Welder salary in Alabama
Median $23.31 an hour for 12,450 welders, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Welder pay in Alabama: the full range
Alabama ranks 48th of 51 states for median welder pay, and 37th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.25). 12,450 welders work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $17.65 – $19.27 | $36,710 – $40,080 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $19.27 – $28.91 | $40,080 – $60,120 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $28.91 – $32.12 | $60,120 – $66,820 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Welder pay by metro in Alabama
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | $21.33 | $29.53 | $33.52 | $35.83 | 1,700 | 27% above |
| Anniston | $19.09 | $28.76 | $33.48 | $32.38 | 430 | 23% above |
| Decatur | $17.35 | $27.40 | $31.42 | $40.29 | 530 | 18% above |
| Tuscaloosa | $18.09 | $25.09 | $28.61 | $36.50 | 290 | 8% above |
| Birmingham | $18.27 | $24.00 | $26.20 | $34.44 | 2,160 | 3% above |
| Montgomery | $17.96 | $23.02 | $25.66 | $34.21 | 560 | 1% below |
| Daphne | $17.41 | $23.01 | $24.30 | $35.79 | 210 | 1% below |
| Dothan | $17.24 | $21.73 | $25.93 | $28.71 | 310 | 7% below |
| Florence | $17.16 | $21.26 | $25.07 | $28.90 | 130 | 9% below |
| Huntsville | $17.94 | $21.17 | $22.74 | $29.31 | 1,810 | 9% below |
| Auburn | $17.10 | $20.44 | $23.25 | $28.53 | 270 | 12% below |
| Gadsden | $16.91 | $20.31 | $23.70 | $26.61 | 190 | 13% below |
| Columbus | $15.22 | $19.28 | $21.59 | $27.42 | 330 | 17% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Welder wages in Alabama over time
Table
| Year | Alabama $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $11.64 | $22.49 | $12.58 | 9,770 |
| 2000 | $12.51 | $23.39 | $13.13 | 8,940 |
| 2001 | $12.62 | $22.94 | $13.70 | 8,720 |
| 2002 | $13.40 | $23.98 | $14.02 | 8,240 |
| 2003 | $13.29 | $23.25 | $14.25 | 7,870 |
| 2004 | $13.75 | $23.43 | $14.72 | 7,490 |
| 2005 | $14.01 | $23.09 | $14.90 | 8,340 |
| 2006 | $14.02 | $22.39 | $15.10 | 8,320 |
| 2007 | $14.29 | $22.19 | $15.51 | 8,910 |
| 2008 | $14.89 | $22.27 | $16.13 | 9,240 |
| 2009 | $15.22 | $22.84 | $16.71 | 8,520 |
| 2010 | $15.84 | $23.39 | $17.04 | 7,780 |
| 2011 | $15.98 | $22.87 | $17.27 | 7,270 |
| 2012 | $16.69 | $23.40 | $17.45 | 8,200 |
| 2013 | $17.11 | $23.65 | $17.66 | 8,160 |
| 2014 | $17.02 | $23.15 | $17.99 | 8,830 |
| 2015 | $17.27 | $23.46 | $18.34 | 9,100 |
| 2016 | $18.17 | $24.37 | $18.94 | 9,810 |
| 2017 | $18.51 | $24.31 | $19.35 | 9,330 |
| 2018 | $19.01 | $24.37 | $19.89 | 9,580 |
| 2019 | $18.99 | $23.91 | $20.43 | 10,080 |
| 2020 | $19.61 | $24.39 | $21.25 | 10,200 |
| 2021 | $22.27 | $26.46 | $22.60 | 10,200 |
| 2022 | $21.91 | $24.10 | $22.86 | 9,940 |
| 2023 | $22.17 | $23.42 | $23.53 | 11,740 |
| 2024 | $22.68 | $23.28 | $24.52 | 12,570 |
| 2025 | $23.31 | $23.31 | $25.84 | 12,450 |
In today's dollars, the median welder wage in Alabama changed by -0.6% over the last ten years of data and by -2.5% since 2019.
Are there more welder jobs in Alabama?
Since 1999, the number of welders counted in Alabama has changed by +27.4%, against +1.5% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +23.5%.
Table
| Year | Alabama jobs | Alabama index | US index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 9,770 | 100 | 100 |
| 2000 | 8,940 | 92 | 101 |
| 2001 | 8,720 | 89 | 93 |
| 2002 | 8,240 | 84 | 88 |
| 2003 | 7,870 | 81 | 86 |
| 2004 | 7,490 | 77 | 84 |
| 2005 | 8,340 | 85 | 87 |
| 2006 | 8,320 | 85 | 92 |
| 2007 | 8,910 | 91 | 94 |
| 2008 | 9,240 | 95 | 96 |
| 2009 | 8,520 | 87 | 87 |
| 2010 | 7,780 | 80 | 77 |
| 2011 | 7,270 | 74 | 77 |
| 2012 | 8,200 | 84 | 80 |
| 2013 | 8,160 | 84 | 86 |
| 2014 | 8,830 | 90 | 90 |
| 2015 | 9,100 | 93 | 94 |
| 2016 | 9,810 | 100 | 93 |
| 2017 | 9,330 | 96 | 92 |
| 2018 | 9,580 | 98 | 95 |
| 2019 | 10,080 | 103 | 100 |
| 2020 | 10,200 | 104 | 97 |
| 2021 | 10,200 | 104 | 97 |
| 2022 | 9,940 | 102 | 100 |
| 2023 | 11,740 | 120 | 103 |
| 2024 | 12,570 | 129 | 103 |
| 2025 | 12,450 | 127 | 102 |
Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.
Outlook for welders in Alabama
Alabama's labor market agency projects the number of welders in the state to change by +10.3% between 2024 and 2034, from 13,600 to 15,010, with about 1,520 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.4% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 12,450 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Alabama labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Alabama?
Keep comparing
Welder pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Alabama
More on Alabama
Questions this page answers
How much do welders make in Alabama?
The median welder in Alabama earned $23.31 an hour ($48,490 a year) in May 2025, 10% below the national median of $25.84. The middle half earn $19.27–$28.91; the top 10% earn more than $32.12.
Where does Alabama rank for welder pay?
Alabama ranks 48th of 51 states for welder pay, with a median of $23.31 an hour, and 37th after adjusting for Alabama's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.8, US = 100).
What is the union welder rate in Alabama?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a welder classification for most Alabama counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many welders work in Alabama?
BLS counted 12,450 welders in Alabama in May 2025, 5.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 2.20; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is welder work growing in Alabama?
The BLS employer survey count of welders in Alabama went from 9,100 in 2015 to 12,450 in 2025, +36.8%, and +23.5% since 2019. Alabama's labor market agency projects +10.3% growth for welders between 2024 and 2034, from 13,600 to 15,010 jobs.
How many welder openings a year are there in Alabama?
Alabama projects about 1,520 openings a year for welders over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 40,300 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Alabama and metro areas, SOC 51-4121. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Alabama labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.