SOC 51-4121

Welder Salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + TN
COL Index: 90.47 (-9.5% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 79.0% Realized
$43,986 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $55,690 $26.77/hr
Effective Tax Drag 15.02% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$8,362 $321.62/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $26.77 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,341/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$401/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,102
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,453
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$808
Tennessee Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$43,986 ($1,691.79 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Welder Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $55,690
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $37.8k 25th $45.2k Median: $55,690 50th (Median) $55.7k 75th $65.3k 90th $69.1k You: $55,690
10th (Entry) $37,780 $18.16/hr
25th (Junior) $45,230 $21.75/hr
50th (Median) $55,690 $26.77/hr
75th (Senior) $65,280 $31.38/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $69,130 $33.24/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Welder in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
1
Welder ApprenticeHigh school diploma or equivalent (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$40,615$19.53/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified WelderDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; AWS welding certification
$48,489$23.31/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman Welder (Structural / Pipe)Full professional competence; leads projects or a small team; AWS welding certification
$55,742$26.80/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Welding SupervisorOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$65,274$31.38/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Welding Inspector (CWI) / Shop OwnerExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$80,297$38.60/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA medianView National Welder Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers-$40/yr
National median: $53,710
Skill overlap: 91%
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders-$5,830/yr
National median: $47,920
Skill overlap: 89%
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters-$2,420/yr
National median: $51,330
Skill overlap: 89%
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers+$11,630/yr
National median: $65,380
Skill overlap: 78%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
23% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $845/month Requires minimum annual gross of $33,800
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,091/month Requires minimum annual gross of $43,640
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $20.01/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $18.11/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$55,690-$8,362$43,986$1,691.79
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$66,132-$10,339$51,825$1,993.28
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$76,574-$12,863$59,116$2,273.69
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$87,016-$15,822$65,973$2,537.43
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$97,458-$18,780$72,830$2,801.17
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Welder in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Tennessee tax codes.

Market Baseline
$55,690/yr
$26.77/hr · SOC 51-4121
Statutory Tax Drag
15.02% Effective
-$8,362 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
23% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,821/mo
Post-$845/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 51-4121
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Welder in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA: Market Snapshot

Welder roles in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA report a median annual wage of $55,690, 3.6% above the national median of $53,750. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $37,780 to $69,130, and HUD’s $845 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 18.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $20.01 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Welder

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lima, OH$85,790+54.0%
Urban Honolulu, HI$81,120+45.7%
Fairbanks-College, AK$80,210+44.0%
Baton Rouge, LA$78,170+40.4%
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$75,040+34.7%
Anchorage, AK$74,000+32.9%
Lake Charles, LA$72,920+30.9%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,720+28.8%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$67,280+20.8%
Portland-South Portland, ME$66,420+19.3%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$189,410$91.06/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$138,550$66.61/hr
Marketing Managers$136,240$65.50/hr
Industrial Production Managers$133,240$64.06/hr
Sales Managers$132,950$63.92/hr
Human Resources Managers$132,680$63.79/hr
Financial Manager$132,280$63.60/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$130,830$62.90/hr
Purchasing Managers$130,490$62.74/hr
Administrative Services Managers$122,130$58.72/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 382 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Welder Salary in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA (2026) Overview

Welder median pay in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA is $55,690 a year ($26.77/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living wage. Official 2026 economic data for Welder in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Welder in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA?

The median annual wage is $55,690 ($26.77 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $37,780 and $69,130. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Welder in Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA after taxes?

On the median wage of $55,690, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $46,927 a year ($3,911 a month) after $8,763 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 15.74%, using 2026 tax rules.