Welders, Cutters & Solderers salary in Charleston, WV
Median pay for welders, cutters & solderers in Charleston, WV: $51,410/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $30,650 – $83,660 · about 180 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($48,615) by +$2,795 (+6%).
What it's really worth in Charleston
With Charleston's cost of living at 89 (US=100), that $51,410 has the buying power of about $57,726 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $54,473 · median home $148,817 · median rent $1,265/mo.
How Charleston ranks for this job
On raw pay, Charleston, WV is 49th of the 186 metros we hold welders, cutters & solderers wages for. Once Charleston's cost of living is applied, it ranks 19th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Charleston 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 Charleston
A median home in Charleston, WV costs $148,817 — about 2.9× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,265/mo works out at 30% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
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 Charleston.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $76,540 | +49% | 2.4× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $70,010 | +36% | 1.1× |
| Bremerton, WA | $66,310 | +29% | 1.6× |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $63,630 | +24% | 1.5× |
Same job elsewhere in WV
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington, WV | $43,130 | −16% | 0.9× |
Staying in WV keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires welders, cutters & solderers around Charleston
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- West Virginia-American Water Company · Energy
- Charleston Stamping and Manufacturing · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Charleston
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.