SOC 51-4121

Welder Salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN (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 + IN + Municipal
COL Index: 93.59 (-6.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 75.6% Realized
$37,072 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $49,020 $23.57/hr
Effective Tax Drag 18.37% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$9,006 $346.40/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 $23.57 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$2,941/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$353/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$3,349
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,039
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$711
Indiana Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,330
Tippecanoe County income tax
1.28%
-$577
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$37,072 ($1,425.86 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN Welder Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $49,020
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $39.4k 25th $48.9k Median: $49,020 50th (Median) $49.0k 75th $53.4k 90th $61.8k You: $49,020
10th (Entry) $39,410 $18.95/hr
25th (Junior) $48,910 $23.51/hr
50th (Median) $49,020 $23.57/hr
75th (Senior) $53,420 $25.68/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $61,780 $29.70/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Welder in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
1
Welder ApprenticeHigh school diploma or equivalent (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$35,750$17.19/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified WelderDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; AWS welding certification
$42,682$20.52/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman Welder (Structural / Pipe)Full professional competence; leads projects or a small team; AWS welding certification
$49,066$23.59/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Welding SupervisorOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$57,456$27.62/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Welding Inspector (CWI) / Shop OwnerExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$70,680$33.98/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
35% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,070/month Requires minimum annual gross of $42,800
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,273/month Requires minimum annual gross of $50,920
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $20.70/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $19.76/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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN.

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$49,020-$9,006$37,072$1,425.86
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$58,211-$11,112$43,607$1,677.19
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$67,403-$13,217$50,141$1,928.51
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$76,594-$15,872$56,126$2,158.69
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$85,785-$18,842$61,796$2,376.78
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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$49,020/yr
$23.57/hr · SOC 51-4121
Statutory Tax Drag
18.37% Effective
-$9,006 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
35% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,019/mo
Post-$1,070/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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN: Market Snapshot

Welder roles in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN report a median annual wage of $49,020, 8.8% below the national median of $53,750. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $39,410 to $61,780, and HUD’s $1,070 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 26.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $20.70 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Welder

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lima, OH$85,790+75.0%
Urban Honolulu, HI$81,120+65.5%
Fairbanks-College, AK$80,210+63.6%
Baton Rouge, LA$78,170+59.5%
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$75,040+53.1%
Anchorage, AK$74,000+51.0%
Lake Charles, LA$72,920+48.8%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,720+46.3%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$67,280+37.3%
Portland-South Portland, ME$66,420+35.5%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$204,450$98.29/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$177,640$85.40/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$142,640$68.58/hr
Education Administrators, Postsecondary$141,700$68.12/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$133,270$64.07/hr
Physician Assistant$133,060$63.97/hr
Public Relations Managers$131,280$63.12/hr
Nurse Practitioner$126,820$60.97/hr
Industrial Production Managers$124,050$59.64/hr
Purchasing Managers$122,410$58.85/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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN (2026) Overview

Welder median pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN is $49,020 a year ($23.57/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living. Official 2026 economic data for Welder in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?

The median annual wage is $49,020 ($23.57 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $39,410 and $61,780. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Welder in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN after taxes?

On the median wage of $49,020, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $39,536 a year ($3,295 a month) after $9,484 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 19.35%, using 2026 tax rules.