Welder Hourly Pay in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY: $25.44 (2026)
Quick Answer:Hourly pay for a welder working in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY runs $25.44 at the median for 2026 — annualizing to $52,900 at a standard 2,080-hour year. Figures projected from BLS OEWS 2025 (SOC 51-4121). Weighted against Louisville/Jefferson County's regional price level (BEA RPP 93.1, 7% below national), each hour of work buys what $27.33 nationally would. A 24-hour part-time schedule grosses $31,744 per year.
Official BLS data · View source
Welders in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY, can expect a median hourly rate of $25.44 as projected for 2026, which sits slightly below the national median hourly rate of $26.87. This rate is particularly significant for part-time welders working three days a week, often translating to solid earnings while maintaining flexibility. Various workplace settings, such as fabrication shops, pipeline welding stations, and manufacturing cells, dictate the hourly earnings where the pay ranges from $20.54 for entry-level positions to as high as $35.18 for top earners. Understanding these rates can help welders in Louisville/Jefferson County better navigate opportunities in their field, particularly as this data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, refined through substantial industry analysis.
Welder Hourly Wage Breakdown
| Percentile | Hourly Rate | Per 8hr Shift |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (P10) | $20.54 | $164.30 |
| Lower Range (P25) | $23.72 | $189.76 |
| Median (P50) | $25.44 | $203.49 |
| Upper Range (P75) | $30.17 | $241.34 |
| Top Earners (P90) | $35.18 | $281.44 |
Estimated Annual Income by Work Schedule in Louisville/Jefferson County
Based on $25.44/hr median hourly rate · 2026 est.
At $25.44/hr, a welder working full-time (40 hr/wk) in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY can expect to earn approximately $52,907 per year (2026 est.). Part-time hygienists working 24 hours per week would earn around $30,523. With a cost-of-living index of 93.07 (below the national average), these earnings stretch further in Louisville/Jefferson County.
Hourly Rate Calculator
Schedule Comparison in Louisville/Jefferson County
| Schedule | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Time (40 hrs) | $1,017.44 | $4,409 | $52,907 |
| Part-Time (24 hrs) | $610.46 | $2,645 | $31,744 |
| Per Diem (16 hrs) | $406.98 | $1,764 | $21,163 |
Compare WLD Wages With Similar Roles
| Role | Median Hourly |
|---|---|
| Welder (Louisville/Jefferson County) | $25.44 |
| Machinist (National Avg) | $25.72 |
| Sheet Metal Worker (National Avg) | $28.93 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic (National Avg) | $29.53 |
| Boilermaker (National Avg) | $35.08 |
Welders in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY earn a median of $52,900 per year (2026 est.), which is 5.36% lower than the national median of $55,895 and 3.40% below the Kentucky state average of $54,762.
Welder Hourly Pay vs. Cost of Living
Working 24h/week at $25.44/hr = $31,744/year (purchasing power: $34,106).
Working 40h/week (full-time) = $52,907/year (purchasing power: $56,844).
CoL index: 93.074 (100 = national average). Your dollars stretch further here.
2019 BLS Actual
$19.42/hr
2025 BLS Actual
$24.46/hr
2026 Current Est.
$25.44/hr
2019–2027 Growth
+36.2%
Hourly Rate Trajectory for Welders in Louisville/Jefferson County (2019–2027)
2019–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 3.99% projection.
| Year | Hourly Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $19.42/hr | Actual |
| 2020 | $21.23/hr | Actual |
| 2021 | $22.14/hr | Actual |
| 2022 | $22.55/hr | Actual |
| 2023 | $22.99/hr | Actual |
| 2024 | $23.99/hr | Actual |
| 2025 | $24.46/hr | Actual |
| 2026(current) | $25.44/hr | Estimated |
| 2027 | $26.45/hr | Projected |
Based on 7 years of BLS OEWS metropolitan area data, the median hourly rate for welders in Louisville/Jefferson County grew 26.0% from $19.42/hr (2019) to $24.46/hr (2025). At a 3.99% projected growth rate, hourly pay is expected to reach $26.45/hr by 2027. Part-time and per-diem welders can use this multi-year trend to benchmark future contract negotiations.
Note: Historical values (2019–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the Louisville/Jefferson County metropolitan area, sourced from annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. 2026–2026 figures are current estimates, and 2027 values are projections, calculated using a 3.99% CAGR derived from 7-year BLS historical data. Actual salaries may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.
Working as an Hourly Welder in Louisville/Jefferson County
While full-time positions provide steady income, part-time welders, for instance, working 24 hours a week can anticipate an income that may yield approximately $31,709 annually, a fraction of what full-time welders earn. Many traveling pipe welders enjoy per diem advantages that can boost their earnings, with daily pay often ranging from $80 to $175 atop their base hourly wages of $40 to $70. Furthermore, specialized sectors, such as refinery shut-downs or underwater welding, can command elevated hourly rates, sometimes reaching $1,000 a day depending on the project and conditions. This unevenness in pay across types of employment—ranging from manufacturing plants to self-employed mobile welding—highlights the importance of considering additional factors like health insurance benefits, which some welders might trade off for higher hourly wages. Negotiating a competitive hourly rate, especially considering the projected demand for skilled workers highlighted by an impending AWS shortage, can significantly impact overall earnings potential for welding professionals in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY.
More salary data for Louisville/Jefferson County, KY:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hourly rate for welders in Louisville/Jefferson County in 2026?
How much do part-time welders make in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Are welders in Louisville/Jefferson County paid hourly or salary?
How much does a full-time welder make per year in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Do welders earn more per hour working part-time in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Related Pages
Compare Salaries
Career Resources
Nearby Cities in Kentucky
Written by James Mendoza, AWS Certified Welder
Career Analyst
James has over 10 years of experience in welding. He specializes in MIG and TIG welding. He has worked in various manufacturing settings.
Methodology & Data Source
Hourly wage figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. A 3.99% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), derived from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to estimate current 2026 hourly rates for welders in Louisville/Jefferson County. Part-time and full-time income estimates assume consistent weekly hours and do not account for overtime, benefits, or seasonal variation.
Data Sources & Methodology
Source: BLS, OEWS, 7-year dataset (–). Per-city data from annual BLS metropolitan area surveys.
2026 figures are projected from 2025 BLS data using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.99%, derived from historical BLS wage trends for welders (SOC 51-4121).
Compiled and verified by James Mendoza, AWS Certified Welder, a licensed welder with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov