Welders, Cutters & Solderers salary in Reading, PA
Median pay for welders, cutters & solderers in Reading, PA: $49,920/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $38,670 – $60,870 · about 800 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($48,615) by +$1,305 (+3%).
What it's really worth in Reading
With Reading's cost of living at 96 (US=100), that $49,920 has the buying power of about $51,749 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $74,617 · median home $312,348 · median rent $1,505/mo.
How Reading ranks for this job
On raw pay, Reading, PA is 62nd of the 186 metros we hold welders, cutters & solderers wages for. Once Reading's cost of living is applied, it ranks 84th.
The headline number flatters Reading. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, welders, cutters & solderers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Reading
A median home in Reading, PA costs $312,348 — about 6.3× 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 $1,505/mo works out at 36% 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 Reading.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Reading | Rent vs Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $76,540 | +53% | 2× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $70,010 | +40% | 0.9× |
| Bremerton, WA | $66,310 | +33% | 1.4× |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $63,630 | +27% | 1.2× |
Same job elsewhere in PA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Reading | Rent vs Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA | $54,080 | +8% | 1.3× |
| Allentown, PA | $50,430 | +1% | 1.2× |
| Harrisburg, PA | $50,310 | +1% | 1× |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $49,790 | +0% | 1× |
Staying in PA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Reading
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.