Welders, Cutters & Solderers salary in Knoxville, TN
Median pay for welders, cutters & solderers in Knoxville, TN: $44,070/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $37,450 – $53,840 · about 2,390 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($48,615) by −$4,545 (-9%).
What it's really worth in Knoxville
With Knoxville's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $44,070 has the buying power of about $47,781 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $66,715 · median home $367,158 · median rent $1,762/mo.
How Knoxville ranks for this job
On raw pay, Knoxville, TN is 174th of the 186 metros we hold welders, cutters & solderers wages for. Once Knoxville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 154th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Knoxville 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 Knoxville
A median home in Knoxville, TN costs $367,158 — about 8.3× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,762/mo works out at 48% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
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 Knoxville.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Knoxville | Rent vs Knoxville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $76,540 | +74% | 1.7× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $70,010 | +59% | 0.8× |
| Bremerton, WA | $66,310 | +50% | 1.2× |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $63,630 | +44% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Knoxville | Rent vs Knoxville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarksville, TN | $49,190 | +12% | 0.8× |
| Kingsport, TN | $49,080 | +11% | 0.8× |
| Chattanooga, TN | $47,280 | +7% | 0.9× |
| Nashville, TN | $47,110 | +7% | 1× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires welders, cutters & solderers around Knoxville
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) · Energy
- Clayton Homes · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Knoxville
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.