Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary
In Traverse City, MI, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn $49,420 at the median, or about $23.76 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.37), which stretches that salary to about $52,929 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,224/month, about 36.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Traverse City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Traverse City’s Regional Price Parity (93.37). 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 Traverse City
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers pay in Traverse City tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $54K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,224/month, which is 37% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.37 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Traverse City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $52K | $52K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $49K | $51K |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores | $48K | $52K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $50K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Traverse City, MI
Entry-level welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $29K 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 Traverse City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 37% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,224/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Traverse City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,273/month. At HUD’s $1,224/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 Traverse City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $54K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Traverse City compare to the national average for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
Traverse City pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $54K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make in Traverse City, MI?
The median is $49,420 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,890, and experienced welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers can clear $67,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Traverse City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,304/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,224/month, which eats 37% 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 Traverse City?
Traverse City has a Regional Price Parity of 93.37 (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 $52,929 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.