Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary in Chicago, IL
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $52,650 a year — 2% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $42,023 take-home, or $3,502 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,138
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,264
- Medicare (1.45%)$763
- Illinois income tax$2,461
- Take-home pay$42,023
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.95% state
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro spans Illinois, Indiana. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers pay by experience in Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $39,130 | $18.81 | $31,829 | $2,652 |
| 25th percentile | $46,270 | $22.25 | $37,212 | $3,101 |
| Median (50th) | $52,650 | $25.31 | $42,023 | $3,502 |
| 75th percentile | $61,750 | $29.69 | $48,884 | $4,074 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $74,450 | $35.79 | $57,665 | $4,805 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $52,650 buys in Chicago, IL
Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.12× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers's $42,023 take-home pay has the buying power of $40,565 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs are less concentrated in Chicago, IL than nationally (location quotient 0.77), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #27 of 31 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baton Rouge, LA | $78,170 | $61,864 | $68,147 |
| 2 | Virginia Beach, VA | $62,670 | $49,746 | $50,792 |
| 3 | Kansas City, MO | $57,370 | $46,518 | $50,266 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $66,240 | $55,404 | $49,854 |
| 5 | Milwaukee, WI | $59,390 | $48,068 | $49,587 |
| 6 | Houston, TX | $57,940 | $48,735 | $49,412 |
| 7 | Tulsa, OK | $53,550 | $43,343 | $48,583 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $61,880 | $49,216 | $46,952 |
| 27 | Chicago, IL | $52,650 | $42,023 | $40,565 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 31 metros →
About the job: welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +2.4% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make in Chicago, IL?
The median welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $52,650 a year, or about $25.31 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $46,270 and $61,750.
What is a welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $52,650 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $42,023 a year ($3,502 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,461 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
Pay here is 2% below the national median of $53,750. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $40,565 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #27 of 31 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers afford rent in Chicago, IL?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Chicago, IL is $1,534 a month ($1,743 for two bedrooms) — 44% of a median welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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