--- title: "Welder Salary in Washington: Pay & Jobs" canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/welder/washington/ description: "Welder pay in Washington: BLS average $66,340 (all experience levels), median $63,020, bottom 10% $47,980. 72 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. Washington 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. - **$66,340** Average pay (state) - **$47,980** Entry-level / bottom 10% - **$63,020** Median pay (state) - **$86,250** Top 10% earn over 7,720 jobs in Washington · 72 listed programs. [Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025)](https://highpayingtrades.com/methodology/). 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 | Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15. ### 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 | 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 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](https://www.batestech.edu/) 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](https://www.batestech.edu/) 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](https://www.batestech.edu/) 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](https://www.batestech.edu/) 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](https://www.btc.edu/) 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](https://www.btc.edu/) 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](https://www.bigbend.edu/) 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](https://www.bigbend.edu/) 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](https://www.bigbend.edu/) 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](https://www.centralia.edu/) 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 | 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/washington/ 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.