---
title: "Welder Salary in Iowa: Pay & Jobs"
canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/welder/iowa/
description: "Welder pay in Iowa: BLS average $55,580 (all experience levels), median $55,090, bottom 10% $45,590. 37 listed programs."
updated: 2026-11-03
wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15"
---

1. [Home](https://highpayingtrades.com/)
2. [Trades](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/)
3. [Welder](https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/welder/)
4. Iowa
 Iowa

# Welder pay in *Iowa*

What welders earn in Iowa: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 9 metro areas, plus job counts and 37 listed training programs.

- **$55,580** Average pay (state)
- **$45,590** Entry-level / bottom 10%
- **$55,090** Median pay (state)
- **$65,250** Top 10% earn over

9,270 jobs in Iowa · 37 listed programs. [Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025)](https://highpayingtrades.com/methodology/).

BLS wage data

## Welder pay in Iowa

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Iowa | $45,590 | $48,250 | $55,090 | $60,200 | $65,250 | $55,580 | 9,270 |
| 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $47,220 | $49,520 | $59,980 | $61,650 | $74,850 | $58,610 | 1,170 |
| Ames, IA | $40,620 | $49,250 | $58,560 | $60,310 | $67,110 | $55,970 | 170 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $39,270 | $47,490 | $58,230 | $61,880 | $72,800 | $56,940 | 440 |
| Iowa City, IA | $46,480 | $48,680 | $57,780 | $65,030 | $75,420 | $58,500 | 130 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $45,550 | $47,710 | $56,750 | $59,730 | $66,190 | $55,720 | 560 |
| Dubuque, IA | $47,220 | $48,560 | $56,100 | $59,610 | $64,960 | $55,190 | 330 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $44,770 | $48,750 | $53,110 | $60,750 | $70,150 | $55,840 | 1,060 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $46,300 | $47,430 | $51,080 | $59,060 | $63,950 | $54,530 | 540 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $39,280 | $47,270 | $48,630 | $60,000 | $71,950 | $53,840 | 1,240 |
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 Iowa

We matched 37 programs in Iowa: 37 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Des Moines Area Community College](https://www.dmacc.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Ankeny, IA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 81 | $6,030–$6,930 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Des Moines Area Community College](https://www.dmacc.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Ankeny, IA | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 184 | $6,030–$6,930 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Des Moines Area Community College](https://www.dmacc.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Ankeny, IA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 68 | $6,030–$6,930 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Eastern Iowa Community College District](https://www.eicc.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Davenport, IA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 5 | $5,016–$6,624 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Eastern Iowa Community College District](https://www.eicc.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Davenport, IA | Associate degree | 2 | $5,016–$6,624 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Eastern Iowa Community College District](https://www.eicc.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Davenport, IA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 146 | $5,016–$6,624 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Ellsworth Community College](https://ecc.iavalley.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Iowa Falls, IA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $5,664–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Ellsworth Community College](https://ecc.iavalley.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Iowa Falls, IA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 3 | $5,664–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Hawkeye Community College](https://www.hawkeyecollege.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Waterloo, IA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 19 | $6,786–$6,815 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Hawkeye Community College](https://www.hawkeyecollege.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Waterloo, IA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 20 | $6,786–$6,815 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/iowa/
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.