Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by state
Base salary plus target bonus using the Grahall equation. Bonus is a function of base; higher base means a higher target bonus.
Base salary
$52,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$2,000
3.5% of base
Total target cash
$54,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus range (25th to 75th percentile):$1,000 to $3,500
Long-term incentive (LTI) varies by industry and executive tier and is not included in this view.
What Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenderss do
Typical education: Post-Secondary Certificate
Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
Record operational information on specified production reports.
Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlSpeakingReading ComprehensionMonitoringCritical Thinking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay by experience level
Entry level$38,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$42,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$49,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$59,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$69,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-9%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
3,200
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by industry
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
7,890 workers
$53,000
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
7,100 workers
$51,000
Machinery Manufacturing
5,020 workers
$54,500
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing
4,270 workers
$47,000
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)
3,980 workers
$56,000
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)
3,850 workers
$53,500
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
2,630 workers
$49,000
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)
2,610 workers
$53,000
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing
1,930 workers
$49,000
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
1,580 workers
$49,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pays 7% below the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make?
The average base salary for a Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the United States is $52,000 per year, or about $25.00 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $42,000 and $59,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Production roles?
The Production job family averages $56,000 across 112 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
