Welder Salary in Kansas

Key Takeaways

• Welders in Kansas earn median annual wages around $44,000-$52,000, with aerospace and structural specialists at the upper end.
• Wichita is Kansas's top welding market, powered by a massive aerospace manufacturing cluster that demands precision welding skills.
• Kansas City metro welders access union scale wages and large commercial and industrial construction accounts.
• AWS certifications -- particularly D1.1 structural and aerospace welding qualifications -- are most valuable in the Kansas market.
• The BLS projects long-term stable demand for welders, and Kansas aerospace manufacturing keeps local demand consistently above national baselines.
• Spirit AeroSystems, Textron, and dozens of aerospace suppliers in Wichita employ welders at premium wages for aviation-grade work.

Welder Salary in Kansas: Aerospace, Structural, and Beyond

Kansas has a welding identity that most people outside the industry do not expect: the state is home to one of the largest aerospace manufacturing clusters in the United States. Wichita -- the self-proclaimed 'Air Capital of the World' -- is where Boeing's commercial division builds fuselages, where Spirit AeroSystems fabricates structural components for aircraft, and where Cessna, Beechcraft (now Textron Aviation), and Learjet have historically assembled their aircraft. Aerospace manufacturing requires precision welding at a level that commands premium wages.

Beyond aerospace, Kansas welders work in agriculture equipment manufacturing, oil and gas infrastructure, structural steel fabrication, and general manufacturing. Bureau of Labor Statistics data places the national median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at approximately $47,540. Kansas wages track in a range that spans from rural agricultural welding at or below the national median to aerospace specialty welding in Wichita that can push well above it.

Kansas Welder Salaries by Experience

Entry-Level Welders (0-2 Years)

New welders in Kansas entering after training at Wichita Technical Institute, Butler Community College, or other vocational programs typically start in the $16-$20 per hour range ($33,000-$42,000 annually). Entry-level positions in agricultural equipment repair or production welding at general manufacturing shops are the most accessible. Kansas welding students who pursue AWS certification before or during their first positions gain a measurable advantage over uncertified peers in moving up quickly.

Mid-Career Welders (3-7 Years)

Experienced welders in Kansas with solid process skills -- MIG, TIG, flux-core, stick -- and several years of field or production experience typically earn $43,000-$58,000. Welders who make the transition from general manufacturing to aerospace supply chain work during this phase see the most significant wage jump. Wichita aerospace suppliers typically require welders to pass company-specific qualification tests or meet specifications conforming to AWS D17.1 (aerospace welding standard), but the compensation premium for meeting that bar is substantial.

Senior and Certified Welders (8+ Years)

Top-tier Kansas welders -- those with aerospace welding qualifications, AWS CWI credentials, or certified pipe welding capabilities -- earn $58,000-$80,000 and above. Welding engineers and quality supervisors at Wichita aerospace companies reach the highest wages in the trade. Certified Welding Inspectors (CWI) in aerospace supply chains can earn $70,000-$95,000, reflecting the high stakes of weld quality in flight-critical structures.

Kansas Welder Salaries by City

Wichita

Wichita is the undisputed center of premium welding work in Kansas. The aerospace concentration -- Spirit AeroSystems (the world's largest independent commercial aerostructures manufacturer), Textron Aviation, Ducommun, Ducommun, and hundreds of aerospace suppliers -- creates demand for welders who can meet the strictest quality standards in the industry. Aerospace welding positions in Wichita command the highest wages in the state, and the sheer number of aerospace employers means that skilled aerospace welders have multiple competing employers to choose from.

Kansas City Metro (Overland Park, Lenexa, Olathe)

The Kansas side of the Kansas City metro has significant commercial and industrial construction activity, manufacturing, and logistics operations. AWS D1.1-certified structural welders find consistent work in commercial construction and bridge/infrastructure projects. SMAW Local 27 and other union locals in the Kansas City area represent some welding and ironworker positions. Wages in Kansas City suburban markets are competitive and can exceed Wichita rates for structural and ironworker-adjacent roles.

Salina and North Central Kansas

Salina is a manufacturing and regional services hub in north-central Kansas. The area has general manufacturing, agricultural equipment, and some aerospace supply chain activity. Welders here earn close to the statewide median, with cost-of-living advantages relative to Wichita and Kansas City that make the real economic picture more favorable than the nominal wages suggest.

Dodge City and Western Kansas

Western Kansas welders work primarily in agriculture and oil and gas. Custom grain bin erectors, irrigation equipment welders, and oil field pipeline maintenance welders serve this region. Oil and gas pipeline welding in western Kansas commands some of the state's best wages for those holding pipeline welding certifications, though this work often requires mobility across the region or state.

Aerospace Welding: Kansas's Premium Niche

Aerospace welding is the most technically demanding and best-compensated welding specialty in Kansas. The standards applied to weld quality in aircraft manufacturing -- conforming to AWS D17.1, MIL-STD specifications, and OEM-specific process requirements -- require a level of precision and consistency that goes well beyond standard structural or production welding. Welders who earn and maintain aerospace welding qualifications at Wichita manufacturers are among the best-paid production welders in the state.

Entry into aerospace welding typically requires a demonstrated track record in TIG welding on aluminum and various steel alloys, passing company qualification tests, and maintaining welding certification through periodic testing. The investment in developing these skills pays off in job security and wages that can easily exceed $60,000-$75,000 with benefits.

AWS Certifications That Boost Welder Pay in Kansas

• AWS D1.1 Structural Steel Certification -- essential for construction and infrastructure welding across Kansas.
• AWS D17.1 Aerospace Welding Qualification -- required for production welding in Wichita's aerospace supply chain.
• 6G Pipe Welding Certification -- highest-paid welding specialty for oil and gas pipeline work in western Kansas.
• Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) -- supervisory and quality assurance credential commanding $70,000-$95,000 in aerospace environments.
• AWS D1.2 Aluminum Certification -- valued in aerospace component manufacturing and specialty fabrication shops.

Kansas Welding Training Programs

Kansas offers strong welding training options at multiple institutions:

• Wichita Technical Institute (WTI) -- focused technical school with welding programs that feed directly into Wichita's aerospace and manufacturing employers.
• Butler Community College -- El Dorado and Wichita campuses with welding certificates and associate degree options.
• Manhattan Area Technical College -- serves north-central Kansas with welding programs tied to the Manhattan and Junction City markets.
• Kansas City Kansas Community College -- serves the Kansas City metro with welding technology programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average welder salary in Kansas? Based on BLS data for welding occupations, welders in Kansas earn median annual wages in the $44,000-$52,000 range. Aerospace welding specialists in Wichita and certified pipe welders in western Kansas can earn $60,000-$80,000 or more.

What is the highest-paying welding industry in Kansas? Aerospace manufacturing in Wichita is Kansas's highest-paying welding sector. Spirit AeroSystems, Textron Aviation, and the broader Wichita aerospace supply chain pay premium wages for qualified welders who meet aviation-grade qualification standards.

What welding certification is most valuable in Kansas? For Wichita aerospace welders, AWS D17.1 aerospace qualification and strong TIG welding skills are most valuable. For construction and infrastructure work, AWS D1.1 structural certification is the baseline requirement. The CWI credential is the highest-earning certification across all sectors.

Oil and Gas Welding in Western Kansas

Western Kansas sits atop the Hugoton Natural Gas Area, one of the largest natural gas fields in North America. Oil and gas infrastructure maintenance -- pipelines, compression stations, tank battery fabrication -- creates consistent demand for certified welders in the western third of the state. Pipeline welders holding 6G certifications are among the highest-paid welders anywhere in Kansas, often earning $65,000-$90,000 or more when working steady pipeline maintenance contracts.

Pipeline welding in Kansas requires specific certifications that go beyond standard AWS structural credentials. Welders must qualify to API 1104 (pipeline welding standard) or ASME B31.8 (gas transmission) requirements. These qualifications are rigorous but the wage premium for certified pipeline welders is substantial and the demand from gas transmission companies, compressor station operators, and gathering system contractors is consistent.

Agriculture Equipment Welding in Kansas

Kansas is the nation's top wheat producer and a major cattle state. Agriculture creates a parallel welding economy in rural Kansas that is often overlooked in salary discussions. Custom fabrication shops serving farmers, equipment dealerships doing warranty and custom repair work, and co-operative grain handling facilities all employ welders year-round. While wages in this agricultural segment typically run below aerospace or pipeline rates, the work is stable, locally rooted, and often comes with the practical satisfaction of hands-on problem solving.

Welders who develop deep product knowledge of specific brands -- AGCO equipment, Case IH, Great Plains planters -- become especially valuable to dealerships and service companies, which creates a kind of specialized expertise premium that is not always reflected in standard wage data but shows up in job stability and advancement opportunities.

Union Welding Opportunities in Kansas

Kansas has union welding and ironworker representation through several locals. In the Kansas City metro, ironworkers and structural welders may be represented through Iron Workers Local 10, which covers Kansas City and the surrounding region. Sheet metal workers and HVAC workers may have welding components to their work covered under SMART locals. In Wichita, union representation is less common in manufacturing but exists in construction trades.

Union welders in Kansas's largest markets typically earn scale wages that exceed non-union counterparts by 15-25% when total compensation (wages plus benefits) is included. For structural and commercial construction welders in the Kansas City metro, exploring local union membership is a direct path to the state's higher welding wages.