How much do welders make in South Carolina in 2026?

The median welder in South Carolina earns $49,980 a year, which works out to roughly $24.03 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of a range that spans from $45,230 (~$21.75/hr) at the 25th percentile up to $58,370 (~$28.06/hr) at the 75th percentile. Where you land depends on what you weld, who you weld for, and how long you've been doing it.

The $13,140 gap between the bottom and top of that range is not a fluke — it reflects real differences in skill, certification, and sector. A new hire running flux-core wire at a fabrication shop will land near or below the 25th percentile. A certified pipe welder or structural welder working for a manufacturing plant or a naval contractor on the coast will push well past the 75th percentile figure. The BLS data groups all welder classifications together, so specialization is the clearest lever you have.

South Carolina's industrial mix matters here. The state has a significant automotive manufacturing presence — BMW's Spartanburg plant and its supplier network concentrate a lot of welding work in the Upstate region around Spartanburg, Greenville, and Anderson counties. Those shops tend to pay steadily, offer consistent hours, and provide structured training on robotics and MIG processes. Charleston's port and shipbuilding-adjacent industries pull welders toward structural and pipe work, which generally commands higher rates. Rural areas and smaller fab shops across the Midlands and Pee Dee regions tend to track closer to the 25th percentile.

Overtime is a real factor in annual take-home that the base salary numbers don't capture. Welders who can work 50- or 60-hour weeks during a plant turnaround or a construction push can add $5,000 to $10,000 or more to their annual earnings, especially once time-and-a-half kicks in. If you're choosing between a shop that averages 45 hours a week and one that runs 40, that extra five hours every week at time-and-a-half on a $24/hr base rate adds roughly $9,360 a year before taxes.

Certification is one of the most direct ways to move your pay. An AWS D1.1 structural certification or a 6G pipe certification signals to employers — and justifies — higher rates. Many South Carolina employers will pay for certification tests once you're hired and show aptitude, but having them before you walk in the door gives you negotiating leverage from day one. Employers in aerospace and defense supply chains, which have a presence in the Charleston and Greenville corridors, often require specific certifications and pay a premium for them.

No union scale data is available for welders in South Carolina through BLS OEWS, which is consistent with the state's generally low unionization rate. Most welding work here is non-union. That doesn't mean you can't negotiate — it means your individual certifications, your welding test scores, and your track record carry more weight than a collectively bargained scale would.

Apprenticeships through community colleges and technical schools — Piedmont Technical College, Trident Technical College, and Midlands Technical College all run welding programs — typically start students in the low-to-mid $20s per hour for entry-level work. Completing a formal program, stacking certifications, and moving into TIG or pipe work is a reliable path from that $21.75/hr floor toward and beyond the $28.06/hr mark at the 75th percentile.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.