North Carolina
Welder pay in North Carolina
What welders earn in North Carolina: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 14 metro areas, plus job counts and 150 listed training programs.
- $53,720Average pay (state)
- $38,540Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $50,590Median pay (state)
- $71,240Top 10% earn over
11,750 jobs in North Carolina · 150 listed programs. Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025).
BLS wage data
Welder pay in North Carolina
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $38,540 | $45,400 | $50,590 | $60,870 | $71,240 | $53,720 | 11,750 |
| United States | $39,240 | $46,790 | $53,750 | $63,010 | $77,530 | $56,760 | 416,210 |
Metro areas
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $46,510 | $49,950 | $62,670 | $71,090 | $78,180 | $62,000 | 3,740 |
| Greenville, NC | $36,160 | $46,210 | $57,360 | $61,310 | $72,170 | $54,700 | 230 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $40,460 | $47,190 | $56,940 | $60,980 | $71,800 | $55,690 | 1,090 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $41,060 | $47,420 | $56,070 | $62,740 | $75,910 | $56,990 | 3,370 |
| Wilmington, NC | $38,390 | $46,890 | $55,340 | $60,560 | $68,640 | $54,700 | 260 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $40,130 | $46,480 | $54,180 | $62,550 | $70,550 | $54,700 | 1,180 |
| Asheville, NC | $39,890 | $47,250 | $52,540 | $60,950 | $71,920 | $54,760 | 290 |
| Burlington, NC | $38,810 | $46,970 | $50,740 | $58,000 | $64,790 | $53,540 | 120 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $38,190 | $42,320 | $49,780 | $60,780 | $69,140 | $51,950 | 80 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $40,370 | $46,790 | $49,600 | $59,320 | $69,950 | $53,080 | 250 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $41,670 | $45,950 | $49,280 | $60,640 | $69,020 | $53,180 | 290 |
| Goldsboro, NC | $37,270 | $39,420 | $48,320 | $52,370 | $58,960 | $48,480 | 140 |
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.
Programs
Top training programs in North Carolina
We matched 150 programs in North Carolina: 149 school programs (IPEDS 2023-24) and 1 registered apprenticeship sponsor (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Graham, NC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 3 | $2,592–$8,736 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Alamance Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Graham, NC | Associate degree | 11 | $2,592–$8,736 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Alamance Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Graham, NC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 50 | $2,592–$8,736 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Asheville, NC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 10 | $2,882–$9,026 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Asheville, NC | Associate degree | 4 | $2,882–$9,026 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Asheville, NC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 32 | $2,882–$9,026 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Beaufort County Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Washington, NC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 3 | $2,540–$8,684 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Beaufort County Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Washington, NC | Associate degree | 3 | $2,540–$8,684 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Beaufort County Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Washington, NC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 53 | $2,540–$8,684 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Bladen Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Dublin, NC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 5 | $2,638–$8,782 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
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; data tables). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03.
- Occupation: O*NET OnLine, 51-4121.00 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, 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).
- 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; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
- 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).
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.