SOC 51-4121 · Ames, IA metro

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Salary in Ames, IA

The average salary for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Ames, Iowa is $55,970 a year ($26.91 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $58,560: half of the 170 people in this job in the Ames, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($56,760).

$55,970average per year

$26.91 / hourMedian $58,560Take-home ≈ $45,637

  • $41K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $59KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $67K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

170people in this job
-1%vs U.S. average
#4 of 8Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers pay range in Ames

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,620 a year or less, while the top 10% make $67,110 or more. The middle half of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Ames earn between $49,250 and $60,310.

  • $41K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $59KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $67K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$55,970$4,664$26.91
Median$58,560$4,880$28.15
Entry level (25th percentile)$49,250$4,104$23.68
Experienced (75th percentile)$60,310$5,026$29.00

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers pay in Ames vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Ames earn about the same as the Iowa average ($55,580) and about the same as the U.S. average ($56,760). At the median the gap is +9% against the U.S. median of $53,750.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Ames$55,970$58,560$40,620$67,110170
Iowa$55,580$55,090$45,590$65,2509,270
United States$56,760$53,750$39,240$77,530416,210

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers salary after taxes in Ames

On the average salary of $55,970, a single filer in Ames takes home about $45,637 a year, or $3,803 a month and $1,755 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Ames a good place for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Ames area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.8), so the average $55,970 buys what about $63,008 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Ames ($50,220). A typical home costs $280,269, or 5.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $55,970 is worth in another city

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers salary in other Iowa cities

Ames ranks 4th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($58,610).

All Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($83,300).

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers salary by city

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Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers salary in Ames: questions

How much do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make an hour in Ames?

$26.91 an hour on average, and $28.15 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers salary in Ames?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,620 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,250, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers take-home pay in Ames?

About $45,637 a year ($3,803 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $55,970. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn more in Ames than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($56,760).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-4121; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.10, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.