SOC 51-4121 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — Maine
Maine · 3 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Maine comes to $62,220 a year, ahead of the national median of $53,750 by 15.8%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
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 Maine.
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
Median pay for this occupation in Maine comes to $62,220 a year, ahead of the national median of $53,750 by 15.8%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $51,800 and $69,130. The lowest tenth earn under $47,230, while the highest tenth earn more than $76,220.
Employment stands at 1,690, or 2.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Maine ranks 9th by median wage. Portland leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $66,420. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 286th of 634 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,230 | −12.1% |
| 25th | $51,800 | −3.6% |
| Median (50th) | $62,220 | +15.8% |
| 75th | $69,130 | +28.6% |
| 90th | $76,220 | +41.8% |
| Mean | $61,930 | +15.2% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Maine
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Maine run 2.9% below the national average, so the median of $62,220 goes as far as $64,078 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 19.2% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$62,220as reported by BLSLocal price level
97.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$64,078US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $62,220 a year, 15.8% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $47,230 to $76,220 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,690 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 9th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Portland, at $66,420.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in Maine?
The median annual wage is $62,220, or $29.92 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 Maine is 15.8% higher. 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 Maine earns more than $76,220 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $47,230 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 Portland, at $66,420 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,690 jobs in this occupation in Maine. 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.
Explore related data