How Much Do Welders Make in Arizona?
Arizona welders earned a median of $55,600 a year, or $26.73 an hour, in May 2025, according to BLS. That is above the national median of $53,750. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler paid the highest metro median at $56,540 and holds most of the state's 7,270 welding jobs; Yuma paid the lowest at $49,680.
Welders in Arizona earned a median of $55,600 a year, or $26.73 an hour, in May 2025 (BLS). That is higher than the national median of $53,750, and the average was higher too: $59,040 in Arizona against $56,760 nationally.
The catch is geography. Of the state’s 7,270 welders, 5,440 work in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler area. If you want steady welding work in Arizona, you will most likely be doing it in the Valley.
Welder Pay in Every Arizona Metro
BLS reports welder pay for seven Arizona metro areas. The “floor” is what the lowest-paid tenth earn at most, and the “top” is what the best-paid tenth earn at least.
| Metro area | Median | Median hourly | Floor | Top | Welders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $56,540 | $27.18 | $43,760 | $81,290 | 5,440 |
| Flagstaff | $54,460 | $26.19 | $40,770 | $100,470 | 60 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas | $53,160 | $25.56 | $37,520 | $91,280 | 50 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott | $51,300 | $24.66 | $38,650 | $77,330 | 200 |
| Tucson | $51,150 | $24.59 | $38,660 | $78,090 | 740 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman | $50,030 | $24.06 | $39,320 | $74,990 | 110 |
| Yuma | $49,680 | $23.89 | $39,470 | $73,210 | 120 |
Phoenix leads on the median and on the floor. A new welder in the Valley starts from a higher base ($43,760) than anywhere else in the state.
Flagstaff and Sierra Vista-Douglas are the surprises. Their medians sit below Phoenix, but their top earners do far better: $100,470 and more in Flagstaff, $91,280 and more in Sierra Vista-Douglas. These are tiny markets (60 and 50 welders), so a few specialized jobs can pull the top end up. Don’t move there expecting that pay, but know the high end exists.
Tucson is the second-largest market with 740 welders, at a median of $51,150. That is below the state median, which matters if you are choosing between training in Tucson and Phoenix.
From Your First Job to the Top Tenth
Here is what the Arizona pay ladder looks like, step by step, for welders statewide in May 2025:
- Bottom tenth: earned $39,970 or less. This is the number to hold a first offer against.
- Lower quarter: earned $48,000 or less.
- Median: the median was $55,600, or $26.73 an hour.
- Upper quarter: the upper quarter earned $65,660 or more.
- Top tenth: $81,280 or more.
Compare that with the country as a whole. Nationally, the floor was $39,240 and the top tenth started at $77,530. Arizona pays a bit more at every step, and the gap grows as you climb.
What moves you up the ladder is mostly what you can prove. Pipe welding, AWS qualification tests in more positions, and TIG work all open better-paid work. The welding certification guide covers which tests matter.
Jobs Beyond the Welding Booth
Many welders move into related work after a few years. These are Arizona medians for the broader occupations those jobs fall under, so some include workers outside welding.
| Career | Arizona median (May 2025) | Median hourly | Employed in Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding engineer | $102,280 | $49.17 | 1,720 |
| Welding sales representative | $100,620 | $48.37 | 8,860 |
| Welding supervisor | $75,330 | $36.22 | 8,720 |
| Robotic welding technician | $70,150 | $33.72 | 280 |
| Welding instructor (CWE) | $64,930 | $31.21 | 2,190 |
| Ironworker | $59,390 | $28.55 | 3,980 |
| Millwright | $57,380 | $27.59 | 450 |
| Welder | $55,600 | $26.73 | 7,270 |
| Welding inspector | $52,100 | $25.05 | 11,120 |
Ironwork Is Arizona’s Standout
Ironworkers are unusually common in Arizona. The state’s location quotient for the job is 2.8, meaning ironworker jobs make up nearly three times the share of employment they do nationally. With 3,980 ironworkers at a median of $59,390, it is a strong option if you like structural work. The structural welder career page covers the overlap.
Supervision and Robotics Pay Well Here
Welding supervisors earned a median of $75,330, and 8,720 people work in that group. Robotic welding technicians earned $70,150, well above the welder median, though only 280 hold those jobs. If you like troubleshooting machines more than running a torch all day, that path is worth a look.
Inspection and Teaching
Welding inspectors in Arizona earned a median of $52,100, a little under the welder median, but it is a large field with 11,120 jobs, and the top tenth earned $77,720 or more. Inspection suits you if you have an eye for detail and would rather check welds than make them all day.
Teaching pays better than welding itself. Arizona’s welding instructors earned a median of $64,930, and the top tenth made $131,020 or more. The AWS Certified Welding Educator credential is the formal route into teaching; see the certified welding educator career page for how it works.
Matching Your Training to Your Local Market
Where you train usually decides where you look for your first job. Here is how Arizona’s schools line up with the pay in their metro.
Tucson. Pima Community College is the local option, in a market of 740 welders with a median of $51,150. The top tenth in Tucson earned $78,090 or more.
Prescott. Yavapai College trains welders in a metro of 200, with a median of $51,300. Its pipe and TIG certificates take three semesters.
Lake Havasu City and Kingman. Mohave Community College serves a market of 110 welders earning a median of $50,030. It conferred 231 welding awards in 2024–25, more than the 110 welders the local market employs, so plan on a wider job search from there. Mohave’s pipe and structural steel certificates line up with the better-paid work described above.
Eastern Arizona. Northland Pioneer College in Holbrook and Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher sit outside the metros BLS reports on. If you train there, the Phoenix market is the nearest large one.
Phoenix. Mesa Community College, GateWay Community College, West-MEC and the private schools all feed the Valley, where the median was $56,540 and the floor $43,760.
Arizona Schools That Train Toward Better-Paid Work
If you are aiming above the median, pick a program that teaches pipe or structural work and lets you test.
- Central Arizona College in Coolidge has separate associate degrees in structural welding and in pipefitting and pipe welding. Students can qualify for NCCER Pipefitting certification as well as AWS, API and ASME welder qualifications.
- Pima Community College in Tucson prepares you to meet AWS, ASME and API standards in its two-year Welding and Fabrication AAS.
- Refrigeration School Inc in Phoenix trains for AWS welder certification and employer tests in 7 months, and conferred 359 welding awards in 2024–25, the most in Arizona.
- East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa is an accredited AWS testing facility, which saves you finding a separate test site.
The Phoenix welding schools page lists every option in the metro where most of the jobs are. For the pipe route specifically, see the pipe welder career page.
Is Arizona a Good State for Welders?
On pay, yes. Arizona beat the national figure at the floor, the median and the top. The Phoenix area adds a higher starting base and most of the jobs.
By the hour, the difference is easy to see. The national median welder earned $25.84 an hour in May 2025. In Arizona it was $26.73, and in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler $27.18. Flagstaff, at $26.19, was the only other metro above the national figure; Tucson at $24.59 and Yuma at $23.89 came in under it.
The trade-off is how many welding jobs there are. Arizona’s location quotient for welders is 0.84, so welding makes up a somewhat smaller share of jobs here than in the country overall. Outside Phoenix and Tucson, the markets are small, from 50 welders in Sierra Vista-Douglas to 200 in Prescott Valley-Prescott.
Training is cheap for residents. Community college tuition for a full-time year ran from $2,208 at Mohave Community College to $2,948 at Yavapai College in 2024–25. For every school’s price, read how much welding school costs in Arizona. To compare Arizona with other states, see the national welder salary table, or browse the best welding schools in Arizona.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Starting Pay for a Welder in Arizona?
The lowest-paid tenth of Arizona welders earned $39,970 or less in May 2025, and the lower quarter earned $48,000 or less. Those are the figures to compare a first offer against.
Do Welders Make More in Phoenix or Tucson?
Phoenix. The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler median was $56,540 in May 2025, against $51,150 in Tucson. Phoenix also had far more welding jobs: 5,440 compared with 740.
Can a Welder Make Six Figures in Arizona?
At the very top, yes. In the Flagstaff area, the best-paid tenth of welders earned $100,470 or more in May 2025. Statewide, the top tenth started at $81,280.
Is Ironwork a Good Option for Arizona Welders?
It is one of the better ones. Arizona ironworkers earned a median of $59,390 in May 2025, and the state has 3,980 of them, a much higher concentration than the national average.
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