Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Occupation-level safety SOC 51-4121

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Occupation-specific BLS fatality and injury rates set the reading order for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, then wages beside peers such as Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers: Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators ($79K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) , Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ($68K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4121 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits
  2. 2. Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications
  3. 3. Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions
  4. 4. Check grooves, angles, or gap allowances, using micrometers, calipers, and precision measuring instruments
  5. 5. Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors
  6. 6. Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equ…
  7. 7. Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals
  8. 8. Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required
  9. 9. Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques
  10. 10. Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring that there is no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreig…
  11. 11. Align and clamp workpieces together, using rules, squares, or hand tools, or position items in fixtures, jigs, or vises
  12. 12. Melt and apply solder to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products, using soldering equipment

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers: O*NET ranks Quality Control Analysis first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4121 - lead skill Quality Control Analysis at 3.1 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Quality Control Analysis 3.1
  2. 2. Monitoring 3.0
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 2.9
  4. 4. Judgment and Decision Making 2.9
  5. 5. Operations Monitoring 2.8
  6. 6. Time Management 2.8
  7. 7. Active Listening 2.6
  8. 8. Speaking 2.6

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.5
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.1
  3. 3. Mathematics 2.9
  4. 4. English Language 2.9
  5. 5. Design 2.8
  6. 6. Engineering and Technology 2.6
Occupation safety grade
B
Safe
Transparent derived index from BLS CFOI/SOII, not an official BLS rating · formula
National median still $53,750/yr
$54K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
45,600
Annual openings
416,210
Estimated US jobs
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Highest-pay peer · $79K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

1. Hawaii $79,000
2. Alaska $80,840
3. Washington $63,020
4. Wyoming $63,820
5. Connecticut $64,880
6. New Hampshire $62,360
7. Maine $62,220
8. Massachusetts $62,570
9. North Dakota $62,000
10. Louisiana $62,250

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  2. 2. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  3. 3. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  4. 4. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  5. 5. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  6. 6. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers carries an occupation-specific WageDex safety grade of B from BLS CFOI/SOII rates. The national OEWS median is $53,750 inside Production Occupations (SOC 51-4121).

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 45,600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Hawaii at $79,000. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators at $78,620. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers pay-rank #24 in Production Occupations

Among 105 detailed Production Occupations with a published OEWS median, Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is pay-rank #24, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Safety grade B carries into what comes next for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers: the OEWS state map, the safest/highest-pay peers, and a head-to-head against another SOC.

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4121

Hawaii · top state for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

$79K published median

Alaska · #2 state pay

$81K · behind Hawaii

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers · $79K

Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters

Lower-pay peer beside Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers · $63K

Compare Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers with another occupation →

Safety and risk next reads

Safest Occupations

Roles with the strongest published safety grades

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers full wage map

State and metro pay after the safety lead

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Production Occupations titles sit near Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers at the top of the pay table? ▼
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is pay-rank #24 of 105 detailed Production Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Engine and Other Machine Assemblers ($54K), Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders ($54K), Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($53K), Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers ($53K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Leading ones include: Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits; Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications; Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions; Check grooves, angles, or gap allowances, using micrometers, calipers, and precision measuring instruments. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers? ▼
For SOC 51-4121, O*NET importance scores lead with Quality Control Analysis (3.1), Monitoring (3.0), Critical Thinking (2.9), Judgment and Decision Making (2.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mechanical, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $53,750 as the national median for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. The published 10th-90th range is $39,240 to $77,530. Beside Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators ($78,620), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is +2%. Projected annual openings: about 45,600. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers? ▼
Hawaii ($79,000), Alaska ($80,840), Washington ($63,020) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4121. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics