---
title: "Welder Salary in North Carolina: Pay & Jobs"
canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/welder/north-carolina/
description: "Welder pay in North Carolina: BLS average $53,720 (all experience levels), median $50,590, bottom 10% $38,540. 150 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. North Carolina
 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.

- **$53,720** Average pay (state)
- **$38,540** Entry-level / bottom 10%
- **$50,590** Median pay (state)
- **$71,240** Top 10% earn over

11,750 jobs in North Carolina · 150 listed programs. [Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025)](https://highpayingtrades.com/methodology/).

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 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

### 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 |
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 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](https://www.alamancecc.edu/) 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](https://www.alamancecc.edu/) 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](https://www.alamancecc.edu/) 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](https://www.abtech.edu/) 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](https://www.abtech.edu/) 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](https://www.abtech.edu/) 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](https://www.beaufortccc.edu/) 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](https://www.beaufortccc.edu/) 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](https://www.beaufortccc.edu/) 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](https://bladencc.edu/) 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 |
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/north-carolina/
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.