Welder salary in Michigan
Median $24.03 an hour for 13,330 welders, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Welder pay in Michigan: the full range
Michigan ranks 41st of 51 states for median welder pay, and 47th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $24.98). 13,330 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 | $18.80 – $22.36 | $39,090 – $46,520 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $22.36 – $28.46 | $46,520 – $59,190 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $28.46 – $33.75 | $59,190 – $70,200 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Welder pay by metro in Michigan
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay City | $19.16 | $27.77 | $30.22 | $41.07 | 130 | 16% above |
| Ann Arbor | $19.33 | $26.05 | $25.82 | $37.17 | 220 | 8% above |
| Battle Creek | $22.30 | $25.47 | $28.14 | $29.20 | 210 | 6% above |
| Detroit | $18.75 | $24.91 | $24.84 | $36.42 | 4,580 | 4% above |
| Lansing | $19.52 | $24.22 | $25.49 | $35.62 | 370 | 1% above |
| Jackson | $18.61 | $23.94 | $26.08 | $44.78 | 130 | about the same as |
| Monroe | $16.69 | $23.83 | $25.49 | $33.87 | 240 | 1% below |
| Traverse City | $18.22 | $23.76 | $25.44 | $32.29 | 130 | 1% below |
| Niles | $20.88 | $23.58 | $25.52 | $33.99 | 230 | 2% below |
| Grand Rapids | $19.01 | $23.52 | $24.63 | $30.31 | 2,520 | 2% below |
| Flint | $18.03 | $23.47 | $25.24 | $33.82 | 200 | 2% below |
| Saginaw | $18.31 | $23.47 | $25.82 | $35.82 | 220 | 2% below |
| Midland | $18.16 | $23.13 | $25.17 | $31.44 | 60 | 4% below |
| Muskegon | $19.68 | $23.01 | $24.88 | $28.79 | 390 | 4% below |
| South Bend | $18.48 | $22.92 | $24.67 | $31.02 | 360 | 5% below |
| Kalamazoo | $19.71 | $22.87 | $24.12 | $30.08 | 250 | 5% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Welder wages in Michigan over time
Table
| Year | Michigan $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $14.22 | $27.48 | $12.58 | 21,410 |
| 2000 | $15.04 | $28.12 | $13.13 | 18,550 |
| 2001 | $17.60 | $31.99 | $13.70 | 18,590 |
| 2002 | $16.10 | $28.81 | $14.02 | 15,960 |
| 2003 | $17.11 | $29.94 | $14.25 | 15,800 |
| 2004 | $17.55 | $29.91 | $14.72 | 15,030 |
| 2005 | $17.16 | $28.29 | $14.90 | 13,840 |
| 2006 | $17.12 | $27.34 | $15.10 | 12,400 |
| 2007 | $17.36 | $26.96 | $15.51 | 11,260 |
| 2008 | $16.56 | $24.76 | $16.13 | 9,580 |
| 2009 | $17.02 | $25.54 | $16.71 | 8,790 |
| 2010 | $16.89 | $24.94 | $17.04 | 9,520 |
| 2011 | $17.03 | $24.37 | $17.27 | 10,260 |
| 2012 | $16.53 | $23.18 | $17.45 | 10,670 |
| 2013 | $16.56 | $22.89 | $17.66 | 10,770 |
| 2014 | $16.68 | $22.68 | $17.99 | 12,370 |
| 2015 | $17.15 | $23.30 | $18.34 | 11,630 |
| 2016 | $17.50 | $23.47 | $18.94 | 12,080 |
| 2017 | $17.67 | $23.21 | $19.35 | 12,240 |
| 2018 | $18.01 | $23.09 | $19.89 | 13,410 |
| 2019 | $18.64 | $23.47 | $20.43 | 14,390 |
| 2020 | $19.27 | $23.97 | $21.25 | 12,180 |
| 2021 | $18.69 | $22.21 | $22.60 | 14,060 |
| 2022 | $20.31 | $22.34 | $22.86 | 13,390 |
| 2023 | $22.31 | $23.57 | $23.53 | 13,990 |
| 2024 | $23.53 | $24.15 | $24.52 | 13,640 |
| 2025 | $24.03 | $24.03 | $25.84 | 13,330 |
In today's dollars, the median welder wage in Michigan changed by +3.2% over the last ten years of data and by +2.4% since 2019.
Are there more welder jobs in Michigan?
Since 1999, the number of welders counted in Michigan has changed by -37.7%, against +1.5% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by -7.4%.
Table
| Year | Michigan jobs | Michigan index | US index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 21,410 | 100 | 100 |
| 2000 | 18,550 | 87 | 101 |
| 2001 | 18,590 | 87 | 93 |
| 2002 | 15,960 | 74 | 88 |
| 2003 | 15,800 | 74 | 86 |
| 2004 | 15,030 | 70 | 84 |
| 2005 | 13,840 | 65 | 87 |
| 2006 | 12,400 | 58 | 92 |
| 2007 | 11,260 | 53 | 94 |
| 2008 | 9,580 | 45 | 96 |
| 2009 | 8,790 | 41 | 87 |
| 2010 | 9,520 | 44 | 77 |
| 2011 | 10,260 | 48 | 77 |
| 2012 | 10,670 | 50 | 80 |
| 2013 | 10,770 | 50 | 86 |
| 2014 | 12,370 | 58 | 90 |
| 2015 | 11,630 | 54 | 94 |
| 2016 | 12,080 | 56 | 93 |
| 2017 | 12,240 | 57 | 92 |
| 2018 | 13,410 | 63 | 95 |
| 2019 | 14,390 | 67 | 100 |
| 2020 | 12,180 | 57 | 97 |
| 2021 | 14,060 | 66 | 97 |
| 2022 | 13,390 | 62 | 100 |
| 2023 | 13,990 | 65 | 103 |
| 2024 | 13,640 | 64 | 103 |
| 2025 | 13,330 | 62 | 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 Michigan
Michigan's labor market agency projects the number of welders in the state to change by -2.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 14,210 to 13,860, with about 1,320 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.4% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 13,330 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Michigan labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Michigan?
Keep comparing
Welder pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Michigan
More on Michigan
Questions this page answers
How much do welders make in Michigan?
The median welder in Michigan earned $24.03 an hour ($49,990 a year) in May 2025, 7% below the national median of $25.84. The middle half earn $22.36–$28.46; the top 10% earn more than $33.75.
Where does Michigan rank for welder pay?
Michigan ranks 41st of 51 states for welder pay, with a median of $24.03 an hour, and 47th after adjusting for Michigan's cost of living (BEA price parity 96.2, US = 100).
What is the union welder rate in Michigan?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a welder classification for most Michigan counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many welders work in Michigan?
BLS counted 13,330 welders in Michigan in May 2025, 3.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.13; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is welder work growing in Michigan?
The BLS employer survey count of welders in Michigan went from 11,630 in 2015 to 13,330 in 2025, +14.6%, and -7.4% since 2019. Michigan's labor market agency projects -2.4% growth for welders between 2024 and 2034, from 14,210 to 13,860 jobs.
How many welder openings a year are there in Michigan?
Michigan projects about 1,320 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, Michigan 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: Michigan labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.