How Much Do Welders Make in Georgia?
Georgia welders earned a median of $48,430 a year ($23.28 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. That is below the national median of $53,750. Savannah pays best at $56,410, followed by Augusta at $50,800, and the Atlanta metro, with 5,240 welding jobs, has a median of $49,630.
Welders in Georgia earned a median of $48,430 a year, or $23.28 an hour, in May 2025. That puts Georgia below the national median of $53,750. The best-paid tenth of Georgia welders earned $65,160 or more.
Pay depends on where in the state you work. Savannah welders earned a median of $56,410, well above the state figure. In Columbus, the median was $40,100. And if you move from production welding into supervision, the median climbs to $69,170.
Since most welding jobs pay by the hour, keep the hourly figures handy when you compare offers. The Georgia hourly median was $23.28, against $25.84 nationally. Savannah’s was $27.12, Augusta’s $24.42 and Atlanta’s $23.86. An offer near those numbers is typical for the metro; one well below them leaves room to negotiate once you have a certification to show.
How Georgia Welder Pay Compares With the Rest of the Country
The gap between Georgia and the nation is small at the bottom of the pay scale and wider at the top. Entry-level pay is almost the same. Experienced welders are where Georgia falls behind.
| Pay band (May 2025) | Georgia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earned less than | $38,030 | $39,240 |
| Bottom 25% earned less than | $44,150 | $46,790 |
| Median | $48,430 | $53,750 |
| Mean (average) | $51,520 | $56,760 |
| Top 25% earned more than | $58,240 | $63,010 |
| Top 10% earned more than | $65,160 | $77,530 |
What does that mean for you? Your first welding job in Georgia will probably pay about what it would in most states. The ceiling is lower, though. If you want to push past $65,160, you will likely need a specialty, a supervisor role, or a job in one of the better-paying metros below.
Georgia’s location quotient for welders is 1, which means welding makes up about the same share of jobs here as it does nationally. BLS counted 13,130 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers in the state.
Savannah Pays Georgia Welders the Most
Here is median welder pay for every Georgia metro BLS reports, May 2025.
| Metro area | Median pay | Hourly median | Top 10% earn | Welders employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah | $56,410 | $27.12 | $67,210 | 460 |
| Augusta-Richmond County (GA-SC) | $50,800 | $24.42 | $71,010 | 680 |
| Warner Robins | $50,170 | $24.12 | $62,400 | 340 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $49,630 | $23.86 | $69,300 | 5,240 |
| Chattanooga (TN-GA) | $49,220 | $23.66 | $69,320 | 1,850 |
| Gainesville | $48,430 | $23.28 | $58,230 | 890 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons | $48,380 | $23.26 | $61,930 | 80 |
| Athens-Clarke County | $47,970 | $23.06 | $60,190 | 370 |
| Valdosta | $47,240 | $22.71 | $61,200 | 180 |
| Dalton | $47,190 | $22.69 | $58,900 | 120 |
| Albany | $47,180 | $22.68 | $74,300 | 170 |
| Macon-Bibb County | $46,420 | $22.32 | $65,420 | 210 |
| Rome | $42,280 | $20.33 | $56,960 | 160 |
| Columbus (GA-AL) | $40,100 | $19.28 | $57,020 | 330 |
Savannah stands alone at the top. Its median of $56,410 is the only one in Georgia above the national median of $53,750, and its hourly median of $27.12 beats the state’s $23.28 by a wide margin. The catch is size: only 460 welders work there, so openings are fewer.
Albany is worth a second look. Its median is ordinary at $47,180, but its top tenth earned $74,300 or more, the highest ceiling of any Georgia metro. Augusta’s top tenth is close behind at $71,010.
Atlanta Has the Jobs, if Not the Top Pay
Atlanta pays close to the state median at $49,630. What it has is volume: 5,240 welders, about two in every five welding jobs in Georgia. If you want the most openings to apply for, and the most schools to train at, Atlanta is the place.
Atlanta’s top tenth earned $69,300 or more, so experienced welders there do reach well above the state ceiling. Browse training options on the Atlanta welding schools page, or the Riverdale page if you live south of the city.
The Chattanooga metro, which crosses into northwest Georgia, is the second-largest welding market that touches the state, with 1,850 welders and a median of $49,220.
What Welders Earn in Georgia’s Smaller Cities
Outside Savannah and Atlanta, most Georgia metros cluster just under the state median. A few details are worth knowing if you plan to stay close to home:
- Warner Robins ($50,170). Third-highest median in the state, with 340 welders. Pay is steady but the ceiling is modest: the top tenth earned $62,400 or more.
- Gainesville ($48,430). Exactly the state median, and a large market for its size with 890 welders. The bottom tenth earned $41,740 or more, the highest floor of any Georgia metro. Lanier Technical College trains welders right in Gainesville.
- Athens ($47,970). 370 welders. Athens Technical College runs its diploma fully in person.
- Valdosta ($47,240). 180 welders, with Wiregrass Georgia Technical College in town.
- Macon ($46,420). Only 210 welders in the metro itself, though Warner Robins is next door.
- Rome ($42,280) and Columbus ($40,100). The two lowest-paying metros in Georgia. Columbus has 330 welders; Rome has 160 and is home to Georgia Northwestern Technical College.
If you live in Rome or Columbus, it can make sense to train locally, where tuition is low, and then look for work in Atlanta, Chattanooga or Savannah once you hold a diploma and a few passed qualification tests.
Georgia Welding Careers That Pay More
Welding experience opens doors to jobs with higher pay. Here is what related careers earned in Georgia in May 2025.
| Career | Georgia median pay | Hourly median |
|---|---|---|
| Welding supervisor | $69,170 | $33.25 |
| Millwright | $62,760 | $30.17 |
| Welding instructor | $60,320 | $29.00 |
| Welder | $48,430 | $23.28 |
| Ironworker | $48,090 | $23.12 |
| Welding inspector | $46,130 | $22.18 |
| Robotic welding technician | $45,850 | $22.04 |
The supervisor and inspector rows cover every production supervisor and every inspector or tester in the state, not only people in welding, so treat them as a guide.
Millwright stands out. Georgia millwrights earned a median of $62,760, and even the bottom tenth earned $46,450 or more. Millwrights are also more concentrated in Georgia than nationally, with a location quotient of 1.41. If you like machinery as much as welding, this is the strongest step up in the state.
Teaching is another option. Welding instructors earned a median of $60,320, and AWS offers a Certified Welding Educator credential for welders who want to teach.
Further up, welding engineers earned $112,260 and welding sales representatives $128,850, though both roles usually call for more than a welding diploma.
Where to Train Near Georgia’s Better-Paying Jobs
If Savannah’s pay appeals to you, Savannah Technical College is right there. It offers the diploma in person with night and weekend options, and in-state tuition was $3,330 for a full-time year in 2024–25.
Near Augusta, Augusta Technical College runs day and evening certificate sequences and an Advanced Pipe Welding certificate.
For Warner Robins and middle Georgia, Central Georgia Technical College in Macon conferred 546 welding awards in 2024–25, the most in the state, and offers a Master Arc Welder certificate.
In Atlanta, Atlanta Technical College lists welding among its evening programs, and Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville adds a robotic welding operator certificate. For Albany and southwest Georgia, Southern Regional Technical College in Moultrie had the lowest in-state tuition in Georgia at $3,007.
For a school-by-school breakdown of tuition, books and full diploma costs, read the companion guide on welding school cost in Georgia, or compare ranked programs on the Georgia welding schools page.
Getting to the Top of Georgia’s Pay Range
A few moves can lift you from the state median toward the top band:
- Add certifications. Most Georgia diploma programs prepare you for qualification tests. Each test you pass is proof an employer can check. The welding certification guide explains how the tests work.
- Pick your metro. Savannah, Augusta and Albany all have higher medians or higher ceilings than the state as a whole.
- Plan a second step. Millwright, supervisor and instructor roles all pay more than production welding in Georgia.
To see how Georgia compares with every other state, check the national welder salary table.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Do New Welders Make in Georgia?
The bottom tenth of Georgia welders earned $38,030 or less in May 2025, and the bottom quarter earned $44,150 or less. Expect to start somewhere in that range.
Which Georgia City Pays Welders the Most?
Savannah, with a median of $56,410 in May 2025. Augusta-Richmond County came second at $50,800 and Warner Robins third at $50,170.
How Many Welders Work in Georgia?
BLS counted 13,130 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers in Georgia in May 2025. The Atlanta metro employed 5,240 of them.
What Is the Highest-Paying Welding-Related Job in Georgia?
Welding sales representatives earned a median of $128,850 in Georgia in May 2025 and welding engineers $112,260. Among hands-on roles, welding supervisors earned $69,170 and millwrights $62,760.
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