Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
In Madison, WI, welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn $54,440 at the median, or about $26.17 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $55,956 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,168/month, about 32.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $54K actually covers in Madison, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Madison
Madison sits well above the national pay line for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $48K. Rent runs $1,168/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $52K | $54K |
| Fond du Lac | $58K | $63K |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | $50K | $54K |
| Green Bay | $59K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $25K 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 Madison numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 31.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Madison?
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 $3,013/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Madison?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $54K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Madison pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Madison, WI?
The median is $54,440 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,060, and experienced welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $69,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,662/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 31.9% 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 Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $55,956 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.