Welders, Cutters & Solderers salary in South Bend, IN
Median pay for welders, cutters & solderers in South Bend, IN: $45,690/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $36,020 – $64,740 · about 390 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($48,615) by −$2,925 (-6%).
What it's really worth in South Bend
With South Bend's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $45,690 has the buying power of about $50,001 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $62,448 · median home $238,866 · median rent $1,340/mo.
How South Bend ranks for this job
On raw pay, South Bend, IN is 163rd of the 186 metros we hold welders, cutters & solderers wages for. Once South Bend's cost of living is applied, it ranks 124th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — South Bend 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 South Bend
A median home in South Bend, IN costs $238,866 — about 5.2× 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 $1,340/mo works out at 35% 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 South Bend.
| Metro | Median pay | vs South Bend | Rent vs South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $76,540 | +68% | 2.2× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $70,010 | +53% | 1× |
| Bremerton, WA | $66,310 | +45% | 1.5× |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $63,630 | +39% | 1.4× |
Same job elsewhere in IN
| Metro | Median pay | vs South Bend | Rent vs South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, IN | $48,310 | +6% | 1.2× |
| Evansville, IN | $46,710 | +2% | 0.8× |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $46,590 | +2% | 0.9× |
Staying in IN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires welders, cutters & solderers around South Bend
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- AM General LLC · Manufacturing
Other jobs in South Bend
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.