How Much Does It Cost to Run a Welder (MIG or Stick)? (2026)

Welders draw heavy current while the arc is on, from 2 kW for a small MIG at low settings to 7 kW or more for a stick welder at full output. Arc-on time is a small fraction of shop time, so total energy is modest.

A typical welder (mig or stick) (4,000 W) costs $0.73 per hour, or about $5.50 per month at 0.25 hours a day in the US. Average running cost

Electricity price region

Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low 2,000 W	$0.37	$0.092	$2.75	$33.47
Typical 4,000 W	$0.73	$0.18	$5.50	$66.94
High 7,000 W	$1.28	$0.32	$9.63	$117.15

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.25 h/day ≈ 365 kWh per year.

One hour of a welder (mig or stick) (4.0 kWh) is the same electricity as

22km in an electric car
40hours of TV
89hours of a laptop
444hours of an LED bulb

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #66 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

Around the world per year at typical use, local prices

How to lower the cost of running a welder (mig or stick)

Turn the welder off between jobs. Transformer welders draw 10 to 30 watts idle.
Use the lowest amperage that gives good penetration.
Inverter welders are 20 to 30 percent more efficient than transformer types.

In standby it draws about 10 W, which adds roughly 88 kWh ($16.07) per year if it is never unplugged.

Frequently asked questions

How much electricity does a welder use per hour of welding?

About 4 kWh per hour of actual arc time on a typical machine. Real sessions have far less arc time.

Do welders use power when idle?

Transformer welders draw 10 to 30 watts idle; inverters use less.

Is a 240 V welder more expensive to run?

No. Voltage affects available power, not efficiency.

Cost by region

US states

Canadian provinces

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz