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The average national salary for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers in Arizona was $43,480 in 2017, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Welders in Arizona made a mean hourly wage of $20.91 and a median hourly wage of $18.79.[1]
Read on to learn what factors influence salary for welders in Arizona and the income of specific positions like pipeline welder and structural welder in the state.
What Factors Affect Salary for Welders in Arizona?
Live in Arizona or planning on moving there? Considering enrolling in welding school to pursue a career fusing metal? Then you might like to know how much welders make in the Grand Canyon State and, just as importantly, the factors that can contribute to higher earnings for these professionals.
As noted above, the average hourly pay for a welder in Arizona was $20.91, but earnings can be lower or higher than this number.
Welder Salary in Phoenix, Arizona
Let’s look at variations in welder pay in Phoenix, Arizona, according to PayScale.
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Tenth Percentile:
Ten percent of welders in Phoenix, Arizona, made less than $13.45 per hour, and 90 percent made more.
Fiftieth Percentile
Fifty percent of welders in Phoenix, Arizona, made less than $18.25 per hour, and fifty percent made more.
Ninetieth Percentile
Ninety percent of welders made less than $26.38 per hour, and ten percent made more.[2]
Welder Salary Factors
Why do wages for welders vary in Phoenix and, more generally, throughout the state of Arizona and the U.S.?
As the BLS points out, differences in pay in any field can often be the result of variations in the types of jobs in that industry, the skills required for them and other factors.
While the work of a fast food cook, for example, would likely be similar across restaurants and even cities and states, welders ply their trade in a host of locations and industries. Below are just of few examples of the numerous applications of welding.
- Automobile manufacturing and repair
- Shipbuilding
- Aerospace
- Construction
- Petroleum extraction and refinement (pipelines & refineries)
- Power plants
Welders’ work and equipment can vary with the industry. In fact, there are over 100 different kinds of arc welding a welder can choose from depending on the types of metals and conditions where he or she will join them.[3]
Consequently, many factors can influence how much a welder makes.
Reasons for Welder Salary Variations
Welding Training and Certification
These days, the path to successfully becoming a welder includes earning credentials. Employers would usually rather hire welders with a combination of trade school and on-the-job training than those with only a high school diploma.[4] Welding certifications from the American Welding Society and professional welding organizations can improve earnings, too.[5]
Skills and Experience
More work experience can often equate to greater productivity and skills, two qualities that can be valuable in the job market.
Job Duties
The duties of an entry-level welder would likely differ from those of a master welder, and these tradespeople would be compensated accordingly.
Industry or Company
Some industries are more lucrative than others. Traveling welding jobs, for example, can pay more.[6] They can also place welders in some exciting industries like NASCAR and underwater welding.
Welder Pay across Industries in Phoenix, Arizona
To illustrate this point better for Arizona, we looked at how welder pay can differ across industries in Phoenix:
Underwater Welder
The average pay for an underwater welder in Phoenix is $39 per hour.[7]
Pipeline Welder
Pipeline welder pay in Phoenix is, on average, $24.47 per hour.[8]
Tower Welder
On average, tower welder pay in Phoenix is $22.16 per hour.[9]
Shipyard Welder
The average shipyard welder pay in Phoenix is $23.59 for those with pipe welding skills.[10]
Structural Welder
On average, structural welder pay in Phoenix is $21.75 an hour.[11]
Location
Demand for welders is greater in some states than others, and the cost of living varies across the country. As a result, welders earn more in some areas than others. Check out how welder wages vary across Arizona’s major metropolitan areas:
Welder Wages in Arizona Metro Areas
Lake Havasu City-Kingman
Welders earned an average hourly wage of $17.53 in the Lake Havasu City-Kingman region.[12]
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale
In the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metro area, welders took home $20.65 an hour, on average.[13]
Prescott
Metal fusers in Prescott, Arizona, made a mean hourly wage of $20.72.[14]
Tucson
In Tucson, welders earned an average of $20.04 an hour.[15]
Yuma
Yuma welders made $16.72, on average, per hour.[16]
Performance
Welders who prove their skills and efficiency on the job may be rewarded with higher wages.[17]
Train to Become a Welder in Arizona
As you can see, the state of Arizona offers some healthy wages for welders. If you’re interested in entering the trade in this state, you might want to consider starting with a local welding school. Formal welding training is typically sought-after by employers and can improve earnings.
Additional Sources
[1] https://www.bls.gov/oes/2017/may/oes_az.htm
[2] https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Welder/Hourly_Rate/30567e18/Phoenix-AZ
[3] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers-and-brazers.htm#tab-2
[4] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers-and-brazers.htm#tab-4
[5] https://www.aws.org/certification/
[6] http://gowelding.org/articles/facts-about-career-welding/#content
[7] https://www.salaryexpert.com/salary/job/underwater-welder/united-states/arizona/phoenix
[8] https://www.indeed.com/salaries/Pipe-Welder-Salaries,-Phoenix-AZ
[9] https://www.indeed.com/salaries/Tower-Technician-Salaries,-Phoenix-AZ
[10] https://www.indeed.com/salaries/Shipyard-Welder-Fitter-Salaries,-Phoenix-AZ
[11] https://www.indeed.com/salaries/Structural-Welder-Salaries,-Phoenix-AZ
[12] https://www.bls.gov/oes/2017/may/oes_29420.htm
[13] https://www.bls.gov/oes/2017/may/oes_38060.htm
[14] https://www.bls.gov/oes/2017/may/oes_39140.htm
[15] https://www.bls.gov/oes/2017/may/oes_46060.htm
[16] https://www.bls.gov/oes/2017/may/oes_49740.htm
[17] https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
