Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
In Illinois, welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn $58,840 at the median, or about $28.29 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $93K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $62,696 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 36.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $59K get you in Illinois?
About welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
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What this looks like in Illinois
Illinois sits well above the national pay line for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders, local pay runs about 23% higher than the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 36.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $93K or more, a $49K spread from bottom to top.
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $47K | -21% | 320 |
Compare to other states
Track welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 36.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/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 welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,630/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Illinois?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $59K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Illinois pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Illinois?
The median is $58,840 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,830, and experienced welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $92,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,867/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 36.4% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary is worth about $62,696 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.