Welders, Cutters & Solderers salary in Cedar Rapids, IA
Median pay for welders, cutters & solderers in Cedar Rapids, IA: $47,350/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $38,450 – $63,290 · about 450 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($48,615) by −$1,265 (-3%).
What it's really worth in Cedar Rapids
With Cedar Rapids's cost of living at 90 (US=100), that $47,350 has the buying power of about $52,619 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $75,477 · median home $244,344 · median rent $1,234/mo.
How Cedar Rapids ranks for this job
On raw pay, Cedar Rapids, IA is 120th of the 186 metros we hold welders, cutters & solderers wages for. Once Cedar Rapids's cost of living is applied, it ranks 66th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Cedar Rapids 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 Cedar Rapids
A median home in Cedar Rapids, IA costs $244,344 — 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 $1,234/mo works out at 31% 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 Cedar Rapids.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Cedar Rapids | Rent vs Cedar Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $76,540 | +62% | 2.4× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $70,010 | +48% | 1.1× |
| Bremerton, WA | $66,310 | +40% | 1.7× |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $63,630 | +34% | 1.5× |
Same job elsewhere in IA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Cedar Rapids | Rent vs Cedar Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA | $50,700 | +7% | 1× |
| Davenport, IA | $45,150 | −5% | 0.8× |
Staying in IA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires welders, cutters & solderers around Cedar Rapids
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Rockwell Collins · Aerospace/Defense
- Archer Daniels Midland · Manufacturing
- General Mills · Manufacturing
- Quaker Oats · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Cedar Rapids
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.