Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
In Ann Arbor, MI, welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn $38,900 at the median, or about $18.7 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.88), that's roughly $38,561 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,656/month, about 62.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Ann Arbor?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ann Arbor’s Regional Price Parity (100.88). 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.
About welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
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What this looks like in Ann Arbor
Pay for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders in Ann Arbor runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,656/month, which is 62.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.88) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenderss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders in metros near Ann Arbor, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $44K | $44K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $42K | $44K |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $40K | $42K |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores | $43K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ann Arbor, MI
Entry-level welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $70K | +46% | 280 |
| Alaska | $63K | +31% | 50 |
| Washington | $59K | +23% | 50 |
| Illinois | $59K | +23% | 180 |
| Oregon | $59K | +22% | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +20% | 1,150 |
| Minnesota | $58K | +20% | 670 |
| Nebraska | $57K | +20% | 650 |
| Missouri | $56K | +17% | 560 |
| New Jersey | $54K | +12% | 510 |
| South Dakota | $53K | +10% | 150 |
| New York | $52K | +9% | 740 |
| Iowa | $52K | +8% | 1,310 |
| Texas | $51K | +7% | 1,750 |
| Idaho | $51K | +6% | 100 |
| Kentucky | $51K | +6% | 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $50K | +5% | 480 |
| Rhode Island | $50K | +4% | 160 |
| Colorado | $50K | +4% | 100 |
| Virginia | $49K | +3% | 410 |
| California | $49K | +2% | 2,290 |
| Louisiana | $49K | +2% | 320 |
| Maine | $48K | +1% | 60 |
| Ohio | $48K | +1% | 2,190 |
| Connecticut | $48K | -0% | 590 |
| Nevada | $48K | -0% | 170 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -1% | 820 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -1% | 1,120 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | -1% | 290 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -2% | 1,950 |
| Maryland | $47K | -2% | 430 |
| Arkansas | $47K | -2% | 210 |
| Kansas | $47K | -3% | 160 |
| West Virginia | $46K | -3% | 120 |
| South Carolina | $46K | -3% | 340 |
| Georgia | $46K | -4% | 840 |
| Indiana | $44K | -8% | 2,840 |
| Michigan | $43K | -11% | 3,150 |
| Florida | $41K | -14% | 740 |
| Utah | $41K | -15% | 120 |
| Oklahoma | $40K | -16% | 460 |
| Alabama | $40K | -16% | 1,250 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -22% | 480 |
| Montana | $36K | -26% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Ann Arbor numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ann Arbor?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 62.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,656/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders in Ann Arbor?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,085/month. At HUD’s $1,656/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tender a high-paying job in Ann Arbor?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $39K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Ann Arbor compare to the national average for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Ann Arbor pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — below the national median.
How much do welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Ann Arbor, MI?
The median is $38,900 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,750, and experienced welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $49,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Ann Arbor?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,637/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,656/month, which eats 62.8% 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 welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary go in Ann Arbor?
Ann Arbor has a Regional Price Parity of 100.88 (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 welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary is worth about $38,561 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders 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.