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Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in Michigan
Considering working as a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in Michigan? Here’s what the data says. Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
What do Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Make in Michigan?
The welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers working in Michigan, the typical annual salary is $48,930 per year (or roughly $23.53/hour).Pay can range from $37,440 at the 10th percentile to $72,420 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,440 | $18.00 |
| 25th percentile | $43,680 | $21.00 |
| Median (50th) | $48,930 | $23.53 |
| 75th percentile | $58,530 | $28.14 |
| 90th percentile | $72,420 | $34.82 |
Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Michigan compared to the national average — is 1.13, meaning that welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers are more concentrated here than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn a median of $60,230 per year ($28.96/hour), below the Michigan median.
Employment Outlook
There are roughly 231,383 welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers across the United States. In Michigan alone, around 13,640 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 6,310 welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers.
Top Michigan Metros for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
These are the Michigan metros with the most welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Michigan.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 5,240 | $50,250 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 2,450 | $48,100 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 360 | $49,380 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 270 | $52,430 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | 270 | $46,850 |
| Niles, MI | 260 | $50,230 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 210 | $48,860 |
| Monroe, MI | 200 | $47,390 |
| Saginaw, MI | 200 | $47,600 |
| Flint, MI | 170 | $46,700 |
| Jackson, MI | 170 | $47,870 |
| Battle Creek, MI | 140 | $48,910 |
| Traverse City, MI | 140 | $48,380 |
| Bay City, MI | 120 | $52,460 |
| Midland, MI | 80 | $49,650 |
Top States for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Employment
View the states that employ the most welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| Texas | 56,650 |
| California | 26,100 |
| Ohio | 20,110 |
| Illinois | 17,340 |
| Wisconsin | 16,820 |
| Florida | 16,390 |
| Pennsylvania | 16,060 |
| Georgia | 14,030 |
| Michigan | 13,640 |
| Indiana | 13,260 |
| Tennessee | 12,610 |
| Alabama | 12,570 |
| Louisiana | 12,360 |
| North Carolina | 12,020 |
| Virginia | 10,690 |
| Missouri | 10,270 |
| Oklahoma | 9,780 |
| Minnesota | 9,420 |
| Iowa | 9,250 |
| New York | 7,810 |
Highest-Paying States for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Where welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn the most: welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $76,970 |
| Alaska | $75,140 |
| Wyoming | $66,070 |
| Connecticut | $64,520 |
| Washington | $61,730 |
| Massachusetts | $61,710 |
| North Dakota | $60,270 |
| Louisiana | $59,860 |
| New Jersey | $59,630 |
| Nevada | $59,370 |
Skills
Key welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
Top abilities for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers typically:
- Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.
- Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
- Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
- Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.
- Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment.
- Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
- Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
- Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.
- Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring that there is no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreign matter.
- Align and clamp workpieces together, using rules, squares, or hand tools, or position items in fixtures, jigs, or vises.
- Connect and turn regulator valves to activate and adjust gas flow and pressure so that desired flames are obtained.
- Position and secure workpieces, using hoists, cranes, wire, and banding machines or hand tools.
Work Activities
- Getting Information
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Tools & Technology
Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Programs that train for this career include:
Related Careers
Other careers like welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers include:
- Boilermakers
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
Also Known As
Acetylene Burner, Acetylene Cutter, Acetylene Operator, Acetylene Torch Burner, Acetylene Torch Operator, Acetylene Torch Solderer, Aluminum Welder, Arc Cutter, Arc Wedler, Arc Welder, Assembler Brazer, Assembly Line Brazer, Atomic Welder, Bar Welder, Barrel Ribs Solderer.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 51-4121.00
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