How Much Do Welders Make in Florida?
Florida welders earned a median of $50,640 a year, or $24.35 an hour, in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half of the state's 16,420 welders made between $46,460 and $60,600. Naples-Marco Island paid the highest metro median at $56,440, and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach had the most welding jobs.
A welder in Florida earns a median of $50,640 a year, or $24.35 an hour (BLS, May 2025). Half of the state’s 16,420 welders made more than that and half made less. The typical range, covering the middle half of workers, ran from $46,460 to $60,600.
That puts Florida a little under the national median of $53,750. But the state average hides real differences by metro, and it says nothing about the jobs welders move into after a few years. Both matter more to your paycheck than the statewide number.
The Full Pay Range for Florida Welders
Here is how Florida welder pay spreads out from bottom to top, next to the same points for the whole country.
| Pay point (May 2025) | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest-paid tenth earn up to | $39,200 | $39,240 |
| Lower quarter | $46,460 | $46,790 |
| Median | $50,640 | $53,750 |
| Mean (average) | $54,030 | $56,760 |
| Upper quarter | $60,600 | $63,010 |
| Top tenth earn at least | $70,390 | $77,530 |
Two things stand out. At the entry level, Florida pays almost exactly what the rest of the country pays: $39,200 versus $39,240. The difference shows up at the top, where the best-paid tenth nationally clear $77,530 and Florida’s top tenth start at $70,390. If you plan to stay in Florida long-term, your ceiling as a production or shop welder is lower, and moving into inspection, supervision or pipe work matters more.
Welder Pay in Every Florida Metro
BLS reports welder pay for 22 Florida metro areas. Here they are from highest median to lowest.
| Metro area | Median salary | Median hourly | Welders employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island | $56,440 | $27.14 | 180 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $54,590 | $26.25 | 3,510 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $53,350 | $25.65 | 250 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $52,410 | $25.20 | 580 |
| Port St. Lucie | $52,270 | $25.13 | 290 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $51,820 | $24.92 | 910 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $50,710 | $24.38 | 120 |
| Jacksonville | $50,640 | $24.35 | 1,420 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $50,200 | $24.13 | 2,020 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $49,930 | $24.00 | 600 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $49,930 | $24.00 | 2,520 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach | $49,770 | $23.93 | 80 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $49,370 | $23.73 | 250 |
| Homosassa Springs | $49,040 | $23.58 | 40 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $48,520 | $23.33 | 820 |
| Ocala | $48,270 | $23.21 | 570 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $48,170 | $23.16 | 380 |
| Punta Gorda | $48,040 | $23.10 | 60 |
| Sebring | $47,250 | $22.72 | 40 |
| Gainesville | $47,230 | $22.71 | 150 |
| Tallahassee | $47,130 | $22.66 | 220 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $43,490 | $20.91 | 80 |
The top of the list is small. Naples-Marco Island pays best, but only 180 welders work there. For most people, the more useful comparison is among the big job markets.
The Four Biggest Job Markets
Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville together employ more than half of Florida’s welders. Here is how they compare, and where you can train in each.
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
The highest-paying large market, with a median of $54,590 and 3,510 welders. The top tenth earned $74,600 or more. Training options include Robert Morgan Educational Center, which runs evening classes until 11 p.m., and Palm Beach State College, which adds NCCER Welding Levels 1 and 2 to its program. See the Miami welding schools page.
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
The second-largest market at 2,520 welders, with a median of $49,930. Pay is close to the state figure, but the volume of jobs is high. Erwin Technical College and the two Pinellas Technical College campuses train here. Compare them on the Tampa welding schools page.
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford
2,020 welders earning a median of $50,200. Southern Technical College offers an 18-month Associate of Applied Science in welding technology, with day and evening classes. The Orlando welding schools page lists the public options.
Jacksonville
1,420 welders at a median of $50,640, exactly the state figure, with a top tenth at $72,840 or more. Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville conferred 1,050 welding awards in 2024–25, the most in Florida by far. See the Jacksonville welding schools page.
Smaller Markets: Where the Floor Is Highest
The median tells you what a typical welder earns. If you are new, the more useful number is the bottom of the range, because that is closer to your first offer. On that measure, the ranking shifts.
- Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin had the highest floor in the state: the lowest-paid tenth earned $43,400 or more, even though the median was a middling $50,710.
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers was close behind, with a floor of $43,040 and a median of $52,410. With 580 welders, it is also a real job market.
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota paired a floor of $42,830 with a top tenth at $73,720. Manatee Technical College in Bradenton trains welders in day and evening tracks here.
At the other end, some metros with decent medians have low floors. Panama City’s median was $53,350, third in the state, but its lowest tenth earned $33,270 or less. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville had the lowest floor of any Florida metro at $32,910. In those areas, expect a wider gap between a first job and an experienced one.
Ocala sits near the middle, with a median of $48,270 and 570 welders. If you train at College of Central Florida or Marion Technical College, the Ocala welding schools page compares both. On the Treasure Coast, Port St. Lucie’s median of $52,270 beats the state figure; see the Port St. Lucie welding schools page.
Where Florida Welding Can Take You
Welding is a starting point. The jobs it leads to often pay more than the welding itself, and several of them pay more in Florida than welding does.
| Career | Florida median (May 2025) | Median hourly | Employed in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding sales representative | $107,700 | $51.78 | 19,840 |
| Welding engineer | $105,410 | $50.68 | 8,600 |
| Welding supervisor | $63,950 | $30.75 | 27,710 |
| Millwright | $62,000 | $29.81 | 530 |
| Welding instructor (CWE) | $59,990 | $28.84 | 7,600 |
| Ironworker | $55,700 | $26.78 | 2,730 |
| Welder | $50,640 | $24.35 | 16,420 |
| Welding inspector | $47,540 | $22.86 | 22,630 |
| Robotic welding technician | $41,420 | $19.92 | 740 |
These BLS figures cover the broader occupation each job falls under, so sales and engineering include people outside welding. Still, the direction is clear. Supervision is the most common step up: Florida employs 27,710 people in that group, at a median of $63,950. Teaching is another. Welding instructors in Florida earned a median of $59,990, and Florida has a slightly higher share of these jobs than the country as a whole.
Robotic welding and inspection sit below the welder median in Florida, which is the reverse of many states. If you want a better check, focus on supervision, millwright work or ironwork rather than those two.
How Florida Welders Raise Their Pay
The certificate gets you hired. What moves you from the lower quarter ($46,460) toward the upper quarter ($60,600) is mostly what you can prove you can weld.
- Pass AWS bend tests in more positions. Florida programs such as First Coast Technical College prepare you for the AWS D1.1 structural test in 3G and 4G plate, or 6G pipe. The welding certification guide explains what each test covers.
- Add pipe. Pipe welding is taught at many Florida schools, including Indian River State College, Florida Gateway College and Manatee Technical College. The pipe welder career page covers the work.
- Take the advanced certificate. Several colleges offer a 750-hour advanced program after the 1,050-hour base, including Hillsborough Community College, Lake Technical College and Withlacoochee Technical College.
- Go where the jobs are. A move from Tallahassee ($47,130) to the Miami area ($54,590) is a real raise for the same skills.
Is the Pay Worth the Training Cost?
Most Florida welders train at a public college or technical college, where a resident year of tuition ran from $2,496 at Eastern Florida State College to $3,930 at Ridge Technical College in 2024–25. Set against a starting floor of $39,200 and a median of $50,640, that is a low-cost way into steady work.
For school-by-school prices, including lab fees and full-program totals, read how much welding school costs in Florida. For the full list of ranked programs, see the best welding schools in Florida, and for the training and testing steps, the guide to becoming a welder in Florida. To compare Florida with other states, see the national welder salary table.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does an Entry-Level Welder Make in Florida?
The lowest-paid tenth of Florida welders earned $39,200 or less in May 2025. That figure is a fair floor for a new welder with a certificate and no track record.
Do Florida Welders Earn Less Than the National Average?
Slightly. The Florida median was $50,640 in May 2025, against a national median of $53,750. The gap widens at the top: the best-paid tenth nationally earned $77,530 or more, compared with $70,390 in Florida.
Which Florida City Pays Welders the Most?
Naples-Marco Island had the highest metro median at $56,440, followed by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach at $54,590 and Panama City at $53,350.
What Welding Job Pays the Most in Florida?
Among the careers welding can lead to, welding sales representatives had a Florida median of $107,700 and welding engineers $105,410 in May 2025. Both usually need experience or a degree beyond a welding certificate.
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