What is the salary and career path for a stick welder?
Stick welder is a process specialty rather than a BLS occupation, so the wage comes from the broad code Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, SOC 51-4121, and is approximate — it averages shielded metal arc work together with MIG, TIG and production welding. That code shows an OEWS May 2025 median of $53,750 a year ($25.84 an hour), from $39,240 at the 10th percentile to $77,530 at the 90th, with field structural, pipeline and boiler stick work generally in the upper half. Nothing about stick welding is state-licensed; what governs it is welder performance qualification — a test weld to AWS D1.1 for structural steel, ASME Section IX for pressure work, or API 1104 for pipeline — recorded on a qualification record that stays valid while continuity is maintained. Training routes are a community college or trade school welding programme, a registered apprenticeship, or employer training, and BLS projects 2.2% growth over 2024–2034 with about 45,600 openings a year.
- Stick Welders earn a national median $53,750/yr ($25.84/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-4121); the top 10% clear $77,530.
- The figure is approximate — BLS counts all welding processes in one code, so it blends SMAW with MIG, TIG and production welding.
- There is no welding licence; employment turns on welder performance qualification to AWS D1.1, ASME Section IX or API 1104, and on maintaining continuity.
- BLS projects 2.2% change 2024–34 with about 45,600 openings a year; pipe and pressure qualification, field work and CWI drive earnings.
Career Path
How do you become a stick welder?
Welder helper / fitter's helper
Grinding, prepping joints, tacking and fetching rod while building bead control; pay starts near the SOC 51-4121 10th percentile of $39,240.
Stick Welder
Holding a structural or pipe qualification and welding production joints in all positions, around the $53,750 median for the code.
Certified pipe / pressure welder
ASME Section IX or API 1104 qualified welders with radiography-quality work earn toward the 75th percentile of $63,010.
Welding foreman, inspector or rig welder
CWI inspection, welding supervision or owning a rig truck reaches the 90th percentile at $77,530.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays stick welders the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-4121. National median: $53,750. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does stick welder pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles stick welders most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: stick welders rank 1 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +2.2% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly stick welders clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-4121 (stick welders) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do stick welders need?
The structural steel welding code test — position and thickness specific — that most fabricators and steel erectors require before you touch production work. See all state licences →
Governs welder qualification for boilers and pressure vessels; the procedure and the welder are qualified separately, and the record is held by the employer.
The pipeline welding standard, where stick remains dominant for root and fill passes and where qualified welders earn the trade's strongest field rates.
Requires documented experience and a three-part exam; it is the standard exit from the torch into inspection and quality work.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do stick welders use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 51-4121
Salary Levers
How do stick welders earn above the $53,750 BLS median?
Pipe and pressure qualification over plate
6G-qualified pipe welders on ASME or API work sit far above the $39,240 tenth-percentile production floor
Field and travel work with per-diem
Shutdowns, pipeline spreads and shipyard contracts pay hourly premiums, long overtime and per-diem that compress a year's earnings
Radiography-quality output
Welders with a low reject rate on X-rayed joints get retained on the work that pays toward the $63,010 seventy-fifth percentile
CWI inspection or rig ownership
Certified welding inspection, welding supervision or owning a rig truck is what reaches the $77,530 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a stick welder worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-4121. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Stick Welder Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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