Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay in the U.S.
$50,220avg. a year
$24.15 an hour · 31,600 employed
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the U.S. earn an average of $50,220 a year and a median of $47,920. Pay is highest in Alaska ($70,110) and lowest in Montana ($38,430).
$47,920Median pay
$24.15Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
31,600Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
150 jobs
Alaska
$70,110
$33.71 an hour
2280 jobs
Arizona
$68,030
$32.71 an hour
3180 jobs
Illinois
$61,020
$29.34 an hour
450 jobs
Washington
$60,410
$29.04 an hour
5250 jobs
Oregon
$60,220
$28.95 an hour
6320 jobs
Louisiana
$57,500
$27.65 an hour
7650 jobs
Nebraska
$56,740
$27.28 an hour
8670 jobs
Minnesota
$56,670
$27.25 an hour
9740 jobs
New York
$56,230
$27.04 an hour
101,150 jobs
Wisconsin
$56,140
$26.99 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $49k$49k–$52k$52k–$56k$56k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $69,770 | $33.54 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $64,940 | $31.22 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $64,060 | $30.80 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $62,490 | $30.04 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $61,890 | $29.76 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $57,700 | $27.74 |
| Fond du Lac, WI | $57,260 | $27.53 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $57,220 | $27.51 |
Related jobs
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$56,760
- Machinists$59,320
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,430
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,960
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,030
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,170
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $43,420 | $40,050 | 1,250 |
| Alaska | $70,110 | $62,700 | 50 |
| Arizona | $68,030 | $70,150 | 280 |
| Arkansas | $46,950 | $46,880 | 210 |
| California | $53,170 | $48,940 | 2,290 |
| Colorado | $51,890 | $49,860 | 100 |
| Connecticut | $53,440 | $47,900 | 590 |
| Florida | $44,690 | $41,420 | 740 |
| Georgia | $46,460 | $45,850 | 840 |
| Idaho | $53,610 | $50,850 | 100 |
| Illinois | $61,020 | $58,840 | 180 |
| Indiana | $47,520 | $43,960 | 2,840 |
| Iowa | $52,530 | $51,740 | 1,310 |
| Kansas | $50,430 | $46,710 | 160 |
| Kentucky | $52,390 | $50,740 | 1,000 |
| Louisiana | $57,500 | $48,740 | 320 |
| Maine | $50,080 | $48,410 | 60 |
| Maryland | $49,900 | $47,110 | 430 |
| Massachusetts | $51,550 | $50,480 | 480 |
| Michigan | $44,610 | $42,530 | 3,150 |
| Minnesota | $56,670 | $57,560 | 670 |
| Mississippi | $40,690 | $37,390 | 480 |
| Missouri | $55,980 | $56,210 | 560 |
| Montana | $38,430 | $35,670 | – |
| Nebraska | $56,740 | $57,280 | 650 |
| Nevada | $50,710 | $47,870 | 170 |
| New Hampshire | $49,220 | $47,500 | 290 |
| New Jersey | $52,310 | $53,680 | 510 |
| New York | $56,230 | $52,080 | 740 |
| North Carolina | $51,080 | $47,580 | 820 |
| Ohio | $51,130 | $48,190 | 2,190 |
| Oklahoma | $43,860 | $40,400 | 460 |
| Oregon | $60,220 | $58,650 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,450 | $47,530 | 1,120 |
| Rhode Island | $52,360 | $50,040 | 160 |
| South Carolina | $49,000 | $46,260 | 340 |
| South Dakota | $51,970 | $52,520 | 150 |
| Tennessee | $46,330 | $47,180 | 1,950 |
| Texas | $52,860 | $51,310 | 1,750 |
| Utah | $42,710 | $40,600 | 120 |
| Virginia | $49,670 | $49,160 | 410 |
| Washington | $60,410 | $58,990 | 50 |
| West Virginia | $50,820 | $46,460 | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $56,140 | $57,640 | 1,150 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
$46,470
1,190 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$49,390
830 jobsGrand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$42,860
730 jobsNashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
$47,610
720 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$55,740
700 jobsIndianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
$42,370
550 jobsLouisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
$52,160
460 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$56,310
440 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders make?
The average is $50,220 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $47,920 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $24.15, and the median is $23.04 an hour.
Which state pays welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders the most?
Alaska, with an average of $70,110 a year. The best-paying metro area is Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ at $69,770.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $36,860 a year, and the top 10% earn over $66,540.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-4122. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.