Welder Salary in California
Statewide median pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and what it costs to get into the trade here.
Median annual
$59,170
statewide
Median hourly
$28.45
per hour
Jobs in state
28,300
people employed
Cost to enter
—
licence + training
Pay in other states
| State | Median annual | Licence cost | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $59,170 | — | — |
| Florida | $49,250 | — | — |
| Texas | $53,410 | — | — |
How to read these numbers
- Median, not average. A handful of very high earners drag the average up; the median is the middle person.
- Statewide. Metro pay in this trade often runs 10–25% above the state figure, and rural areas below it.
- Before overtime. BLS base pay excludes overtime and shift differentials, which matter a lot in this trade.
Sources
- BLS OEWS state table (archive snapshot)Median annual wage for Welder in California, May 2024
- https://www.cslb.ca.gov/About_Us/Library/Licensing_Classifications/“C-60 - Welding Contractor”
- https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/GuidesAndPublications/GetLicensedToBuild.pdf“Any construction project in California valued at $500 or more in labor and materials combined must be performed by a contractor licensed by CSLB.”