Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023
51-4122 Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Set up, operate, or tend welding, soldering, or brazing machines or robots that weld, braze, solder, or heat treat metal products, components, or assemblies. Includes workers who operate laser cutters or laser-beam machines.
National estimates for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Industry profile for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Geographic profile for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
National estimates for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 33,020 |
2.7 % |
$ 22.65 |
$ 47,120 |
0.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 16.96 |
$ 18.56 |
$ 21.80 |
$ 25.21 |
$ 30.41 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 35,270 |
$ 38,600 |
$ 45,350 |
$ 52,430 |
$ 63,260 |
Industry profile for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) |
4,720 |
0.61 |
$ 23.73 |
$ 49,350 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing |
4,320 |
0.78 |
$ 21.03 |
$ 43,740 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) |
3,790 |
0.76 |
$ 21.94 |
$ 45,620 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) |
2,810 |
0.60 |
$ 22.09 |
$ 45,940 |
| Motor Vehicle Manufacturing |
2,660 |
0.93 |
$ 27.40 |
$ 56,990 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing |
400 |
0.99 |
$ 23.56 |
$ 49,000 |
| Motor Vehicle Manufacturing |
2,660 |
0.93 |
$ 27.40 |
$ 56,990 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing |
4,320 |
0.78 |
$ 21.03 |
$ 43,740 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) |
3,790 |
0.76 |
$ 21.94 |
$ 45,620 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) |
4,720 |
0.61 |
$ 23.73 |
$ 49,350 |
Top paying industries for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
Geographic profile for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Michigan |
3,650 |
0.84 |
3.86 |
$ 21.33 |
$ 44,370 |
| Kentucky |
3,070 |
1.56 |
7.18 |
$ 26.08 |
$ 54,240 |
| Ohio |
2,940 |
0.54 |
2.47 |
$ 23.13 |
$ 48,100 |
| California |
2,450 |
0.14 |
0.63 |
$ 23.86 |
$ 49,620 |
| Indiana |
2,390 |
0.76 |
3.48 |
$ 21.28 |
$ 44,260 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kentucky |
3,070 |
1.56 |
7.18 |
$ 26.08 |
$ 54,240 |
| Iowa |
1,570 |
1.02 |
4.67 |
$ 23.76 |
$ 49,420 |
| Michigan |
3,650 |
0.84 |
3.86 |
$ 21.33 |
$ 44,370 |
| Indiana |
2,390 |
0.76 |
3.48 |
$ 21.28 |
$ 44,260 |
| Tennessee |
2,180 |
0.68 |
3.12 |
$ 21.12 |
$ 43,940 |
Top paying states for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Alaska |
80 |
0.25 |
1.15 |
$ 31.35 |
$ 65,210 |
| Minnesota |
400 |
0.14 |
0.64 |
$ 27.71 |
$ 57,630 |
| Connecticut |
160 |
0.10 |
0.44 |
$ 26.91 |
$ 55,980 |
| Maryland |
160 |
0.06 |
0.28 |
$ 26.39 |
$ 54,900 |
| Kentucky |
3,070 |
1.56 |
7.18 |
$ 26.08 |
$ 54,240 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
1,480 |
0.78 |
3.58 |
$ 22.38 |
$ 46,550 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
810 |
0.13 |
0.60 |
$ 22.56 |
$ 46,920 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI |
800 |
1.48 |
6.82 |
$ 20.32 |
$ 42,260 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN |
740 |
0.69 |
3.18 |
$ 22.95 |
$ 47,740 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN |
660 |
0.99 |
4.54 |
$ 22.22 |
$ 46,220 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
630 |
0.23 |
1.05 |
$ 22.88 |
$ 47,590 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
550 |
0.48 |
2.20 |
$ 25.74 |
$ 53,540 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
530 |
0.17 |
0.77 |
$ 25.41 |
$ 52,840 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN |
520 |
0.48 |
2.23 |
$ 21.91 |
$ 45,570 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
450 |
0.16 |
0.74 |
$ 20.32 |
$ 42,260 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN |
420 |
3.08 |
14.17 |
$ 21.29 |
$ 44,290 |
| Jackson, TN |
200 |
2.94 |
13.50 |
$ 18.30 |
$ 38,050 |
| Niles-Benton Harbor, MI |
170 |
2.90 |
13.34 |
$ 21.36 |
$ 44,420 |
| Columbus, IN |
100 |
1.93 |
8.89 |
$ 23.51 |
$ 48,910 |
| Mansfield, OH |
90 |
1.85 |
8.52 |
$ 17.08 |
$ 35,520 |
| Springfield, OH |
80 |
1.77 |
8.16 |
$ 17.89 |
$ 37,210 |
| Decatur, AL |
90 |
1.52 |
7.01 |
$ 19.97 |
$ 41,530 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI |
800 |
1.48 |
6.82 |
$ 20.32 |
$ 42,260 |
| Muskegon, MI |
80 |
1.38 |
6.34 |
$ 19.29 |
$ 40,120 |
| Bowling Green, KY |
100 |
1.29 |
5.92 |
$ 25.35 |
$ 52,730 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
50 |
0.04 |
0.18 |
$ 35.07 |
$ 72,940 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
(8) |
(8) |
(8) |
$ 28.01 |
$ 58,270 |
| New Haven, CT |
40 |
0.14 |
0.65 |
$ 27.28 |
$ 56,740 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA |
80 |
0.07 |
0.34 |
$ 26.81 |
$ 55,770 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC |
170 |
0.23 |
1.08 |
$ 26.46 |
$ 55,030 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY |
60 |
0.11 |
0.51 |
$ 26.40 |
$ 54,920 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA |
140 |
0.30 |
1.36 |
$ 26.04 |
$ 54,150 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
340 |
0.14 |
0.64 |
$ 26.00 |
$ 54,080 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT |
50 |
0.10 |
0.45 |
$ 25.97 |
$ 54,020 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
210 |
0.11 |
0.50 |
$ 25.97 |
$ 54,010 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024
United States Department of Labor
