Welder Salary in Minnesota (2026)

Worth knowing: Minnesota's substantial Twin Cities medical device welder concentration + Iron Range mining welder + 3M industrial welder concentration is a distinctive MN welder feature most national welder-career surveys understate. The country's substantial Minnesota Twin Cities medical device cluster (Medtronic Mounds View Fortune 200 medical devices + the substantial Medtronic Operational HQ + the country's substantial Medtronic medical device + pacemaker + insulin pump + the substantial Medtronic ~9K MN employees + Boston Scientific Maple Grove cardiac devices + the country's substantial Boston Scientific cardiac device welder + St. Jude Medical now Abbott Cardiovascular + the country's substantial US Twin Cities medical device welder + the substantial TIG + GTAW microweld + FDA cleanroom + the substantial Medical Alley Association) supports specialized medical device welder work — medical device welders at Medtronic + Boston Scientific + Abbott clear $72-118K with FDA cleanroom + microweld + GTAW specialty cert. The country's substantial Minnesota Iron Range mining cluster (Mesabi Iron Range + Minntac Mountain Iron + Hibbing Taconite + Northshore Mining Babbitt + United Taconite Forbes + the substantial Iron Range taconite production + the substantial Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Range heritage + ArcelorMittal cross-state + the substantial Iron Range maintenance + turnaround welder + USW Local 1938 + Local 6860 collective bargaining) supports substantial Iron Range mining equipment welder work — Iron Range welders clear $72-118K with USW prevailing wage. 3M Maplewood (~12K MN employees + the substantial 3M Center industrial welder) + Polaris Industries Medina + Cargill + Hormel + Land O Lakes + Schwan + the substantial Twin Cities Fortune 500 industrial welder concentration support substantial MN industrial welder work. Fraser Shipyards Superior WI cross-border + Duluth Twin Ports commercial shipbuilding + the substantial Great Lakes commercial maritime + USCG cutter + the substantial Lake Superior cargo + the substantial Twin Ports welder demand. Enbridge Line 3 pipeline construction (post-2021 Enbridge Line 3 replacement + the substantial MN pipeline welder demand). Boilermakers Local 647 Twin Cities + United Association Pipefitters Local 539 Twin Cities + IBEW Local 292 Minneapolis + Ironworkers Local 512 St. Paul + USW Local 1938 + Local 6860 + the substantial MN building trades operate substantial collective bargaining at MN industrial + Iron Range + medical device + shipyard prevailing wage rates — MN NOT a RTW state. AWS Certified Welder + 6G + API 1104 + ASME Section IX + AWS D1.1 + AWS D17.1 medical device welding cert + ASME BPVC pressure vessel cert drive 30-60% wage premium. Dunwoody College of Technology + Hennepin Technical College + St. Paul College + Anoka Technical College + Lake Superior College + the substantial MN technical college welding pipeline. MN progressive top 9.85% + MN estate tax $3M + MN NOT a RTW state anchor the MN welder proposition.