SalaryExplorer

SOC 51-4121 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — Lubbock

Lubbock, TX · 10 metro areas compared

$46,760 /year
$22.48per hour
500jobs in area
−13.0%vs US median

In Lubbock, TX the median wage is $46,760.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $53,75010TH$35,620MEDIAN$46,76075TH$56,76090TH$70,740

How pay has moved

$49,588$32,6232019202020212022202320242025$46,760
$35,450 in 2019 to $46,760 in 2025, +31.9% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+2.2%
Openings per year
45,600
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

6.3% of people in this occupation work for themselves.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Lubbock, TX.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In Lubbock, TX the median wage is $46,760. That is 13.0% lower than the national median of $53,750. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $39,470 and $56,760. The lowest tenth earn under $35,620, while the highest tenth earn more than $70,740.

Employment stands at 500, or 3.0 jobs per thousand held locally. Odessa leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $63,470. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 223rd of 398 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Lubbock, TX · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$35,620−33.7%
25th$39,470−26.6%
Median (50th)$46,760−13.0%
75th$56,760+5.6%
90th$70,740+31.6%
Mean$49,940−7.1%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Texas

Median annual wage for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Odessa$63,470790
2Midland$61,410810
3Corpus Christi$59,4501,280
4Beaumont$59,1901,980
5Austin$59,0402,210
6Houston$57,94015,850
7Amarillo$55,460620
8Sherman$55,020290
9College Station$52,800330
10Longview$52,3001,270

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Lubbock run 8.7% below the national average, so the median of $46,760 goes as far as $51,216 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 4.7% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$46,760as reported by BLS

Local price level

91.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$51,216US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $46,760 a year, 13.0% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $35,620 to $70,740 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 500 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Odessa, at $63,470.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in Lubbock, TX?

The median annual wage is $46,760, or $22.48 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $53,750, so pay in Lubbock, TX is 13.0% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Lubbock, TX earns more than $70,740 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $35,620 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Odessa, at $63,470 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 500 jobs in this occupation in Lubbock, TX. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary in Lubbock, TX (2025): $46,760 Median | Salary Explorer