Welder salary in California

BLS reports this occupation as "Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers" (51-4121); every figure on this page is for that BLS occupation.

The median annual wage for welders in California is $58,060, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimates — above the national median of $53,750. California ranks 24 of 50 states and DC with published data for this occupation.

Median

$58,060

25th percentile

$48,480

75th percentile

$70,400

90th percentile

$81,940

Employment and national comparison

Employment in California	26,060
Mean annual wage in California	$61,120
National median	$53,750
National employment	416,210

Metro areas in California

San Francisco, CA: median $64,320
Los Angeles, CA: median $56,160
San Diego, CA: median $62,560

States with similar pay for welders

Utah: median $58,380
Wisconsin: median $58,410
Colorado: median $58,590
Delaware: median $57,270
New York: median $59,140
Virginia: median $59,180

See all states ranked for welders.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates; state, metropolitan area and national files from https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. State estimates are for BLS occupation "Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers" (51-4121), cross-industry, all ownerships. Retrieved 2026-10-02. Where BLS does not publish a numeric estimate (suppressed, or reported only as at or above $239,200) the value is shown as —.