Antelope Valley Community College District](https://www.avc.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Lancaster, CA | Associate degree | 11 | $1,124–$9,548 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Antelope Valley Community College District](https://www.avc.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Lancaster, CA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 16 | $1,124–$9,548 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
Schools: NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code; “Graduates 2023-24” is the number of first-major certificates or associate degrees the school awarded in that program from July 2023 to June 2024 (IPEDS). Tuition: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (updated 2026-10-15), matched by IPEDS unit ID; it is the published figure, not a quote. Apprenticeship sponsors: DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file (retrieved 2026-10-29); apprenticeships are typically paid, so no tuition is listed — contact the program.

Related resources

## Keep researching

[**Welding career path for veterans** Military experience and certification routes. · MilitaryToTrades.com](https://militarytotrades.com/careers/welder/) [**GI Bill-approved welding programs** Schools that accept VA education benefits. · VeteranTradeSchools.com](https://veterantradeschools.com/welding/)

## Sources

- **Wages:** U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 ([news release USDL-26-0725](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm); [data tables](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm)). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03.
- **Occupation:** O\*NET OnLine, [51-4121.00 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-4121.00), retrieved 2026-11-03 (CC BY 4.0).
- **Apprenticeship sponsors:** U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 ([Partner Finder](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/partner-finder)).
- **Schools & graduates:** U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024\_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code ([completions file](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/data/C2024_A.zip); [CIP-SOC crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/Files/CIP2020_SOC2018_Crosswalk.xlsx)).
- **Tuition:** U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID ([source](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/)).

Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades team; last refreshed 2026-11-03.

---
Canonical HTML: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/welder/california/
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_05152026.htm). Programs: NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions; DOL Office of Apprenticeship. Tuition: College Scorecard.