How much do welders make in Texas in 2026?

The median welder in Texas earns $53,340 a year, which works out to about $25.64 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of the state's range — a quarter of welders earn less than $45,750 (~$22.00/hr), and a quarter earn more than $64,770 (~$31.14/hr). These figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.

That $19,020 spread between the 25th and 75th percentile is not just noise. It reflects real differences in what welders are doing, where they're doing it, and how long they've been at it. A pipe welder on a Gulf Coast petrochemical turnaround is not doing the same job as someone running MIG wire at a fabrication shop in a mid-size Texas city. The process, the certification stack, and the physical conditions all move the number.

Texas is one of the largest employers of welders in the country, driven heavily by oil and gas infrastructure, pipeline construction, petrochemical plants, shipbuilding along the Gulf, heavy equipment manufacturing, and structural steel work. The Permian Basin alone generates consistent demand for certified pipe welders — particularly those who can qualify on 6G, the all-position pipe test that many employers treat as a baseline for high-wage field work. Welders who hold multiple process certifications (SMAW, GTAW, FCAW) and can pass employer-specific weld tests typically land in the upper half of the pay range.

Geography inside Texas matters too. Industrial corridors around Houston, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, and the Midland-Odessa area tend to pay above the statewide median because of the concentration of refineries, chemical plants, and oilfield fabricators. Smaller markets farther from major industrial hubs tend to track closer to the 25th-percentile range.

Entry-level welders — those coming out of a vocational program or apprenticeship with basic certifications — can expect to land somewhere near or below the $45,750 floor while they build their qualification portfolio. Moving from $22.00/hr to $31.00/hr or beyond generally requires demonstrating proficiency in at least one specialty process, accumulating verified weld hours, and passing the certification tests that specific employers or contract jobs require.

Overtime is a significant factor in actual take-home pay for Texas welders, especially on turnarounds and construction projects. A welder at the median base rate of $25.64/hr working 10-hour days, five days a week on a project schedule earns overtime on every hour past 40 — at $38.46/hr for those additional hours. A single heavy turnaround season can add $8,000 to $15,000 to annual earnings on top of the base wage, though that work is not always consistent year-round.

No union scale data is available for welders in Texas. Most welding work in the state is performed under open-shop conditions, meaning pay rates are set by individual employers and negotiated directly. Some large industrial contractors and refineries have their own internal wage ladders tied to certification level and years of service, which can provide a structured path from entry-level rates toward the upper end of the pay range.

The bottom line: a Texas welder at the median is making $53,340 a year. Getting to the 75th percentile — $64,770, or $31.14/hr — takes certifications, process diversity, and willingness to go where the industrial work is concentrated. The data is clear that the gap between the floor and the ceiling is wide enough to make those investments pay off.