Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary
In Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn $56,720 at the median, or about $27.27 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $86K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 107.78), so that salary is closer to $52,626 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,827/month, about 76.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Rosa-Petaluma’s Regional Price Parity (107.78). 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $54K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,827/month, which is 73.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 107.78), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in metros near Santa Rosa-Petaluma, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $56K | $49K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $52K | $49K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $63K | $56K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $64K | $56K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Entry-level welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $86K or more, a $40K 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 73.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,827/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,776/month. At HUD’s $2,827/month FMR, rent would take 102% 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $54K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Santa Rosa-Petaluma compare to the national average for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
Santa Rosa-Petaluma pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $54K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 107.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?
The median is $56,720 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,260, and experienced welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers can clear $85,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,827/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,827/month, which eats 73.9% 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Santa Rosa-Petaluma has a Regional Price Parity of 107.78 (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 $52,626 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.