Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary
In Worcester, MA, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn $60,320 at the median, or about $29 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.52), that's roughly $58,837 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,056/month, about 51.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Worcester?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Worcester’s Regional Price Parity (102.52). 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 Worcester
Worcester sits well above the national pay line for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $54K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,056/month, which is 52% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.52) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in metros near Worcester, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $64K | $59K |
| Springfield | $56K | $58K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $62K | $55K |
| Providence-Warwick | $53K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Worcester, MA
Entry-level welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $34K 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 Worcester?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 52% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,056/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 Worcester?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,863/month. At HUD’s $2,056/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Worcester?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $60K here vs. $54K nationally.
How does Worcester compare to the national average for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
Worcester pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $54K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.52), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make in Worcester, MA?
The median is $60,320 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,720, and experienced welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers can clear $81,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Worcester?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,957/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,056/month, which eats 52% 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 Worcester?
Worcester has a Regional Price Parity of 102.52 (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 $58,837 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.