Salary guide, May 2025
TIG Welder pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL was $49,930 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $46,670 and $60,310.
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median is $3,820 below the national median of $53,750, both from BLS May 2025.
Direct match · SOC 51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
The TIG Welder title maps to the published occupation. The duties align, but BLS combines employers and industries.
What should you know about tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39,890 | $46,670 | $49,930 | $60,310 | $67,360 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $19.18 | $22.44 | $24.00 | $28.99 | $32.39 |
BLS estimated 2,520 workers employed in this occupation in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Location quotient: 0.65.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39,240 | $46,790 | $53,750 | $63,010 | $77,530 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $18.87 | $22.50 | $25.84 | $30.29 | $37.28 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published TIG Welder median is $49,930. The all-occupations median in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL is $48,940. Ratio: 1.02 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.65 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $44,430 | $48,790 | $58,300 |
| May 2025 | $46,670 | $49,930 | $60,310 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $43,490 | $40,670 to $50,790 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | $49,040 | $39,420 to $57,980 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area, the median annual salary for a TIG Welder is $49,930. For TIG Welder in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $49,930; the May 2024 median is $48,790. Their arithmetic difference is $1,140.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle-band width is $13,640, consisting of a P25 of $46,670 and a P75 of $60,310. Manufacturing Headhunters emphasizes that this role maps to SOC 51-4121, which includes a vast variety of welder positions. BLS data does not parse by the technical screening requirements requested, such as GTAW on thin-wall aluminum or ASME Section IX certifications.
The local median is lower than the national median of $53,750. The national middle-band width is $16,220. For industry-specific context, the national median in Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing is $99,570, while Chemical Manufacturing sits at $76,240. For TIG Welder in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
The Tampa metro reports 2,520 in employment with a location quotient of 0.65. Nearby areas show different profiles, with Wildwood-The Villages, FL reporting a median of $43,490 and Homosassa Springs, FL reporting $49,040. The location quotient indicates that welder concentration in Tampa is lower than the U.S. average. Candidates for these roles are often screened for specialized abilities like orbital tube welding, which are not separately measured in this classification. Hiring managers should use these numbers cautiously, balancing the BLS occupational average against the specialized demands of their facility's TIG welding environment.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How does the Tampa median compare to the national average?
The Tampa median of $49,930 is lower than the national median of $53,750. This suggests that local compensation for this occupational group in Tampa is currently lower than the U.S. benchmark.
Are orbital tube welding requirements reflected in this wage data?
No, the wage data covers the entire SOC 51-4121 occupation. It does not isolate specializations like orbital tube welding or aerospace certification.
What is the middle-band width for Tampa?
The middle-band width for Tampa is $13,640. This is calculated by taking the difference between the P75 value of $60,310 and the P25 value of $46,670.
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