South Carolina
Welder pay in South Carolina
What welders earn in South Carolina: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 10 metro areas, plus job counts and 27 listed training programs.
- $52,120Average pay (state)
- $38,720Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $49,980Median pay (state)
- $64,510Top 10% earn over
7,380 jobs in South Carolina · 27 listed programs. Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025).
BLS wage data
Welder pay in South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $38,720 | $45,230 | $49,980 | $58,370 | $64,510 | $52,120 | 7,380 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $41,060 | $47,420 | $56,070 | $62,740 | $75,910 | $56,990 | 3,370 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $43,050 | $48,460 | $56,060 | $61,860 | $73,890 | $56,590 | 830 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $38,990 | $45,480 | $54,030 | $60,370 | $70,810 | $54,800 | 90 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $38,520 | $43,480 | $50,800 | $60,730 | $71,010 | $52,940 | 680 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $40,130 | $46,650 | $49,820 | $58,680 | $65,510 | $52,910 | 710 |
| Columbia, SC | $37,000 | $44,350 | $49,730 | $56,280 | $62,900 | $50,730 | 830 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $39,990 | $45,970 | $49,130 | $57,020 | $63,340 | $51,570 | 1,760 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $36,040 | $40,000 | $45,640 | $52,800 | $61,120 | $48,060 | 130 |
| Florence, SC | $37,640 | $43,620 | $44,990 | $51,130 | $58,530 | $47,110 | 300 |
| Sumter, SC | $35,340 | $38,180 | $44,540 | $55,170 | $78,140 | $49,400 | 170 |
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 South Carolina
We matched 27 programs in South Carolina: 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Graniteville, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 7 | $5,300–$8,088 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Arclabs Welding Technology/Welder | Piedmont, SC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 584 | $22,500 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Arclabs Welding Technology/Welder | Piedmont, SC | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 9 | $22,500 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Arclabs Welding Technology/Welder | Piedmont, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 6 | $22,500 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Central Carolina Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Sumter, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 62 | $5,829–$9,193 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Denmark Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Denmark, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 9 | $6,495–$12,315 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Florence-Darlington Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Florence, SC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 13 | $4,636–$6,772 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Florence-Darlington Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Florence, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 61 | $4,636–$6,772 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Greenville Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Greenville, SC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 50 | $5,780–$11,060 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Greenville Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Greenville, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 38 | $5,780–$11,060 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.