Trades

Welder Salary in Maryland (2026)

The average Welder in Maryland earns around $60,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $48,357/year ($4,030/month).

Take-Home Pay Breakdown

CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$48,357
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$4,030
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$1,860
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$23/hr
Federal Tax
$5,020
State Tax
$2,033
FICA Taxes
$4,590
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

19.4%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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Working overtime? The 2025 OBBBA deduction may save you up to $12,500 on federal tax. Open the No Tax on Overtime calculator

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Welder Salary Ranges in Maryland

Entry Level (0–3 yrs)

$40,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Mid Level (3–7 yrs)

$60,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Senior Level (7+ yrs)

$130,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Not all Welders earn the same — not even close

Maryland's welder market is anchored by Lockheed Martin facility welding (Bethesda HQ campus plus Hagerstown + Middle River legacy sites), Constellation Energy nuclear power generation welding (Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant Lusby MD — requires substantial ASME Section IX certified welding), Sparrows Point legacy shipbuilding + steel (Baltimore Tradepoint Atlantic redevelopment of legacy Bethlehem Steel site), Aberdeen Proving Ground military vehicle welding, plus substantial pressure vessel + structural welding at MD commercial + industrial sites. The 2025 OT deduction applies through 2028.

Senior Nuclear Plant Welder (ASME Section IX)

$105,000–$165,000 w/OT

Constellation Energy Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant · ASME Section IX cert + NRC-licensed welder premium

Senior Pipefitter / Pipe Welder (UA Local 5)

$95,000–$145,000 w/OT

Industrial process piping welding · pharma + chemical + petroleum · ASME B31.3 specialty

Senior Aerospace / Defense Welder

$95,000–$165,000 w/OT

Lockheed Martin defense fabrication · cleared aerospace welding · TS clearance premium

Senior Pressure Vessel / Boiler Welder

$95,000–$155,000 w/OT

Constellation Energy boilers · Hopkins Hospital + UMMS boilers · power plant · ASME Section IX certs

Senior Structural Welder (Construction)

$82,000–$120,000 w/OT

Whiting-Turner + Clark Construction structural steel · MD Stadium Authority projects

Senior Shipbuilding Welder (Sparrows Point)

$78,000–$115,000 w/OT

Tradepoint Atlantic + smaller shipyard work · legacy Bethlehem Steel skill base

Welder (Mid-Level, 3-7 yrs)

$58,000–$85,000 w/OT

Functional welder at MD commercial + industrial sites · post-cert journeyman track

Apprentice / Entry-Level Welder (0-2 yrs)

$38,000–$55,000

Lincoln Tech Columbia + Anne Arundel CC + Hopkins TIG cert programs · pipeline · cert in progress

Welding Inspector (CWI / AWS)

$85,000–$135,000

AWS Certified Welding Inspector · construction QC + nuclear QC · NDT specialty premium

Welding Engineer / Foreman

$95,000–$155,000

WPS development + procedure qualification · process engineering for fabrication shops

Worth knowing: Constellation Energy Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (Lusby MD) is the structural depth feature most national welder-career surveys understate. Calvert Cliffs operates two pressurized water reactor (PWR) units totaling ~1,800 MW capacity — one of the country's largest nuclear power plants. Nuclear plant welding work requires ASME Section IX certification plus NRC-licensed welder qualifications for primary loop + reactor vessel welding work — senior nuclear plant welders $105-165K w/OT plus periodic refueling outage premium. The 24-month refueling outage cycles drive massive concentrated welding demand windows where contract nuclear welders accumulate substantial OT. Tradepoint Atlantic (the redevelopment of the legacy Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point campus, ~3,300 acres) has been transformed into a major intermodal logistics + industrial campus since 2014 — substantial structural + shipbuilding + heavy fabrication welding work continues. Lockheed Martin Bethesda HQ plus the historic Middle River + Hagerstown facilities support aerospace + defense welding plus cleared work premium. The 2025 No Tax on Overtime federal deduction applies through 2028 — at $25K OT premium produces ~$5,500 federal + ~$1,190 potential MD savings = ~$6,690 cumulative. The MD combined effective rate at senior welder comp ($120K, Montgomery County 3.20% piggyback) is ~7.95%.

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