Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary
In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn $51,080 at the median, or about $24.56 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $58,672 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,051/month, about 31.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterloo-Cedar Falls’s Regional Price Parity (87.06). 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls tracks closely to the national median, $51K locally vs. $54K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,051/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in metros near Waterloo-Cedar Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $49K | $55K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $60K | $65K |
| Cedar Rapids | $57K | $64K |
| Sioux City | $58K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Entry-level welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $18K 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 31.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,051/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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,778/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $51K locally vs. $54K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $54K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $51,080 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,300, and experienced welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers can clear $63,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,383/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 31.1% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 87.06 (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 $58,672 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.