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How Much Does a Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender Make?

A welding, soldering, and brazing machine setter, operator, and tender in the US earns a median salary of $47,920 a year, or $23.04 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $50,220, and the middle half earn between $40,560 and $57,390.

Median a year $47,920
Median an hour $23.04
Median a month $3,993
Average a year $50,220

Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setter, operator, and tender pay range

What welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $36,860 $17.72
25th $40,560 $19.50
Median (50th) $47,920 $23.04
75th $57,390 $27.59
90th (top 10%) $66,540 $31.99

The median is 6% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 31,600 people work as welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$922
Every two weeks
$1,843
Twice a month
$1,997
A month
$3,993

At the median salary, before tax.

Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setter, operator, and tender salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Alaska pays welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders the most, at $70,110 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Alaska $70,110 $62,700 50 After tax
Arizona $68,030 $70,150 280 After tax
Illinois $61,020 $58,840 180 After tax
Washington $60,410 $58,990 50 After tax
Oregon $60,220 $58,650 250 After tax
Louisiana $57,500 $48,740 320 After tax
Nebraska $56,740 $57,280 650 After tax
Minnesota $56,670 $57,560 670 After tax
New York $56,230 $52,080 740 After tax
Wisconsin $56,140 $57,640 1,150 After tax
Missouri $55,980 $56,210 560 After tax
Idaho $53,610 $50,850 100 After tax
Connecticut $53,440 $47,900 590 After tax
California $53,170 $48,940 2,290 After tax
Texas $52,860 $51,310 1,750 After tax
Iowa $52,530 $51,740 1,310 After tax
Kentucky $52,390 $50,740 1,000 After tax
Rhode Island $52,360 $50,040 160 After tax
New Jersey $52,310 $53,680 510 After tax
South Dakota $51,970 $52,520 150 After tax
Colorado $51,890 $49,860 100 After tax
Massachusetts $51,550 $50,480 480 After tax
Ohio $51,130 $48,190 2,190 After tax
North Carolina $51,080 $47,580 820 After tax
West Virginia $50,820 $46,460 120 After tax
Nevada $50,710 $47,870 170 After tax
Kansas $50,430 $46,710 160 After tax
Maine $50,080 $48,410 60 After tax
Maryland $49,900 $47,110 430 After tax
Virginia $49,670 $49,160 410 After tax
Pennsylvania $49,450 $47,530 1,120 After tax
New Hampshire $49,220 $47,500 290 After tax
South Carolina $49,000 $46,260 340 After tax
Indiana $47,520 $43,960 2,840 After tax
Arkansas $46,950 $46,880 210 After tax
Georgia $46,460 $45,850 840 After tax
Tennessee $46,330 $47,180 1,950 After tax
Florida $44,690 $41,420 740 After tax
Michigan $44,610 $42,530 3,150 After tax
Oklahoma $43,860 $40,400 460 After tax
Alabama $43,420 $40,050 1,250 After tax
Utah $42,710 $40,600 120 After tax
Mississippi $40,690 $37,390 480 After tax
Montana $38,430 $35,670 – After tax
Puerto Rico $33,090 $26,980 90

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other production jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” (SOC 51-4122). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a welding, soldering, and brazing machine setter, operator, and tender make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a welding, soldering, and brazing machine setter, operator, and tender is $23.04, and the average is $24.15. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $17.72 an hour and the top 10% over $31.99.

How much does a welding, soldering, and brazing machine setter, operator, and tender make a month?

At the median salary of $47,920, a welding, soldering, and brazing machine setter, operator, and tender earns about $3,993 a month before tax, or $1,843 every two weeks.

Which state pays welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders the most?

Alaska has the highest average pay for a welding, soldering, and brazing machine setter, operator, and tender, at $70,110 a year. Next are Arizona and Illinois. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a welding, soldering, and brazing machine setter, operator, and tender?

The lowest-paid 10% of welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn less than $36,860 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $40,560. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders make?

The top 10% earn more than $66,540 a year, and the top 25% more than $57,390.