--- title: "Welder Salary in Tennessee: Pay & Jobs" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/welder/tennessee/ description: "Welder pay in Tennessee: BLS average $50,450 (all experience levels), median $48,040, bottom 10% $37,840. 54 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. Tennessee Tennessee # Welder pay in *Tennessee* What welders earn in Tennessee: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 10 metro areas, plus job counts and 54 listed training programs. - **$50,450** Average pay (state) - **$37,840** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$48,040** Median pay (state) - **$64,200** Top 10% earn over 12,510 jobs in Tennessee · 54 listed programs. [Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025)](https://highpayingtrades.com/methodology/). BLS wage data ## Welder pay in Tennessee 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Tennessee | $37,840 | $41,600 | $48,040 | $57,450 | $64,200 | $50,450 | 12,510 | | 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $37,780 | $45,230 | $55,690 | $65,280 | $69,130 | $54,260 | 450 | | Clarksville, TN-KY | $40,280 | $47,190 | $52,970 | $58,500 | $62,500 | $53,180 | 490 | | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $40,220 | $43,730 | $49,460 | $61,100 | $68,490 | $53,020 | 2,590 | | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $37,500 | $42,500 | $49,220 | $61,130 | $69,320 | $51,920 | 1,850 | | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $38,620 | $42,240 | $48,600 | $57,480 | $65,280 | $51,050 | 1,590 | | Knoxville, TN | $38,280 | $41,060 | $48,040 | $56,260 | $63,980 | $49,530 | 1,780 | | Morristown, TN | $37,390 | $40,160 | $47,070 | $60,230 | $69,940 | $50,580 | 180 | | Cleveland, TN | $37,940 | $44,840 | $46,670 | $57,460 | $66,670 | $51,000 | 120 | | Johnson City, TN | $36,460 | $41,100 | $46,070 | $53,160 | $58,700 | $47,450 | 170 | | Jackson, TN | $37,460 | $38,100 | $45,460 | $48,590 | $60,730 | $45,790 | 600 | 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 Tennessee We matched 54 programs in Tennessee: 53 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Cleveland State Community College](https://www.clevelandstatecc.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Cleveland, TN | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 18 | $5,228–$8,588 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 | | [Lincoln College of Technology-Nashville](https://www.lincolntech.edu/campus/nashville-tn) Welding Technology/Welder | Nashville, TN | Certificate (1-2 years) | 37 | $37,769 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 | | [Lincoln College of Technology-Nashville](https://www.lincolntech.edu/campus/nashville-tn) Welding Technology/Welder | Nashville, TN | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 182 | $37,769 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 | | [Northeast State Community College](https://www.northeaststate.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Blountville, TN | Certificate (1-2 years) | 40 | $4,926–$8,286 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 | | [TCAT Athens](https://www.tcatathens.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Athens, TN | Certificate (1-2 years) | 9 | $4,761 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 | | [TCAT Athens](https://www.tcatathens.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Athens, TN | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 10 | $4,761 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 | | [Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville](https://www.tcatnashville.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Nashville, TN | Certificate (1-2 years) | 51 | $6,348 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 | | [Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville](https://www.tcatnashville.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Nashville, TN | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 9 | $6,348 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 | | [Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest](https://www.tcatnorthwest.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Newbern, TN | Certificate (1-2 years) | 27 | $5,948 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 | | [Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest](https://www.tcatnorthwest.edu/) Welding Technology/Welder | Newbern, TN | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 10 | $5,948 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | 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/tennessee/ 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.