---
title: "Welder Salary in Kentucky: Pay & Jobs"
canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/welder/kentucky/
description: "Welder pay in Kentucky: BLS average $53,710 (all experience levels), median $51,470, bottom 10% $39,300. 64 listed programs."
updated: 2026-11-03
wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15"
---

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4. Kentucky
 Kentucky

# Welder pay in *Kentucky*

What welders earn in Kentucky: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 9 metro areas, plus job counts and 64 listed training programs.

- **$53,710** Average pay (state)
- **$39,300** Entry-level / bottom 10%
- **$51,470** Median pay (state)
- **$69,010** Top 10% earn over

6,630 jobs in Kentucky · 64 listed programs. [Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025)](https://highpayingtrades.com/methodology/).

BLS wage data

## Welder pay in Kentucky

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kentucky | $39,300 | $46,380 | $51,470 | $59,900 | $69,010 | $53,710 | 6,630 |
| 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Elizabethtown, KY | $48,960 | $51,470 | $59,900 | $65,180 | $71,100 | $58,450 | 660 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $40,170 | $47,390 | $53,680 | $64,740 | $66,300 | $55,020 | 480 |
| Bowling Green, KY | $42,710 | $47,910 | $53,630 | $53,630 | $59,820 | $52,110 | 400 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $40,280 | $47,190 | $52,970 | $58,500 | $62,500 | $53,180 | 490 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $39,460 | $47,050 | $51,990 | $62,240 | $73,970 | $55,730 | 3,160 |
| Owensboro, KY | $40,160 | $44,990 | $51,700 | $51,700 | $60,170 | $50,690 | 410 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $41,070 | $47,440 | $50,870 | $60,330 | $70,360 | $54,800 | 1,790 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $39,300 | $44,550 | $48,560 | $58,800 | $66,580 | $52,270 | 310 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $36,780 | $39,550 | $46,980 | $57,500 | $71,310 | $51,010 | 550 |
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.

[**Kentucky welding apprenticeships and training** Registered apprenticeship sponsors and how to apply · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/apprenticeships/ky/welding/) [**Welding apprenticeships and training** Apprenticeship sponsors and school routes by state · RegisteredTradeSchools.com](https://registeredtradeschools.com/trades/welding/)

Programs

## Top training programs in Kentucky

We matched 64 programs in Kentucky: 61 school programs (IPEDS 2023-24) and 3 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Ashland Community and Technical College](https://ashland.kctcs.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Ashland, KY | Certificate (1-2 years) | 7 | $4,872–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Ashland Community and Technical College](https://ashland.kctcs.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Ashland, KY | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 104 | $4,872–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Ashland Community and Technical College](https://ashland.kctcs.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Ashland, KY | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 70 | $4,872–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Big Sandy Community and Technical College](https://bigsandy.kctcs.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Prestonsburg, KY | Certificate (1-2 years) | 4 | $4,872–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Big Sandy Community and Technical College](https://bigsandy.kctcs.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Prestonsburg, KY | Associate degree | 1 | $4,872–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Big Sandy Community and Technical College](https://bigsandy.kctcs.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Prestonsburg, KY | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 8 | $4,872–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Big Sandy Community and Technical College](https://bigsandy.kctcs.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Prestonsburg, KY | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 10 | $4,872–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Bluegrass Community and Technical College](https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Lexington, KY | Certificate (1-2 years) | 40 | $4,952–$6,752 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Bluegrass Community and Technical College](https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Lexington, KY | Associate degree | 18 | $4,952–$6,752 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| [Bluegrass Community and Technical College](https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Lexington, KY | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 290 | $4,952–$6,752 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/kentucky/
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.