Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary
In Bloomington, IN, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn $44,730 at the median, or about $21.51 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.08), that's roughly $47,045 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,210/month, about 38.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $45K get you in Bloomington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bloomington’s Regional Price Parity (95.08). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Bloomington
Pay for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Bloomington runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $54K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,210/month, which is 39.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.08) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in metros near Bloomington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $51K | $53K |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $51K | $56K |
| Fort Wayne | $49K | $53K |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette | $49K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bloomington, IN
Entry-level welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $50K spread from bottom to top.
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $81K | +50% | 790 |
| Hawaii | $79K | +47% | 520 |
| Connecticut | $65K | +21% | 1,790 |
| Wyoming | $64K | +19% | 1,850 |
| Washington | $63K | +17% | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $63K | +16% | 2,830 |
| New Hampshire | $62K | +16% | 1,110 |
| Louisiana | $62K | +16% | 13,690 |
| Maine | $62K | +16% | 1,690 |
| North Dakota | $62K | +15% | 2,590 |
| Nevada | $62K | +14% | 1,600 |
| Vermont | $61K | +13% | 340 |
| Maryland | $60K | +12% | 2,850 |
| Minnesota | $60K | +12% | 9,270 |
| District of Columbia | $60K | +12% | 280 |
| New Mexico | $60K | +11% | 2,390 |
| Oregon | $59K | +11% | 5,240 |
| New Jersey | $59K | +11% | 3,730 |
| Virginia | $59K | +10% | 10,100 |
| New York | $59K | +10% | 8,310 |
| Colorado | $59K | +9% | 4,970 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +9% | 15,320 |
| Utah | $58K | +9% | 4,440 |
| California | $58K | +8% | 26,060 |
| Delaware | $57K | +7% | 600 |
| Montana | $56K | +3% | 1,530 |
| Arizona | $56K | +3% | 7,270 |
| Iowa | $55K | +2% | 9,270 |
| Texas | $53K | -1% | 52,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $53K | -2% | 17,850 |
| Nebraska | $52K | -3% | 4,200 |
| Missouri | $52K | -3% | 10,600 |
| Kentucky | $51K | -4% | 6,630 |
| Illinois | $51K | -5% | 16,260 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -5% | 6,460 |
| Florida | $51K | -6% | 16,420 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -6% | 11,750 |
| Rhode Island | $51K | -6% | 2,300 |
| Idaho | $51K | -6% | 3,300 |
| Ohio | $50K | -6% | 20,330 |
| Michigan | $50K | -7% | 13,330 |
| South Carolina | $50K | -7% | 7,380 |
| Indiana | $50K | -7% | 13,280 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -7% | 9,960 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -8% | 3,250 |
| Kansas | $49K | -8% | 6,370 |
| West Virginia | $49K | -9% | 2,100 |
| Alabama | $48K | -10% | 12,450 |
| Georgia | $48K | -10% | 13,130 |
| Tennessee | $48K | -11% | 12,510 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -11% | 6,150 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a welders, cutters, solderers, and brazer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bloomington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 39.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,210/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Bloomington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,108/month. At HUD’s $1,210/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is welders, cutters, solderers, and brazer a high-paying job in Bloomington?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $45K here vs. $54K nationally.
How does Bloomington compare to the national average for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
Bloomington pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $54K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make in Bloomington, IN?
The median is $44,730 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,140, and experienced welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers can clear $85,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Bloomington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,051/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,210/month, which eats 39.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers salary go in Bloomington?
Bloomington has a Regional Price Parity of 95.08 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers salary is worth about $47,045 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.