Welders, Cutters & Solderers salary in Fort Smith, AR
Median pay for welders, cutters & solderers in Fort Smith, AR: $43,360/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $34,500 – $61,420 · about 490 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($48,615) by −$5,255 (-11%).
What it's really worth in Fort Smith
With Fort Smith's cost of living at 85 (US=100), that $43,360 has the buying power of about $50,826 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $53,224 · median home $205,554 · median rent $1,021/mo.
How Fort Smith ranks for this job
On raw pay, Fort Smith, AR is 177th of the 186 metros we hold welders, cutters & solderers wages for. Once Fort Smith's cost of living is applied, it ranks 105th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Fort Smith is one of the places where welders, cutters & solderers gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Fort Smith
A median home in Fort Smith, AR costs $205,554 — about 4.7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,021/mo works out at 28% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where welders, cutters & solderers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Fort Smith.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Fort Smith | Rent vs Fort Smith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $76,540 | +77% | 2.9× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $70,010 | +61% | 1.4× |
| Bremerton, WA | $66,310 | +53% | 2× |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $63,630 | +47% | 1.8× |
Same job elsewhere in AR
| Metro | Median pay | vs Fort Smith | Rent vs Fort Smith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, AR | $46,000 | +6% | 1.6× |
| Little Rock, AR | $45,360 | +5% | 1.2× |
Staying in AR keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires welders, cutters & solderers around Fort Smith
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- OK Foods · Manufacturing
- Weyerhauser · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Fort Smith
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.