Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary
In California, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn $58,060 at the median, or about $27.91 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $54,701 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 65.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $58K get you in California?
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What this looks like in California
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $58K locally vs. $54K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 63.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $64K | +11% | 1,990 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $64K | +10% | 1,050 |
| Vallejo | $64K | +10% | 280 |
| Napa | $63K | +8% | 70 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $63K | +8% | 2,940 |
| El Centro | $58K | +0% | 70 |
| Salinas | $58K | +0% | 200 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $57K | -1% | 800 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $57K | -1% | 1,530 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $57K | -2% | 260 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $56K | -3% | 7,850 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $55K | -6% | 580 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $53K | -8% | 180 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $53K | -9% | 170 |
| Modesto | $53K | -9% | 450 |
| Redding | $52K | -10% | 100 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $52K | -10% | 3,810 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $51K | -11% | 740 |
| Yuba City | $51K | -12% | 90 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $51K | -12% | 90 |
| Fresno | $51K | -13% | 950 |
| Merced | $50K | -13% | 310 |
| Chico | $49K | -16% | 160 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $48K | -18% | 60 |
| Visalia | $47K | -19% | 350 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
Compare to other states
Track welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a welders, cutters, solderers, and brazer afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 63.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,671/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 93% 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 California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $58K locally vs. $54K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
California pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $54K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make in California?
The median is $58,060 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,520, and experienced welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers can clear $81,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,910/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 63.2% 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 California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers salary is worth about $54,701 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.