SOC 51-4121

Welder Salary in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-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 + KY + Municipal
COL Index: 105.93 (+5.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 74.1% Realized
$37,693 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $50,870 $24.46/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.9% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$10,125 $389.42/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 $24.46 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,052/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$366/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$3,558
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,154
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$738
Kentucky Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,556
Louisville Metro occupational tax
2.20%
-$1,119
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$37,693 ($1,449.73 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Welder Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $50,870
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $41.1k 25th $47.4k Median: $50,870 50th (Median) $50.9k 75th $60.3k 90th $70.4k You: $50,870
10th (Entry) $41,070 $19.75/hr
25th (Junior) $47,440 $22.81/hr
50th (Median) $50,870 $24.46/hr
75th (Senior) $60,330 $29.00/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $70,360 $33.83/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Welder in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
1
Welder ApprenticeHigh school diploma or equivalent (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$37,100$17.84/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified WelderDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; AWS welding certification
$44,292$21.29/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman Welder (Structural / Pipe)Full professional competence; leads projects or a small team; AWS welding certification
$50,917$24.48/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Welding SupervisorOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$59,624$28.67/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Welding Inspector (CWI) / Shop OwnerExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$73,347$35.26/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
34% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,058/month Requires minimum annual gross of $42,320
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,276/month Requires minimum annual gross of $51,040
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.43/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $21.49/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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-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$50,870-$10,125$37,693$1,449.73
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$60,408-$12,454$44,330$1,704.98
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$69,946-$14,783$50,966$1,960.24
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$79,484-$17,934$56,781$2,183.90
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$89,023-$21,160$62,521$2,404.67
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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$50,870/yr
$24.46/hr · SOC 51-4121
Statutory Tax Drag
19.9% Effective
-$10,125 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
34% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,083/mo
Post-$1,058/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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN: Market Snapshot

Welder roles in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN report a median annual wage of $50,870, 5.4% below the national median of $53,750. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $41,070 to $70,360, and HUD’s $1,058 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 25.0% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.43 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Welder

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lima, OH$85,790+68.6%
Urban Honolulu, HI$81,120+59.5%
Fairbanks-College, AK$80,210+57.7%
Baton Rouge, LA$78,170+53.7%
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$75,040+47.5%
Anchorage, AK$74,000+45.5%
Lake Charles, LA$72,920+43.3%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,720+41.0%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$67,280+32.3%
Portland-South Portland, ME$66,420+30.6%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$213,920$102.85/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$150,710$72.46/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$149,430$71.84/hr
Education Administrators, Postsecondary$138,670$66.67/hr
Sales Managers$137,880$66.29/hr
Financial Manager$136,970$65.85/hr
Marketing Managers$136,350$65.55/hr
Physician Assistant$130,830$62.90/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$127,730$61.41/hr
Fundraising Managers$126,620$60.88/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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (2026) Overview

Welder median pay in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN is $50,870 a year ($24.46/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Welder in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?

The median annual wage is $50,870 ($24.46 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $41,070 and $70,360. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Welder in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN after taxes?

On the median wage of $50,870, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $40,272 a year ($3,356 a month) after $10,598 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.83%, using 2026 tax rules.