Welder Salary
Official ONS earnings for the UK, covering 38,000 jobs.
Median salary
£35,952
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 3.4% change on the previous year
Full-time only
£35,977
Mean
£37,257
Jobs measured
38,000
What a typical welder takes home
On the median of £35,952, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,450
Take-home a year
£29,405
Income Tax
£4,676
National Insurance
£1,871
What most welders actually earn
Half of welders earn between £29,795 and £43,009. Earning above £43,009 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of welders earn less than this.
Welder salary by region
7 of 11 GB regions have a published figure for this occupation.
| Region | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £39,199 | £42,740 |
| South East | £38,059 | £40,041 |
| North West | £37,965 | £38,838 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £36,675 | £38,408 |
| East | £35,599 | £40,198 |
| West Midlands | £34,906 | £34,068 |
| South West | £30,330 | £33,579 |
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Welding trades
- SOC 2020 code
- 5213
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Welder salary FAQs
What is the average Welder salary in the UK?
The median is £35,952 a year and the mean is £37,257, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; full-time employees alone have a median of £35,977.
How much does a welder earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £16.76 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only.
What is a good Welder salary?
Half of welders earn between £29,795 and £43,009. Anything above £43,009 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a welder?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of welders earn under £23,882 and the lowest quarter under £29,795 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Has welder pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +3.4% for this occupation in the UK. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many welders are there in the UK?
ASHE counts around 38,000 employee jobs in “Welding trades” (SOC 5213) in the UK. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
Similar roles
Official figures show the market. Your salary shows what employers actually pay.
Add your salary anonymously