Welder salary in Kentucky
Median $24.74 an hour for 6,630 welders, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Welder pay in Kentucky: the full range
Kentucky ranks 33rd of 51 states for median welder pay, and 26th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $27.43). 6,630 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 | $18.89 – $22.30 | $39,300 – $46,380 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $22.30 – $28.80 | $46,380 – $59,900 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $28.80 – $33.18 | $59,900 – $69,010 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Welder pay by metro in Kentucky
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown | $23.54 | $28.80 | $31.79 | $34.19 | 660 | 16% above |
| Lexington | $19.31 | $25.81 | $27.78 | $31.88 | 480 | 4% above |
| Bowling Green | $20.53 | $25.78 | $28.58 | $28.76 | 400 | 4% above |
| Clarksville | $19.36 | $25.47 | $28.02 | $30.05 | 490 | 3% above |
| Cincinnati | $18.97 | $24.99 | $26.19 | $35.56 | 3,160 | 1% above |
| Owensboro | $19.31 | $24.86 | $28.06 | $28.93 | 410 | about the same as |
| Louisville | $19.75 | $24.46 | $26.27 | $33.83 | 1,790 | 1% below |
| Paducah | $18.89 | $23.35 | $27.12 | $32.01 | 310 | 6% below |
| Huntington | $17.68 | $22.59 | $25.55 | $34.29 | 550 | 9% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Welder wages in Kentucky over time
Table
| Year | Kentucky $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $11.44 | $22.11 | $12.58 | 5,820 |
| 2000 | $12.30 | $23.00 | $13.13 | 5,830 |
| 2001 | $12.86 | $23.38 | $13.70 | 6,410 |
| 2002 | $13.30 | $23.80 | $14.02 | 6,100 |
| 2003 | $13.49 | $23.60 | $14.25 | 6,180 |
| 2004 | $14.03 | $23.91 | $14.72 | 6,100 |
| 2005 | $14.40 | $23.74 | $14.90 | 6,420 |
| 2006 | $14.40 | $23.00 | $15.10 | 6,710 |
| 2007 | $14.60 | $22.67 | $15.51 | 7,730 |
| 2008 | $14.78 | $22.10 | $16.13 | 7,980 |
| 2009 | $15.45 | $23.18 | $16.71 | 7,190 |
| 2010 | $15.81 | $23.34 | $17.04 | 5,800 |
| 2011 | $16.47 | $23.57 | $17.27 | 6,380 |
| 2012 | $16.56 | $23.22 | $17.45 | 6,430 |
| 2013 | $16.98 | $23.47 | $17.66 | 6,900 |
| 2014 | $17.09 | $23.24 | $17.99 | 6,590 |
| 2015 | $17.22 | $23.39 | $18.34 | 7,460 |
| 2016 | $17.98 | $24.12 | $18.94 | 7,640 |
| 2017 | $17.77 | $23.34 | $19.35 | 7,430 |
| 2018 | $18.40 | $23.59 | $19.89 | 6,680 |
| 2019 | $18.91 | $23.81 | $20.43 | 7,570 |
| 2020 | $19.70 | $24.51 | $21.25 | 6,780 |
| 2021 | $20.88 | $24.81 | $22.60 | 6,910 |
| 2022 | $21.73 | $23.90 | $22.86 | 7,300 |
| 2023 | $22.23 | $23.49 | $23.53 | 6,650 |
| 2024 | $23.68 | $24.30 | $24.52 | 7,360 |
| 2025 | $24.74 | $24.74 | $25.84 | 6,630 |
In today's dollars, the median welder wage in Kentucky changed by +5.8% over the last ten years of data and by +3.9% since 2019.
Are there more welder jobs in Kentucky?
Since 1999, the number of welders counted in Kentucky has changed by +13.9%, against +1.5% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by -12.4%.
Table
| Year | Kentucky jobs | Kentucky index | US index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 5,820 | 100 | 100 |
| 2000 | 5,830 | 100 | 101 |
| 2001 | 6,410 | 110 | 93 |
| 2002 | 6,100 | 105 | 88 |
| 2003 | 6,180 | 106 | 86 |
| 2004 | 6,100 | 105 | 84 |
| 2005 | 6,420 | 110 | 87 |
| 2006 | 6,710 | 115 | 92 |
| 2007 | 7,730 | 133 | 94 |
| 2008 | 7,980 | 137 | 96 |
| 2009 | 7,190 | 124 | 87 |
| 2010 | 5,800 | 100 | 77 |
| 2011 | 6,380 | 110 | 77 |
| 2012 | 6,430 | 110 | 80 |
| 2013 | 6,900 | 119 | 86 |
| 2014 | 6,590 | 113 | 90 |
| 2015 | 7,460 | 128 | 94 |
| 2016 | 7,640 | 131 | 93 |
| 2017 | 7,430 | 128 | 92 |
| 2018 | 6,680 | 115 | 95 |
| 2019 | 7,570 | 130 | 100 |
| 2020 | 6,780 | 116 | 97 |
| 2021 | 6,910 | 119 | 97 |
| 2022 | 7,300 | 125 | 100 |
| 2023 | 6,650 | 114 | 103 |
| 2024 | 7,360 | 126 | 103 |
| 2025 | 6,630 | 114 | 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 Kentucky
Kentucky's labor market agency projects the number of welders in the state to change by +5.0% between 2024 and 2034, from 7,820 to 8,210, with about 810 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.4% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 6,630 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Kentucky labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Kentucky?
Keep comparing
Welder pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Kentucky
More on Kentucky
Questions this page answers
How much do welders make in Kentucky?
The median welder in Kentucky earned $24.74 an hour ($51,470 a year) in May 2025, 4% below the national median of $25.84. The middle half earn $22.30–$28.80; the top 10% earn more than $33.18.
Where does Kentucky rank for welder pay?
Kentucky ranks 33rd of 51 states for welder pay, with a median of $24.74 an hour, and 26th after adjusting for Kentucky's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.2, US = 100).
What is the union welder rate in Kentucky?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a welder classification for most Kentucky counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many welders work in Kentucky?
BLS counted 6,630 welders in Kentucky in May 2025, 3.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.24; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is welder work growing in Kentucky?
The BLS employer survey count of welders in Kentucky went from 7,460 in 2015 to 6,630 in 2025, -11.1%, and -12.4% since 2019. Kentucky's labor market agency projects +5.0% growth for welders between 2024 and 2034, from 7,820 to 8,210 jobs.
How many welder openings a year are there in Kentucky?
Kentucky projects about 810 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, Kentucky 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: Kentucky labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.