Welder Salary in Arkansas (2026)
The average Welder in Arkansas earns around $62,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $49,670/year ($4,139/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $49,670 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $4,139 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $1,910 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $24/hr |
Federal Tax | $5,260 |
State Tax | $2,327 |
FICA Taxes | $4,743 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 19.89% |
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Welder Salary Ranges in Arkansas
Not all Welders earn the same — not even close
Arkansas's welder market is anchored by Nucor Steel (the substantial Nucor Steel Hickman + the substantial Nucor Steel Blytheville + the substantial Nucor as the country's substantial largest US steel producer + the substantial Nucor post-2024 expansions + the substantial Nucor EAF electric arc furnace + the substantial Nucor scrap-based steelmaking + the substantial Nucor AWS D1.1 structural welder + the substantial Nucor Mississippi River AR Delta steel cluster), Whirlpool Fort Smith (the substantial Whirlpool appliance manufacturing + the substantial Whirlpool Fort Smith ~2K employees + the substantial Whirlpool refrigerator + dishwasher welder), Welspun Tubular Little Rock (the substantial Welspun Tubular pipe manufacturing + the substantial Welspun ~700 Little Rock employees + the substantial Welspun API 5L line pipe + the substantial Welspun longitudinal seam welder), Tyson Foods Springdale HQ (the substantial Tyson Foods poultry + beef processing stainless welder + ASME BPE + GMP + sanitary), JB Hunt Transport Lowell HQ (the substantial JB Hunt trailer + chassis welder + AWS D1.1), ArcBest Corporation Fort Smith (the substantial ArcBest trailer + maintenance welder), Baxter International Mountain Home (the substantial Baxter medical device welder + ASME BPE + Class 100/1000 + GMP), Little Rock AFB Jacksonville (the substantial 314th + 19th Airlift Wing C-130 Hercules maintenance welder + the substantial Little Rock AFB cleared welder + AS9100 + AWS D17.1 + cleared facility), Pine Bluff Arsenal (the substantial Pine Bluff chemical agent demilitarization welder + cleared facility), plus substantial AR pipeline + structural + the substantial Arkansas DOT bridge + the substantial Boilermakers Local 69 Little Rock + the substantial Glatfelter Bentonville specialty paper + Rockline Industries Springdale.
Senior Steel Welder (Nucor Hickman / Blytheville)
$65,000–$98,000+ OT
Nucor Steel Hickman + Blytheville · largest US steel producer + EAF + structural welder · AWS D1.1
Senior Boilermaker (Local 69 Little Rock)
$68,000–$118,000+ OT
Boilermakers Local 69 Little Rock + power + industrial boiler · AR prevailing wage
Pipeline Welder (Welspun / X-Ray Certified)
$68,000–$125,000+ OT
Welspun Tubular Little Rock API 5L + pipeline welder · x-ray + 6G + API 1104 + AR midstream
Aerospace Cleared Welder (Little Rock AFB)
$58,000–$92,000+ OT
Little Rock AFB · 314th + 19th Airlift Wing C-130 + post-2024 C-130J cleared welder + AS9100 + AWS D17.1
Medical Device Welder (Baxter Mountain Home)
$58,000–$92,000+ OT
Baxter International Mountain Home · medical device + renal dialysis + IV welder · ASME BPE + GMP
Food Processing Welder (Tyson / Riceland)
$52,000–$82,000+ OT
Tyson Foods Springdale poultry + beef + Riceland rice processing stainless + sanitary welder + ASME BPE
Appliance Manufacturing Welder (Whirlpool)
$48,000–$78,000+ OT
Whirlpool Fort Smith appliance manufacturing + the substantial Whirlpool refrigerator + dishwasher welder
Senior Structural Welder (AISC / Bridge)
$48,000–$78,000+ OT
AISC structural welder · ArkDOT bridge + the substantial AR infrastructure + the substantial Arkansas River + Mississippi River
Mid-Career Welder (3-6 yrs)
$38,000–$55,000+ OT
Mid-career welder transitioning to AWS + 6G + API certified · AR industrial shops
Entry Welder / Apprentice
$28,000–$42,000+ OT
Entry welder apprentice · NWACC + Pulaski Tech + Arkansas Tech + UA-Fort Smith + Boilermakers Local 69 apprenticeship
Worth knowing: Arkansas's distinctive Nucor Steel Mississippi River cluster + Whirlpool Fort Smith + Welspun Tubular + Tyson Foods food processing + Little Rock AFB C-130 + Baxter International + Pine Bluff Arsenal welder concentration is a distinctive Mid-South steel + appliance + aerospace + food processing welder cluster most national welder-career surveys understate. Nucor Steel Hickman + Blytheville (the substantial Nucor Steel as the country's substantial largest US steel producer by output + the substantial Nucor Hickman ~1.4K Nucor employees + the substantial Nucor Blytheville ~1.5K Nucor employees + the substantial Nucor EAF electric arc furnace mini-mill steelmaking + the substantial Nucor scrap-based steel + the substantial Nucor structural + flat-rolled + bar steel + the substantial Nucor AWS D1.1 + AWS D1.5 structural + bridge welder + the substantial Nucor Mississippi River AR Delta steel cluster + the substantial Nucor post-2024 expansions + the substantial Nucor pay-for-performance compensation) supports specialized AR steel welder work — Nucor senior steel welders clear $65-98K + OT with AWS D1.1 + AWS D1.5 + the substantial Nucor pay-for-performance bonus structure. Welspun Tubular Little Rock (the substantial Welspun Tubular pipe manufacturing + the substantial Welspun ~700 Little Rock employees + the substantial Welspun API 5L line pipe + Welspun submerged-arc welding SAW longitudinal seam + the substantial Welspun pipeline welder) supports specialized pipeline welder work — Welspun senior pipeline welders clear $68-125K with x-ray + 6G + API 1104. Tyson Foods Springdale HQ (the substantial Tyson Foods as the substantial largest US poultry + beef processor + the substantial Tyson ~24K AR employees + the substantial Tyson poultry + beef processing stainless welder + ASME BPE + GMP + sanitary) + Riceland Foods Stuttgart (the substantial Riceland as the substantial largest US rice producer + the substantial Riceland rice processing) supports specialized food processing welder work. Whirlpool Fort Smith (the substantial Whirlpool appliance manufacturing + the substantial Whirlpool Fort Smith ~2K employees + the substantial Whirlpool refrigerator + dishwasher + the substantial Whirlpool sheet metal + steel welder) supports specialized appliance manufacturing welder work. Little Rock AFB Jacksonville (the substantial 314th Airlift Wing C-130 Hercules training + the substantial 19th Airlift Wing C-130J Super Hercules + the substantial Little Rock AFB ~7K personnel + the substantial post-2024 C-130J Super Hercules full delivery + the substantial Little Rock AFB cleared welder + AS9100 + AWS D17.1 + cleared facility) supports specialized aerospace cleared welder work. Baxter International Mountain Home (the substantial Baxter Healthcare medical device manufacturing + the substantial Baxter Mountain Home renal dialysis + IV + the substantial Baxter Mountain Home welder + ASME BPE + GMP) supports specialized medical device welder work. Pine Bluff Arsenal (the substantial Pine Bluff Arsenal chemical weapons demilitarization + the substantial Pine Bluff post-2024 chemical weapons demilitarization completion + the substantial Pine Bluff cleared welder + cleared facility) supports specialized cleared chemical facility welder work. Boilermakers Local 69 Little Rock + United Association Plumbers Pipefitters Local 155 Little Rock + UA Local 669 Fort Smith + IBEW Local 295 Little Rock + Ironworkers Local 700 Little Rock + the substantial AR building trades operate substantial collective bargaining at AR industrial + steel + aerospace + medical device prevailing wage rates — though AR IS a Right-to-Work state (signed 1944 + one of the substantial earliest US RTW states) limiting union security clauses, the substantial AR building trades retain prevailing-wage public works contracts. AWS Certified Welder + 6G + API 1104 + ASME Section IX + AWS D1.1 + AWS D1.5 bridge + AWS D17.1 aerospace + ASME BPE biopharmaceutical + cleared facility cert drive 30-60% wage premium. NWACC + Pulaski Tech + Arkansas Tech + UA-Fort Smith + Black River Tech + Boilermakers Local 69 Little Rock apprenticeship pipeline. AR progressive 2.0-3.9% + AR 6.5% sales tax + AR NO estate tax + AR IS a Right-to-Work state anchor the AR welder proposition.
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