Welder Salary in Missouri (2026)
The average Welder in Missouri earns around $60,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $48,742/year ($4,062/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $48,742 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $4,062 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $1,875 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $23/hr |
Federal Tax | $5,020 |
State Tax | $1,648 |
FICA Taxes | $4,590 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 18.76% |
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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 Missouri
Not all Welders earn the same — not even close
Missouri's welder market is anchored by Boeing Defense, Space & Security STL aerospace fabrication (F-15EX + F/A-18 Super Hornet + T-7A Red Hawk + MQ-25 manufacturing), Anheuser-Busch InBev brewery fabrication (St. Louis brewery is one of the largest in the world), Bayer Crop Science (legacy Monsanto, Creve Coeur and Chesterfield campuses), Spirit AeroSystems Kansas City (~5,000 employees, Boeing 737 + 787 subassembly), and substantial agricultural + industrial fabrication. UA Local 562 STL covers pipefitter welding; United Steelworkers represents Boeing Defense + Spirit AeroSystems hourly. The 2025 OT deduction applies through 2028.
Senior Aerospace Welder (Boeing Defense)
$95,000–$155,000 w/OT
F-15 + F/A-18 + T-7A airframe + landing gear welding · DoD security clearance + aerospace certs
Senior Pipefitter / Pipe Welder (UA Local 562)
$92,000–$140,000 w/OT
Industrial process piping welding · pharma + chemical + petroleum · ASME B31.3 specialty
Senior Pressure Vessel / Boiler Welder
$95,000–$155,000 w/OT
AB InBev brewery boilers · BJC hospital boilers · power plant boiler · ASME Section IX certs
Senior Structural Welder (Construction)
$78,000–$115,000 w/OT
McCarthy Building + Clayco structural steel welding · STL + KC commercial construction
Senior Manufacturing Welder (Industrial)
$72,000–$105,000 w/OT
Bayer Crop Science · Emerson Electric manufacturing · agricultural equipment fabrication
Welder (Mid-Level, 3-7 yrs)
$58,000–$82,000 w/OT
Functional welder at MO commercial + industrial sites · post-cert journeyman track
Apprentice / Entry-Level Welder (0-2 yrs)
$38,000–$55,000
Ranken Technical College + STL Community College + Pittsburg State KS pipeline · cert in progress
Welding Inspector (CWI / AWS)
$85,000–$135,000
AWS Certified Welding Inspector · construction QC + manufacturing QC · NDT specialty premium
Underwater / Specialty Welder
$95,000–$165,000 w/OT
Mississippi River barge work · ADM grain elevator welding · specialty niche · commercial dive cert
Welding Engineer / Foreman
$95,000–$155,000
WPS development + procedure qualification · process engineering for fabrication shops
Worth knowing: Boeing Defense, Space & Security St. Louis is the structural depth feature most national welder-market surveys understate. The Boeing Defense STL campus (Mascoutah-Hazelwood-Berkeley complex, ~14,000 employees) operates one of the country's largest aerospace fabrication welding workforces — F-15EX Eagle II, F/A-18 Super Hornet, T-7A Red Hawk trainer, and MQ-25 Stingray unmanned tanker programs all require substantial airframe + landing gear + engine mount welding to AWS D17.1 aerospace welding standards plus DoD security clearance requirements. Senior aerospace welders $95-155K w/OT plus clearance premium. Anheuser-Busch InBev St. Louis brewery (one of the largest single-site breweries in the world) operates substantial boiler + pressure vessel + sanitary stainless welding workforce. Spirit AeroSystems Kansas City (~5,000 employees, Boeing 737 + 787 subassembly) adds parallel aerospace welding depth. The 2025 No Tax on Overtime federal deduction applies through 2028 — at $25K OT premium produces ~$5,500 federal + potential ~$590 MO savings. The 1% city earnings tax in St. Louis AND Kansas City applies to welder wages earned within city limits — AB InBev brewery within STL city limits pays the additional 1%; Boeing Defense + Spirit AeroSystems suburban campuses avoid it.
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More on Missouri
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Missouri in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for Missouri in 2026.
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