Welder.
Seattle.
$62,000
median salary, 22% above the national average
$56,000 to $75,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Welder salary in Seattle is $62,000, 22% above the national average. Entry level starts near $56,000. Experienced professionals push past $75,000. Seattle is home to Amazon, Microsoft, and a dense cluster of cloud computing, gaming, and AI companies. That spread is your negotiation window. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Welder in Seattle, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $66,240 for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (SOC 51-4121) in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, based on 3,230 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$50,270
25th percentile
$58,200
Median
$66,240
75th percentile
$75,210
90th percentile
$89,630
Workers surveyed
3,230
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (SOC 51-4121) rather than Welder specifically. The Seattle range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 51-4121Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $56,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$40,000
to $50,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$53,000
to $65,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$68,000
to $81,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$78,000
to $96,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $19,000 to the total package.
Base
$62,000
Equity
$11,000
Bonus
$7,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $81,000
How Seattle compares.
Seattle, WA
$62,000
Cost of living: 24% above average
National Average
$51,000
Seattle is $11,000 above
Welder salary by city.
Salary by role in Seattle.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Welder offer in Seattle, understand the terrain. Seattle is home to Amazon, Microsoft, and a dense cluster of cloud computing, gaming, and AI companies. The presence of major tech headquarters drives some of the highest engineering salaries outside the Bay Area. Seattle's job market is particularly strong for cloud infrastructure, machine learning, and enterprise software roles. Certification type drives the largest pay differences. TIG and pipe welders earn 20 to 35% more than MIG welders doing structural or production work. Welders certified for exotic alloys like titanium, Inconel, or stainless steel in aerospace or nuclear applications earn peak rates. Travel welding and shutdown work offer premium per diem packages.
Welding apprentices start at $30,000 to $36,000, advancing to journeyman welder at $40,000 to $55,000 in three to four years. Certified pipe welders earn $60,000 to $80,000, while welding inspectors (CWI) and supervisors reach $75,000 to $100,000 in industrial settings. In Seattle, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 24% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Per diem payments for travel welders add $75 to $150 daily, potentially adding $18,000 to $35,000 annually. Union welders receive pension and health benefits worth $10,000 to $18,000. Tool and safety equipment allowances of $500 to $1,500 are standard. And on the tax side: washington State has no personal income tax, which significantly boosts take home pay. However, state and local sales taxes are among the highest in the country at roughly 10.25%. When someone quotes you $62,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Remind employers that no state income tax makes your effective compensation higher. You can accept a slightly lower gross salary and still take home more than in California. The range for Welders in Seattle runs from $56,000 to $75,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An Insurance Agent in Seattle earns $67,000 (8% more)
- The highest-paying role in Seattle is CTO at $365,000
Common questions.
Welder salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Seattle.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Welder Salary in Seattle, WA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/welder/seattle
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