Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
In Montana, welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn $35,670 at the median, or about $17.15 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $36,773 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 46.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Montana. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $36K get you in Montana?
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 Montana
Pay for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders in Montana runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 45.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
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 Montana 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 Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 45.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,787/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 63% 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 Montana?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $36K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Montana compare to the national average for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Montana pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — below the national median.
How much do welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Montana?
The median is $35,670 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,790, and experienced welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $63,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,475/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 45.6% 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 Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 97 (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 $36,773 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.