Washington
Welder pay in Washington
What welders earn in Washington: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 13 metro areas, plus job counts and 72 listed training programs.
- $66,340Average pay (state)
- $47,980Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $63,020Median pay (state)
- $86,250Top 10% earn over
7,720 jobs in Washington · 72 listed programs. Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025).
BLS wage data
Welder pay in Washington
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $47,980 | $54,740 | $63,020 | $73,650 | $86,250 | $66,340 | 7,720 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $53,770 | $60,550 | $71,720 | $93,890 | $101,360 | $76,990 | 740 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $50,270 | $58,200 | $66,240 | $75,210 | $89,630 | $68,440 | 3,230 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $50,010 | $58,890 | $64,720 | $79,550 | $95,400 | $70,830 | 260 |
| Bellingham, WA | $49,910 | $55,150 | $63,720 | $72,120 | $80,970 | $65,100 | 320 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $49,150 | $53,550 | $62,800 | $70,410 | $84,480 | $63,350 | 430 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $48,050 | $53,130 | $62,050 | $72,400 | $83,940 | $64,170 | 3,300 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $46,440 | $49,390 | $59,860 | $67,640 | $76,600 | $60,090 | 120 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $46,290 | $49,780 | $59,380 | $62,680 | $71,490 | $59,170 | 80 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $45,090 | $48,450 | $59,350 | $64,160 | $74,450 | $58,650 | 630 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $49,400 | $52,430 | $58,680 | $69,870 | $83,830 | $62,740 | 140 |
| Yakima, WA | $45,800 | $47,300 | $57,450 | $62,360 | $71,550 | $56,860 | 290 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | $44,050 | $48,590 | $55,890 | $60,090 | $63,940 | $55,130 | 210 |
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 Washington
We matched 72 programs in Washington: 71 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Tacoma, WA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $5,874–$12,222 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Bates Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Tacoma, WA | Associate degree | 22 | $5,874–$12,222 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Bates Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Tacoma, WA | Certificate (2-4 years) | 1 | $5,874–$12,222 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Bates Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Tacoma, WA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 21 | $5,874–$12,222 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Bellingham Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Bellingham, WA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 41 | $5,223–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Bellingham Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Bellingham, WA | Associate degree | 24 | $5,223–$6,672 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Big Bend Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Moses Lake, WA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $5,221–$5,806 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Big Bend Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Moses Lake, WA | Associate degree | 5 | $5,221–$5,806 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Big Bend Community College Welding Technology/Welder | Moses Lake, WA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 0 | $5,221–$5,806 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Centralia College Welding Technology/Welder | Centralia, WA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 2 | $5,452–$6,037 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.