Welders, Cutters & Solderers salary in Waco, TX
Median pay for welders, cutters & solderers in Waco, TX: $45,440/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $30,750 – $59,010 · about 570 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($48,615) by −$3,175 (-7%).
What it's really worth in Waco
With Waco's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $45,440 has the buying power of about $49,860 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $59,193 · median home $256,772 · median rent $1,404/mo.
How Waco ranks for this job
On raw pay, Waco, TX is 165th of the 186 metros we hold welders, cutters & solderers wages for. Once Waco's cost of living is applied, it ranks 128th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Waco 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 Waco
A median home in Waco, TX costs $256,772 — about 5.7× 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 $1,404/mo works out at 37% 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 Waco.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Waco | Rent vs Waco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $76,540 | +68% | 2.1× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $70,010 | +54% | 1× |
| Bremerton, WA | $66,310 | +46% | 1.5× |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $63,630 | +40% | 1.3× |
Same job elsewhere in TX
| Metro | Median pay | vs Waco | Rent vs Waco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont, TX | $58,380 | +28% | 0.9× |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $55,370 | +22% | 1× |
| Houston, TX | $52,020 | +14% | 1.2× |
| Austin, TX | $49,910 | +10% | 1.2× |
Staying in TX keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires welders, cutters & solderers around Waco
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Cargill Meat Solutions · Manufacturing
- L-3 Integrated Systems · Aerospace/Defense
Other jobs in Waco
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.