Skilled Wages

Welder salary in Minnesota

Median $28.98 an hour for 9,270 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$28.98/hrMedian hourly wageMinnesota, May data
$60,280/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.97 – $36.4010th to 90th percentilehourly range
9,270Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Welder pay in Minnesota: the full range

Wage percentiles, MinnesotaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrMinnesota: 10th $21.97 · 25th $24.50 · median $28.98 · 75th $31.45 · 90th $36.40Minnesota$28.98$21.97$36.40United States: 10th $18.87 · 25th $22.50 · median $25.84 · 75th $30.29 · 90th $37.28United States$25.84
Hourly wage percentiles for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers: Minnesota vs United States, May 2025.

Minnesota ranks 14th of 51 states for median welder pay, and 13th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.39). 9,270 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$21.97 – $24.50$45,690 – $50,960roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$24.50 – $31.45$50,960 – $65,410the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$31.45 – $36.40$65,410 – $75,710the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Welder pay by metro in Minnesota

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrSt. Cloud: $30.20St. Cloud$30.20Minneapolis: $29.75Minneapolis$29.75Fargo: $29.39Fargo$29.39Rochester: $29.03Rochester$29.03La Crosse: $28.27La Crosse$28.27Grand Forks: $27.98Grand Forks$27.98Duluth: $27.60Duluth$27.60Sioux Falls: $26.54Sioux Falls$26.54Mankato: $25.45Mankato$25.45
Median hourly wage for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers by metro area in Minnesota, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
St. Cloud$23.32$30.20$38.726204% above
Minneapolis$23.25$29.75$36.854,6003% above
Fargo$22.43$29.39$35.696901% above
Rochester$23.34$29.03$34.78510about the same as
La Crosse$23.45$28.27$37.663002% below
Grand Forks$20.99$27.98$39.021903% below
Duluth$22.30$27.60$39.033705% below
Sioux Falls$19.30$26.54$38.528508% below
Mankato$20.55$25.45$31.4528012% below

Welder wages in Minnesota over time

Minnesota, 1999-2025MinnesotaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$28.98Minnesota$25.84United States
Median hourly wage for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers, Minnesota vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMinnesota $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$13.45$25.99$12.588,630
2000$13.72$25.65$13.138,880
2001$14.72$26.76$13.708,550
2002$15.37$27.51$14.029,260
2003$15.45$27.03$14.259,340
2004$16.72$28.50$14.728,850
2005$16.33$26.92$14.908,770
2006$16.59$26.49$15.109,180
2007$17.02$26.43$15.518,710
2008$17.56$26.26$16.139,310
2009$17.94$26.92$16.718,620
2010$18.05$26.65$17.047,430
2011$18.17$26.01$17.277,370
2012$18.25$25.59$17.457,900
2013$18.64$25.76$17.668,710
2014$19.08$25.95$17.998,580
2015$19.47$26.45$18.349,360
2016$19.92$26.72$18.949,290
2017$20.63$27.10$19.359,650
2018$21.17$27.14$19.899,410
2019$22.09$27.82$20.4310,020
2020$22.60$28.11$21.259,380
2021$23.00$27.33$22.6010,120
2022$24.02$26.42$22.8610,780
2023$26.62$28.13$23.539,670
2024$28.24$28.98$24.529,420
2025$28.98$28.98$25.849,270

In today's dollars, the median welder wage in Minnesota changed by +9.6% over the last ten years of data.

Is construction work growing in Minnesota?

164.2kConstruction jobsMinnesota, 2026-08
+4.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025164kAug 2026
Construction employment in Minnesota (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Welder pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Minnesota

Questions this page answers

How much do welders make in Minnesota?

The median welder in Minnesota earned $28.98 an hour ($60,280 a year) in May 2025, 12% above the national median of $25.84. The middle half earn $24.50–$31.45; the top 10% earn more than $36.40.

Where does Minnesota rank for welder pay?

Minnesota ranks 14th of 51 states for welder pay, with a median of $28.98 an hour, and 13th after adjusting for Minnesota's cost of living (BEA price parity 98.6, US = 100).

What is the union welder rate in Minnesota?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a welder classification for most Minnesota counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many welders work in Minnesota?

BLS counted 9,270 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers in Minnesota in May 2025, 3.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.17; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Minnesota and metro areas, SOC 51-4121.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.