Best Cities for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitterss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where structural metal fabricators and fitterss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	IndianaState	1.30	$60,180	$66,497	21%
2	MaineState	1.26	$64,760	$64,890	24%
3	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.23	$58,540	$63,082	26%
4	KentuckyState	1.22	$55,250	$62,429	21%
5	WisconsinState	1.19	$56,310	$61,008	23%
6	AlaskaState	1.18	$63,420	$60,805	26%
7	MissouriState	1.18	$53,610	$60,508	23%
8	OregonState	1.18	$62,220	$60,408	31%
9	AlabamaState	1.17	$52,220	$59,954	22%
10	IdahoState	1.17	$58,140	$60,249	25%
11	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.16	$64,230	$59,583	33%
12	North DakotaState	1.15	$54,430	$58,780	22%
13	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.14	$58,260	$58,553	30%
14	OhioState	1.13	$52,300	$57,854	24%
15	IowaState	1.12	$51,360	$57,578	22%
16	MinnesotaState	1.12	$56,210	$57,357	27%
17	WashingtonState	1.12	$61,850	$57,642	37%
18	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.12	$65,980	$57,725	40%
19	IllinoisState	1.11	$55,380	$56,858	28%
20	MassachusettsState	1.11	$62,040	$57,180	44%
21	OklahomaState	1.11	$50,380	$56,927	23%
22	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.10	$64,350	$56,696	48%
23	South DakotaState	1.09	$50,800	$55,947	23%
24	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.09	$53,990	$55,775	36%
25	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.09	$51,090	$56,020	29%
26	West VirginiaState	1.08	$46,880	$55,677	21%
27	WyomingState	1.08	$51,740	$55,634	23%
28	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.08	$51,510	$55,686	27%
29	TennesseeState	1.07	$50,460	$55,148	30%
30	ConnecticutState	1.06	$58,760	$54,610	32%
31	LouisianaState	1.06	$49,120	$54,517	26%
32	Columbus, OHMetro	1.05	$50,340	$53,840	31%
33	GeorgiaState	1.04	$50,010	$53,544	34%
34	KansasState	1.04	$47,840	$53,156	26%
35	NebraskaState	1.04	$48,820	$53,355	26%
36	PennsylvaniaState	1.04	$51,640	$53,237	30%
37	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.04	$51,540	$53,576	36%
38	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.04	$49,020	$53,283	32%
39	New MexicoState	1.03	$48,700	$52,935	26%
40	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.03	$50,750	$52,975	35%
41	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.03	$54,840	$52,986	35%
42	VirginiaState	1.02	$53,940	$52,116	35%
43	CaliforniaState	1.01	$57,590	$52,023	47%
44	MichiganState	1.01	$47,950	$51,950	28%
45	North CarolinaState	1.01	$48,990	$51,896	32%
46	New JerseyState	1.00	$55,650	$51,149	39%
47	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.00	$58,020	$51,436	41%
48	New HampshireState	0.99	$53,920	$50,868	35%
49	South CarolinaState	0.99	$46,910	$50,989	32%
50	TexasState	0.99	$48,490	$50,722	34%
51	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.99	$49,280	$50,700	39%
52	MississippiState	0.98	$42,550	$50,177	25%
53	New YorkState	0.95	$55,080	$48,960	40%
54	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.95	$56,990	$48,918	48%
55	ColoradoState	0.94	$51,120	$48,501	43%
56	UtahState	0.94	$48,130	$48,034	37%
57	ArizonaState	0.93	$48,150	$47,721	37%
58	ArkansasState	0.93	$41,260	$47,810	26%
59	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.92	$46,330	$47,036	45%
60	DelawareState	0.91	$46,940	$46,475	35%
61	FloridaState	0.90	$46,880	$46,187	44%
62	MarylandState	0.89	$50,110	$45,888	40%
63	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.86	$46,690	$44,130	43%
64	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.86	$48,110	$44,341	51%
65	HawaiiState	0.77	$43,750	$39,773	65%
66	NevadaState	0.77	$39,570	$39,491	44%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).