Licensed Practical vs Welders
Licensed Practical earns $10,650 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Licensed Practical | Welders | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2025 | $64,400 | $53,750 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $49,740 to $83,440 | $39,240 to $77,530 |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 1 | 0.5 |
| Typical entry education | Postsecondary nondegree award | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Jobs opening up each year | 51,800 | 40,300 |
| Growth by 2035 | 3.0% | 2.4% |
| People doing it now | 666,900 | 437,700 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $83,150 in Washington down to $50,220 in Mississippi | $80,840 in Alaska down to $47,970 in Arkansas |
Also compared: Automotive Service Technicians vs Licensed Practical Automotive Service Technicians vs Welders Carpenters vs Licensed Practical Carpenters vs Welders Dental Assistants vs Licensed Practical Dental Assistants vs Welders
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Licensed Practical
- Registered Nurses
- Paramedics
- Nurse Practitioners
- Acute Care Nurses
- Nursing Assistants
- Critical Care Nurses
What these usually take: A trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
Welders
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
- Boilermakers
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers
What these usually take: High school, then a few months to a year of on-the-job training.
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Jobs that take more training than this one
A job zone is the U.S. Department of Labor’s published measure of how much preparation a job takes. It says nothing about pay.
Licensed Practical
- Registered NursesUsually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience. +$31,260 a year more at the middle.
- Nurse PractitionersGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate. +$66,870 a year more at the middle.
- Acute Care NursesUsually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
- Critical Care NursesUsually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
- Clinical Nurse SpecialistsGraduate school — a master's, or a doctorate.
Welders
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related RepairersA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
- Tool and Die MakersA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
O*NET 30.3 Database and O*NET Job Zones, U.S. Department of Labor. A job zone is a published measure of how much preparation an occupation takes, not a measure of pay or of whether a job is better. Pay differences are BLS median annual wages, May 2025, and are shown only where both jobs are on this site.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2025, and employment projections 2025-35. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.