Welder salary in New York
Median $28.43 an hour for 8,310 welders, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Welder pay in New York: the full range
New York ranks 20th of 51 states for median welder pay, and 34th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.35). 8,310 welders work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.0× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $21.08 – $23.58 | $43,840 – $49,050 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.58 – $34.60 | $49,050 – $71,960 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $34.60 – $41.88 | $71,960 – $87,110 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Welder pay by metro in New York
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | $21.58 | $29.66 | $26.34 | $46.12 | 5,780 | 4% above |
| Albany | $21.99 | $28.55 | $28.66 | $37.30 | 550 | about the same as |
| Glens Falls | $23.22 | $28.43 | $29.96 | $35.60 | 110 | about the same as |
| Poughkeepsie | $21.54 | $28.10 | $25.69 | $37.78 | 200 | 1% below |
| Kingston | $19.25 | $27.69 | $27.50 | $36.65 | 120 | 3% below |
| Rochester | $18.66 | $27.47 | $28.32 | $33.91 | 650 | 3% below |
| Syracuse | $21.46 | $26.76 | $27.96 | $36.48 | 430 | 6% below |
| Buffalo | $20.14 | $26.65 | $27.82 | $35.63 | 970 | 6% below |
| Ithaca | $21.07 | $26.04 | $25.21 | $31.05 | 30 | 8% below |
| Binghamton | $19.03 | $24.31 | $26.17 | $33.54 | 110 | 14% below |
| Utica | $17.65 | $23.86 | $25.74 | $35.01 | 230 | 16% below |
| Elmira | $22.14 | $23.47 | $24.86 | $34.63 | 90 | 17% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Welder wages in New York over time
Table
| Year | New York $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $13.10 | $25.31 | $12.58 | 16,650 |
| 2000 | $13.04 | $24.38 | $13.13 | 14,430 |
| 2001 | $13.92 | $25.30 | $13.70 | 12,060 |
| 2002 | $13.95 | $24.96 | $14.02 | 11,580 |
| 2003 | $14.43 | $25.25 | $14.25 | 10,830 |
| 2004 | $15.40 | $26.25 | $14.72 | 9,840 |
| 2005 | $15.68 | $25.85 | $14.90 | 10,060 |
| 2006 | $15.78 | $25.20 | $15.10 | 9,860 |
| 2007 | $16.23 | $25.20 | $15.51 | 9,410 |
| 2008 | $16.85 | $25.20 | $16.13 | 9,810 |
| 2009 | $16.92 | $25.39 | $16.71 | 8,940 |
| 2010 | $17.18 | $25.36 | $17.04 | 8,060 |
| 2011 | $17.41 | $24.92 | $17.27 | 7,620 |
| 2012 | $17.73 | $24.86 | $17.45 | 7,930 |
| 2013 | $17.91 | $24.75 | $17.66 | 8,070 |
| 2014 | $18.31 | $24.90 | $17.99 | 8,440 |
| 2015 | $19.29 | $26.20 | $18.34 | 8,510 |
| 2016 | $20.58 | $27.61 | $18.94 | 9,170 |
| 2017 | $21.49 | $28.23 | $19.35 | 9,180 |
| 2018 | $21.25 | $27.24 | $19.89 | 9,980 |
| 2019 | $21.26 | $26.77 | $20.43 | 10,210 |
| 2020 | $21.33 | $26.53 | $21.25 | 9,460 |
| 2021 | $23.15 | $27.50 | $22.60 | 8,170 |
| 2022 | $23.97 | $26.37 | $22.86 | 8,570 |
| 2023 | $26.67 | $28.18 | $23.53 | 8,160 |
| 2024 | $27.51 | $28.23 | $24.52 | 7,810 |
| 2025 | $28.43 | $28.43 | $25.84 | 8,310 |
In today's dollars, the median welder wage in New York changed by +8.5% over the last ten years of data and by +6.2% since 2019.
Are there more welder jobs in New York?
Since 1999, the number of welders counted in New York has changed by -50.1%, against +1.5% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by -18.6%.
Table
| Year | New York jobs | New York index | US index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 16,650 | 100 | 100 |
| 2000 | 14,430 | 87 | 101 |
| 2001 | 12,060 | 72 | 93 |
| 2002 | 11,580 | 70 | 88 |
| 2003 | 10,830 | 65 | 86 |
| 2004 | 9,840 | 59 | 84 |
| 2005 | 10,060 | 60 | 87 |
| 2006 | 9,860 | 59 | 92 |
| 2007 | 9,410 | 56 | 94 |
| 2008 | 9,810 | 59 | 96 |
| 2009 | 8,940 | 54 | 87 |
| 2010 | 8,060 | 48 | 77 |
| 2011 | 7,620 | 46 | 77 |
| 2012 | 7,930 | 48 | 80 |
| 2013 | 8,070 | 48 | 86 |
| 2014 | 8,440 | 51 | 90 |
| 2015 | 8,510 | 51 | 94 |
| 2016 | 9,170 | 55 | 93 |
| 2017 | 9,180 | 55 | 92 |
| 2018 | 9,980 | 60 | 95 |
| 2019 | 10,210 | 61 | 100 |
| 2020 | 9,460 | 57 | 97 |
| 2021 | 8,170 | 49 | 97 |
| 2022 | 8,570 | 52 | 100 |
| 2023 | 8,160 | 49 | 103 |
| 2024 | 7,810 | 47 | 103 |
| 2025 | 8,310 | 50 | 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 New York
New York's labor market agency projects the number of welders in the state to change by -5.6% between 2024 and 2034, from 9,490 to 8,960, with about 840 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.4% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 8,310 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: New York labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in New York?
Keep comparing
Welder pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in New York
More on New York
Questions this page answers
How much do welders make in New York?
The median welder in New York earned $28.43 an hour ($59,140 a year) in May 2025, 10% above the national median of $25.84. The middle half earn $23.58–$34.60; the top 10% earn more than $41.88.
Where does New York rank for welder pay?
New York ranks 20th of 51 states for welder pay, with a median of $28.43 an hour, and 34th after adjusting for New York's cost of living (BEA price parity 107.9, US = 100).
What is the union welder rate in New York?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a welder classification for most New York counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many welders work in New York?
BLS counted 8,310 welders in New York in May 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.32; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is welder work growing in New York?
The BLS employer survey count of welders in New York went from 8,510 in 2015 to 8,310 in 2025, -2.4%, and -18.6% since 2019. New York's labor market agency projects -5.6% growth for welders between 2024 and 2034, from 9,490 to 8,960 jobs.
How many welder openings a year are there in New York?
New York projects about 840 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, New York 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 2026-11-06. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: New York labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.