Skip to content

How much do welders make in San Diego, CA in 2026?

Government wage survey, BLS OEWS May 2025. Updated June 2026.

In 2026, welders in San Diego, CA earn a median of $62,560 per year ($30.08/hr), according to BLS OEWS (May 2025). That is about $4,500 above the California statewide median. Last updated June 2026.

Median pay (50th pct)

$62,560/yr

Half of San Diego, CA welders earn between $50,400 and $76,630 per year.

$50,400/yr$62,560/yr$76,630/yr

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

Welder pay in San Diego, CA: key numbers
Median pay$62,560/yr ($30.08/hr)
Pay range (25th–75th percentile)$50,400 – $76,630/yr
Vs California statewide median+$4,500/yr
Welders employed in this metro2,940
Job concentration vs national0.71×
SourceBLS OEWS May 2025
Last updatedJune 2026

Look up another trade or state

Negotiating your welder pay?

The full kit for California: your estimated pay position, pay by metro, the union scale where one is public, and three ready counter-offer scripts. $19 once.

See the full kit

Welder pay in San Diego, CA vs California

The median welder wage in San Diego, CA is $62,560/yr (BLS OEWS May 2025). The California statewide median is $58,060/yr (BLS OEWS May 2025) , so this metro runs about $4,500/yr above the state figure. See the full California page

  • 2,940 welders employed in this metro (BLS May 2025).
  • Job concentration: 0.71× the national average for this trade (less concentrated here).

About this data

Metro wages come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS metropolitan program (May 2025), the authoritative public source for occupational pay, reported here for the San Diego, CA metro area. We don't hold union scales or member submissions at metro level yet, so this page shows BLS metro data only; each figure is labeled with its source.

Welder pay in San Diego, CA: FAQ

What is the median welder salary in San Diego, CA?
The median welder wage in San Diego, CA is $62,560 a year, or about $30.08 an hour (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the pay range for welders in San Diego, CA?
In San Diego, CA, welders earn from $50,400 (25th percentile) to $76,630 (75th percentile) a year, with a median of $62,560 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Does San Diego, CA pay more than the California average for welders?
The San Diego, CA median of $62,560 runs about $4,500 a year above the California statewide median of $58,060 (BLS OEWS).
How much do welders make an hour in San Diego, CA?
The median welder in San Diego, CA earns about $30.08/hr, based on the $62,560/yr median (BLS OEWS May 2025, at 2,080 hours a year). Overtime and union scale can run higher.
How much do welders make a month in San Diego, CA?
That is about $5,213/mo before taxes, from the $62,560/yr median (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Sources

Stay on top of Welder pay

Real BLS + union + peer pay for this pick. No spam.