Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers to grow 2.4% from 2025 to 2035 (about 10,300 more jobs), with about 40,300 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $53,750 a year ranks 500th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +2.4%
- Openings a year
- 40,300
- Median pay
- $53,750
- Pay rank
- 500th of 825
Is employment of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers to rise 2.4% (about 10,300 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the -0.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 105 production occupations with a projection. That change ranks 449th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 437,700 |
| Employment, 2035 | 448,100 |
| Projected change | +2.4% |
| Openings a year | 40,300 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 437,700 jobs here differ from the 416,210 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 40,300 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 99th most of 830 occupations. About 97% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 1,030 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers rank?
The median of $53,750 a year ranks 500th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | -8.9% | 2,500 | $47,920 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | -6.2% | 4,800 | $51,330 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | -5.6% | 3,100 | $65,380 |
| Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | -17.0% | 2,100 | $53,710 |
| Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | -2.5% | 5,300 | $43,380 |
| Tool and Die Makers | -9.2% | 4,300 | $64,050 |
| Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners | -6.8% | 500 | $50,060 |
| Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | -19.2% | 700 | $42,660 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.