Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Virginia | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $59,180 | $53,934 | +10% |
| Median hourly wage | $28.45 | $25.93 | +10% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $58,536.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Welder in Virginia is $59,180, or about $28.45 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Welders is $53,934. Virginia is +10% above the national median.
Entry-level welders in Virginia typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 10,100 welder jobs on record and a median salary of $59,180, Virginia offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, welders rank 402 of the 747 occupations reported in Virginia — higher than 46% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic at $90,390, Gas Plant Operators at $86,500, Power Distributors and Dispatchers at $81,080 — all figures are median annual wages for Virginia.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Virginia levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 104.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, welders rank 402 of the 747 occupations reported in Virginia — higher than 46% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Virginia | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $90,390 | $100 |
| Gas Plant Operators | $86,500 | $400 |
| Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $81,080 | $330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | $74,390 | $330 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $74,150 | $13,530 |
| Power Plant Operators | $73,640 | $590 |
Virginia levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 104.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 747 occupations in Virginia.