Welder Salary in Wisconsin (2026)
The average Welder in Wisconsin earns around $64,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $51,538/year ($4,295/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $51,538 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $4,295 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $1,982 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $25/hr |
Federal Tax | $5,500 |
State Tax | $2,066 |
FICA Taxes | $4,896 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 19.47% |
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Welder Salary Ranges in Wisconsin
Not all Welders earn the same — not even close
Wisconsin's welder market is anchored by Marinette Marine Fincantieri Marinette (the substantial Marinette Marine shipyard + ~2.4K employees + the substantial Marinette Marine post-2020 USS Constellation FFG-62 Constellation-class frigate program + the substantial Marinette Marine LCS Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship heritage + the substantial Marinette Marine Coast Guard Heritage Class OPC subcontracting + the substantial Marinette Marine welder demand), Harley-Davidson Milwaukee (~5K Milwaukee + Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations + the substantial HD frame + tube welder + the substantial HD post-2024 LiveWire electric + Pan America 1250 welder), WI manufacturing welder concentration (Mercury Marine Fond du Lac outboard motor body-shop welder + Manitowoc Cranes Manitowoc + Generac Waukesha generator + Briggs & Stratton Milwaukee small engine + Rockwell Automation + Snap-on Tools Kenosha + Modine Manufacturing Racine + the substantial WI manufacturing welder cluster), Foxconn Mount Pleasant (the substantial post-2017 Foxconn announcement + post-2021 Microsoft AI infrastructure pivot + the substantial Foxconn-Wisconsin Innovation Center welder), plus substantial WI agricultural + dairy industry stainless food-grade welder + the substantial WI pipeline + structural + bridge + the substantial WI Great Lakes industrial welder demand.
Senior Shipyard Welder (Marinette Marine FFG-62)
$62,000–$98,000+ OT
Marinette Marine Fincantieri · USS Constellation FFG-62 frigate + LCS Freedom-class + USCG OPC subcontracting
Senior Auto / Motorcycle Welder (HD / Mercury Marine)
$58,000–$92,000+ OT
Harley-Davidson Milwaukee + Mercury Marine Fond du Lac + the substantial WI motorcycle + marine body-shop
Senior Boilermaker (Local 107)
$72,000–$132,000+ OT
Boilermakers Local 107 Milwaukee + WE Energies + power + industrial boiler · prevailing wage
Pipeline Welder (X-Ray Certified)
$68,000–$132,000+ OT
Pipeline welder · x-ray + 6G + API 1104 + WI gas pipeline + the substantial WI midstream
Senior Structural Welder (AISC / Bridge)
$55,000–$88,000+ OT
AISC structural welder · WisDOT bridge + the substantial WI infrastructure + the substantial Foxconn
Senior Manufacturing Welder (Generac / Manitowoc)
$58,000–$88,000+ OT
Generac Waukesha generator + Manitowoc Cranes + Briggs & Stratton + Rockwell Automation
Stainless / Food-Grade Welder (Dairy)
$58,000–$92,000+ OT
WI dairy industry stainless food-grade welder · Schreiber + Saputo + Foremost + Sargento sanitary
TIG / GTAW Specialty Welder
$62,000–$95,000+ OT
TIG + GTAW specialty · stainless + exotic alloy + pharmaceutical + the substantial WI specialty
Mid-Career Welder (3-6 yrs)
$42,000–$62,000+ OT
Mid-career welder transitioning to AWS + 6G + API certified · WI industrial shops
Entry Welder / Apprentice
$32,000–$45,000+ OT
Entry welder apprentice · MATC + WCTC + Madison College + NWTC + FVTC + Marinette Marine pipeline
Worth knowing: Wisconsin's substantial Marinette Marine Fincantieri shipyard + USS Constellation FFG-62 frigate program + Harley-Davidson + WI manufacturing welder concentration is a distinctive WI welder feature most national welder-career surveys understate. The country's substantial Wisconsin Marinette Marine shipyard cluster (Marinette Marine Fincantieri ~2.4K + the substantial Marinette Marine post-2020 USS Constellation FFG-62 Constellation-class frigate program + the substantial post-2020 ~$795M FFG-62 contract + ~10 frigate option + the substantial Marinette Marine LCS Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship heritage + the substantial Marinette Marine USCG Heritage Class OPC subcontracting + the substantial Marinette Marine Fincantieri European parent backed) supports the country's substantial concentrated US Great Lakes naval combatant welder market — senior Marinette Marine welders clear $62-98K with substantial overtime. Harley-Davidson Milwaukee (Harley-Davidson HQ + Powertrain Operations + the substantial Milwaukee HD frame + tube welder + the substantial HD ~5K Milwaukee + the substantial post-2024 HD LiveWire electric + Pan America 1250 production) supports substantial WI motorcycle welder demand. The substantial WI manufacturing welder concentration (Mercury Marine Fond du Lac outboard motor + Manitowoc Cranes + Generac Waukesha generator + Briggs & Stratton Milwaukee small engine + Rockwell Automation + Snap-on Tools Kenosha + Modine Manufacturing Racine + the substantial WI manufacturing tradition + the substantial WI Tier 1 supplier welder) supports a large body-shop + assembly-line welder market — senior manufacturing welders clear $58-88K + OT. Foxconn Mount Pleasant (the substantial post-2017 $10B+ Foxconn announcement + post-2021 Microsoft AI infrastructure pivot + the substantial Foxconn-Wisconsin Innovation Center) supports periodic large construction welder demand. The substantial WI dairy industry (the country's largest US cheese-producing state + the substantial WI dairy plants + Schreiber Foods + Saputo + Foremost Farms + Sargento + the substantial sanitary stainless + food-grade welder demand) supports specialized stainless + sanitary welder work. Boilermakers Local 107 Milwaukee + United Association Plumbers Pipefitters Local 75 Milwaukee + IBEW Local 494 Milwaukee + Ironworkers Local 8 Milwaukee + the substantial WI building trades operate substantial collective bargaining at WI industrial + shipyard + auto OEM prevailing wage rates — WI RTW since 2015 (Act 1 of 2015 private sector RTW) does not eliminate building trades but reduces shop dues collection. AWS Certified Welder + 6G + API 1104 + ASME Section IX + AWS D1.1 + AWS D3.6M underwater welding (for Marinette + Great Lakes shipyard work) + AWS D14.4 (machinery joints for ag equipment) cert drive 30-60% wage premium. Milwaukee Area Technical College MATC + Waukesha County Technical College WCTC Pewaukee + Madison College + Northeast Wisconsin Technical College NWTC + Fox Valley Technical College FVTC + Northwood Technical College + the substantial WI CC welding pipeline. WI progressive top 7.65% + no state estate tax (repealed 2008) + WI RTW since 2015 anchor the WI welder proposition.
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Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Wisconsin in 2026.
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