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Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 51-4121.00 · Welding Schools
Approved apprenticeship titles
4 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 4,000 hours, for Combination Welder (NOF) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Combination Welder (NOF) | 0622 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Competency-Based (V2): 4,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Hybrid (V2): 4,000 to 6,600 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 5,920 hours Time-Based (V3): 7,328 hours Time-Based (V5): 4,000 hours |
| LEAD BURNER | 0274 | Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| Welder, Arc | 0620 | Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| Welder-Fitter | 0627 | Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn, by state
Alaska has the highest state median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers ($80,840) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($30,220), across the 54 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $80,840 | $38.87 | 790 |
| Hawaii | $79,000 | $37.98 | 520 |
| Connecticut | $64,880 | $31.19 | 1,790 |
| Wyoming | $63,820 | $30.69 | 1,850 |
| Washington | $63,020 | $30.30 | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $62,570 | $30.08 | 2,830 |
| New Hampshire | $62,360 | $29.98 | 1,110 |
| Louisiana | $62,250 | $29.93 | 13,690 |
| Maine | $62,220 | $29.92 | 1,690 |
| North Dakota | $62,000 | $29.81 | 2,590 |
| Nevada | $61,520 | $29.58 | 1,600 |
| Vermont | $60,890 | $29.27 | 340 |
| Maryland | $60,310 | $29.00 | 2,850 |
| Minnesota | $60,280 | $28.98 | 9,270 |
| District of Columbia | $60,180 | $28.93 | 280 |
| New Mexico | $59,840 | $28.77 | 2,390 |
| Oregon | $59,450 | $28.58 | 5,240 |
| New Jersey | $59,440 | $28.58 | 3,730 |
| Virginia | $59,180 | $28.45 | 10,100 |
| New York | $59,140 | $28.43 | 8,310 |
| Colorado | $58,590 | $28.17 | 4,970 |
| Wisconsin | $58,410 | $28.08 | 15,320 |
| Utah | $58,380 | $28.07 | 4,440 |
| California | $58,060 | $27.91 | 26,060 |
| Delaware | $57,270 | $27.54 | 600 |
| Montana | $55,610 | $26.73 | 1,530 |
| Arizona | $55,600 | $26.73 | 7,270 |
| Iowa | $55,090 | $26.49 | 9,270 |
| Texas | $53,340 | $25.64 | 52,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,900 | $25.43 | 17,850 |
| Nebraska | $52,220 | $25.10 | 4,200 |
| Missouri | $51,950 | $24.98 | 10,600 |
| Kentucky | $51,470 | $24.74 | 6,630 |
| Illinois | $51,320 | $24.67 | 16,260 |
| Mississippi | $51,100 | $24.57 | 6,460 |
| Florida | $50,640 | $24.35 | 16,420 |
| North Carolina | $50,590 | $24.32 | 11,750 |
| Rhode Island | $50,580 | $24.32 | 2,300 |
| Idaho | $50,530 | $24.30 | 3,300 |
| Ohio | $50,340 | $24.20 | 20,330 |
| Michigan | $49,990 | $24.03 | 13,330 |
| South Carolina | $49,980 | $24.03 | 7,380 |
| Indiana | $49,730 | $23.91 | 13,280 |
| Oklahoma | $49,720 | $23.90 | 9,960 |
| South Dakota | $49,440 | $23.77 | 3,250 |
| Kansas | $49,410 | $23.75 | 6,370 |
| West Virginia | $48,810 | $23.46 | 2,100 |
| Alabama | $48,490 | $23.31 | 12,450 |
| Georgia | $48,430 | $23.28 | 13,130 |
| Tennessee | $48,040 | $23.10 | 12,510 |
| Arkansas | $47,970 | $23.06 | 6,150 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $46,270 | $22.24 | 60 |
| Guam | $40,600 | $19.52 | 360 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,220 | $14.53 | 1,680 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations · Welding Schools at schools and training centers
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).