---
title: "Welder Salary in West Virginia: Pay & Jobs"
canonical: https://highpayingtrades.com/trades/welder/west-virginia/
description: "Welder pay in West Virginia: BLS average $53,350 (all experience levels), median $48,810, bottom 10% $36,700. 23 listed programs."
updated: 2026-11-03
wage_source: "BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15"
---

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4. West Virginia
 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.

- **$53,350** Average pay (state)
- **$36,700** Entry-level / bottom 10%
- **$48,810** Median pay (state)
- **$73,780** Top 10% earn over

2,100 jobs in West Virginia · 23 listed programs. [Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025)](https://highpayingtrades.com/methodology/).

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 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.

### 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 |
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 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](https://www.wvact.net/) 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](https://www.wvact.net/) 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](https://bf.kana.k12.wv.us/) 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](https://www.gobctc.com/) 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](https://www.bridgevalley.edu/) 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](https://www.bridgevalley.edu/) 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](https://www.cabellschools.com/Domain/12) 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](https://fetc.edu/) 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](https://mercercountyschools.sites.thrillshare.com/o/mctec) 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](https://www.mctc.edu/) 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 |
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/west-virginia/
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.