West Virginia
Welder pay in West Virginia
What welders earn in West Virginia: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 10 metro areas, plus job counts and 23 listed training programs.
- $53,350Average pay (state)
- $36,700Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $48,810Median pay (state)
- $73,780Top 10% earn over
2,100 jobs in West Virginia · 23 listed programs. Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025).
BLS wage data
Welder pay in West Virginia
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $36,700 | $39,900 | $48,810 | $60,170 | $73,780 | $53,350 | 2,100 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $45,150 | $50,120 | $60,670 | $77,560 | $114,440 | $67,950 | 2,000 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $40,030 | $46,700 | $56,020 | $62,630 | $76,230 | $56,510 | 130 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $37,720 | $42,540 | $55,410 | $61,380 | $87,110 | $55,690 | 180 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $39,910 | $48,480 | $54,690 | $61,100 | $64,290 | $55,210 | 120 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | $37,670 | $42,500 | $49,920 | $63,360 | $105,400 | $57,940 | 160 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $36,180 | $41,810 | $49,330 | $58,150 | $66,520 | $51,550 | 90 |
| Beckley, WV | $35,310 | $42,390 | $48,960 | $64,800 | $81,650 | $54,060 | 120 |
| Charleston, WV | $37,050 | $40,450 | $48,000 | $60,850 | $75,420 | $53,950 | 190 |
| Morgantown, WV | $36,010 | $38,580 | $47,650 | $58,060 | $74,310 | $52,140 | 140 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $36,780 | $39,550 | $46,980 | $57,500 | $71,310 | $51,010 | 550 |
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 West Virginia
We matched 23 programs in West Virginia: 21 school programs (IPEDS 2023-24) and 2 registered apprenticeship sponsors (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Careers and Technology Welding Technology/Welder | Beckley, WV | Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | $12,500 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Academy of Careers and Technology Welding Technology/Welder | Beckley, WV | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 5 | $12,500 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Ben Franklin Career Center Welding Technology/Welder | Dunbar, WV | Certificate (1-2 years) | 17 | $5,096 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Boone Career and Technical Center Welding Technology/Welder | Foster, WV | Certificate (1-2 years) | 6 | $5,000 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| BridgeValley Community & Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | South Charleston, WV | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $5,800–$12,319 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| BridgeValley Community & Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | South Charleston, WV | Associate degree | 7 | $5,800–$12,319 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Cabell County Career Technology Center Welding Technology/Welder | Huntington, WV | Certificate (1-2 years) | 6 | $5,900 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Fred W Eberle Technical Center Welding Technology/Welder | Buckhannon, WV | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 12 | $4,250 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Mercer County Technical Education Center Welding Technology/Welder | Princeton, WV | Certificate (1-2 years) | 12 | $6,168 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Mountwest Community and Technical College Welding Technology/Welder | Huntington, WV | Certificate (1-2 years) | 1 | $5,298–$12,664 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.