Data asset, updated 2026-07-24
Welding inspector salary by state
Quick answer
How much do welding inspectors earn, and how does it vary by state?
In the BLS occupation that contains welding inspectors (Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, code 51-9061), the national median wage is $48,570 a year and the mean is $53,450, with the middle half earning $39,890 to $61,440 (May 2025 BLS data). Pay runs highest in states like Alaska and lowest in the Deep South. A credentialed inspector typically earns toward the upper percentiles, not the median. The table below breaks it down by state.
What these numbers are, and what they are not
IMPORTANT SCOPE CAVEAT: BLS does not publish a wage series for Certified Welding Inspectors specifically. The narrowest official occupation that contains welding inspectors is SOC 51-9061, 'Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers', which also includes many other quality-control inspection roles across manufacturing. These figures therefore describe that broader occupation, and a credentialed CWI typically earns toward the upper percentiles rather than the median. We publish the official occupation as-is and say so plainly rather than invent a CWI-only number.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), May 2025 estimates. Every figure on this page was pulled from the official BLS data on 2026-07-24 and is shown with that date. We show the date each figure was last verified against the official source; we do not promise a fixed re-verification cadence.
National wage spread
| Measure | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,510 |
| 25th percentile | $39,890 |
| Median (50th) | $48,570 |
| Mean (average) | $53,450 |
| 75th percentile | $61,440 |
| 90th percentile | $77,860 |
| Workers employed (US) | 597,370 |
Median wage by state, highest to lowest
Each bar is the state median annual wage for the occupation. The dotted line marks the national median of $48,570. This chart is a visual summary of the sortable table below, which is the full, accessible source.
Full state table
Click a column heading to sort. Sorting needs JavaScript; the table is fully readable without it.
| Alabama | $40,010 | $44,280 | $28,130 | $63,060 | 13,120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $78,150 | $90,540 | $49,500 | $142,430 | 300 |
| Arizona | $52,100 | $57,660 | $39,210 | $77,720 | 11,120 |
| Arkansas | $44,570 | $46,380 | $33,890 | $61,910 | 5,880 |
| California | $54,300 | $59,540 | $38,750 | $88,210 | 61,130 |
| Colorado | $58,350 | $60,840 | $43,690 | $82,420 | 5,220 |
| Connecticut | $57,090 | $61,380 | $38,500 | $94,270 | 7,460 |
| Delaware | $57,190 | $56,840 | $37,570 | $80,650 | 1,020 |
| District of Columbia | $59,730 | $63,660 | $41,130 | $91,510 | 70 |
| Florida | $47,540 | $50,980 | $33,040 | $75,550 | 22,630 |
| Georgia | $46,130 | $49,790 | $33,860 | $71,450 | 19,980 |
| Hawaii | $59,740 | $61,150 | $36,040 | $93,460 | 650 |
| Idaho | $45,130 | $52,120 | $34,790 | $83,370 | 2,900 |
| Illinois | $47,920 | $52,070 | $36,220 | $75,030 | 31,700 |
| Indiana | $47,900 | $50,850 | $35,590 | $72,860 | 24,790 |
| Iowa | $50,740 | $53,950 | $39,160 | $71,240 | 7,230 |
| Kansas | $53,680 | $57,550 | $37,800 | $80,910 | 9,300 |
| Kentucky | $46,280 | $48,720 | $34,460 | $66,330 | 12,880 |
| Louisiana | $49,490 | $57,380 | $35,220 | $94,450 | 8,110 |
| Maine | $53,570 | $56,060 | $34,200 | $79,730 | 1,800 |
| Maryland | $61,790 | $65,920 | $37,440 | $99,220 | 4,600 |
| Massachusetts | $52,270 | $56,530 | $38,140 | $76,330 | 10,650 |
| Michigan | $44,490 | $47,070 | $34,240 | $64,010 | 27,980 |
| Minnesota | $57,170 | $57,480 | $42,030 | $76,510 | 9,710 |
| Mississippi | $40,670 | $45,540 | $30,840 | $65,480 | 6,970 |
| Missouri | $54,420 | $57,510 | $36,630 | $78,410 | 12,480 |
| Montana | $58,070 | $63,230 | $37,470 | $101,260 | 580 |
| Nebraska | $51,270 | $53,230 | $39,130 | $66,110 | 3,350 |
| Nevada | $49,280 | $59,840 | $35,530 | $98,700 | 4,040 |
| New Hampshire | $54,800 | $57,570 | $41,660 | $77,520 | 3,050 |
| New Jersey | $49,140 | $53,490 | $35,740 | $77,330 | 12,280 |
| New Mexico | $49,500 | $56,000 | $36,080 | $81,340 | 1,550 |
| New York | $49,990 | $54,660 | $37,190 | $77,930 | 19,790 |
| North Carolina | $46,430 | $48,600 | $31,590 | $71,770 | 19,700 |
| North Dakota | $50,820 | $58,190 | $40,500 | $81,560 | 1,800 |
| Ohio | $47,360 | $51,150 | $35,680 | $73,840 | 32,060 |
| Oklahoma | $49,630 | $53,950 | $35,680 | $75,980 | 7,430 |
| Oregon | $54,120 | $58,070 | $38,340 | $82,270 | 5,690 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,320 | $52,040 | $35,720 | $73,890 | 25,870 |
| Rhode Island | $54,940 | $60,120 | $37,400 | $88,710 | 1,790 |
| South Carolina | $46,890 | $49,760 | $35,010 | $70,430 | 13,360 |
| South Dakota | $47,240 | $49,990 | $37,930 | $64,070 | 1,090 |
| Tennessee | $45,760 | $48,390 | $34,110 | $66,340 | 17,140 |
| Texas | $46,210 | $51,370 | $32,200 | $78,560 | 56,390 |
| Utah | $48,910 | $54,210 | $37,640 | $77,930 | 6,630 |
| Vermont | $46,210 | $51,090 | $38,500 | $72,740 | 900 |
| Virginia | $49,590 | $53,310 | $36,210 | $76,390 | 9,830 |
| Washington | $64,420 | $74,600 | $40,830 | $115,240 | 12,010 |
| West Virginia | $47,010 | $52,240 | $30,500 | $80,930 | 2,720 |
| Wisconsin | $49,610 | $52,580 | $37,290 | $69,270 | 17,670 |
| Wyoming | $57,900 | $61,910 | $39,370 | $98,990 | 990 |
Source: BLS OES May 2025 estimates, accessed via the BLS Public Data API v2 (api.bls.gov), series prefix OEU<areatype><area>000000519061<datatype>. Occupation page: BLS OES 51-9061. Figures are the May 2025 estimates, the latest BLS release, verified 2026-07-24. The occupation is broader than the welding inspector credential alone; see the methodology note above.