Best Cities for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where welders, cutters, solderers, and brazerss 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	AlaskaState	1.44	$80,840	$77,507	20%
2	HawaiiState	1.34	$79,000	$71,818	36%
3	LouisianaState	1.29	$62,250	$69,090	20%
4	WyomingState	1.28	$63,820	$68,624	19%
5	North DakotaState	1.25	$62,000	$66,955	19%
6	New MexicoState	1.21	$59,840	$65,043	21%
7	WisconsinState	1.18	$58,410	$63,283	22%
8	MaineState	1.16	$62,220	$62,345	25%
9	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.16	$61,880	$62,191	29%
10	IowaState	1.15	$55,090	$61,760	21%
11	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.15	$57,370	$61,821	27%
12	MinnesotaState	1.14	$60,280	$61,510	25%
13	NevadaState	1.14	$61,520	$61,397	28%
14	ConnecticutState	1.12	$64,880	$60,297	29%
15	MississippiState	1.12	$51,100	$60,259	21%
16	VermontState	1.11	$60,890	$59,405	28%
17	MissouriState	1.09	$51,950	$58,634	24%
18	New HampshireState	1.09	$62,360	$58,830	31%
19	WashingtonState	1.09	$63,020	$58,733	36%
20	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.09	$61,920	$58,526	33%
21	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.09	$56,070	$58,528	32%
22	KentuckyState	1.08	$51,470	$58,158	22%
23	UtahState	1.08	$58,380	$58,263	31%
24	West VirginiaState	1.08	$48,810	$57,969	21%
25	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.08	$53,610	$57,957	26%
26	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.08	$66,240	$57,953	40%
27	MassachusettsState	1.07	$62,570	$57,668	43%
28	MontanaState	1.07	$55,610	$57,687	24%
29	OregonState	1.07	$59,450	$57,718	32%
30	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.07	$62,050	$57,560	35%
31	NebraskaState	1.06	$52,220	$57,071	24%
32	VirginiaState	1.06	$59,180	$57,179	32%
33	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.06	$51,810	$56,809	28%
34	DelawareState	1.05	$57,270	$56,703	28%
35	OklahomaState	1.05	$49,720	$56,181	23%
36	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.05	$63,770	$56,185	48%
37	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.05	$58,380	$56,406	33%
38	AlabamaState	1.04	$48,490	$55,672	24%
39	OhioState	1.04	$50,340	$55,686	25%
40	TexasState	1.04	$53,340	$55,795	31%
41	ArizonaState	1.03	$55,600	$55,104	32%
42	ArkansasState	1.03	$47,970	$55,585	22%
43	ColoradoState	1.03	$58,590	$55,588	38%
44	MarylandState	1.03	$60,310	$55,229	33%
45	IndianaState	1.02	$49,730	$54,950	25%
46	KansasState	1.02	$49,410	$54,900	25%
47	New JerseyState	1.02	$59,440	$54,632	36%
48	Columbus, OHMetro	1.02	$51,260	$54,824	30%
49	MichiganState	1.01	$49,990	$54,160	27%
50	PennsylvaniaState	1.01	$52,900	$54,536	29%
51	South CarolinaState	1.01	$49,980	$54,326	30%
52	South DakotaState	1.01	$49,440	$54,449	23%
53	North CarolinaState	1.00	$50,590	$53,591	31%
54	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.00	$60,670	$53,785	39%
55	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.99	$51,630	$53,117	37%
56	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	0.99	$64,140	$53,361	59%
57	CaliforniaState	0.98	$58,060	$52,448	47%
58	District of ColumbiaState	0.98	$60,180	$52,651	42%
59	IllinoisState	0.98	$51,320	$52,690	31%
60	New YorkState	0.98	$59,140	$52,569	37%
61	TennesseeState	0.98	$48,040	$52,503	31%
62	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.98	$48,220	$52,413	32%
63	IdahoState	0.97	$50,530	$52,363	28%
64	GeorgiaState	0.96	$48,430	$51,852	35%
65	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.96	$49,460	$51,414	38%
66	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.95	$49,630	$51,271	39%
67	Rhode IslandState	0.94	$50,580	$50,328	36%
68	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.94	$54,590	$50,313	45%
69	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.94	$49,930	$50,690	41%
70	FloridaState	0.93	$50,640	$49,892	41%
71	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.90	$56,160	$48,206	48%

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