SOC 51-4121

Welder Salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (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 + PA + Municipal
COL Index: 119.89 (+19.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 72.0% Realized
$42,033 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $58,380 $28.07/hr
Effective Tax Drag 22% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$12,844 $494.00/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 $28.07 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,503/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$420/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,405
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,620
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$847
Pennsylvania Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,792
Philadelphia wage tax
3.74%
-$2,180
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$42,033 ($1,616.66 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Welder Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $58,380
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $44.4k 25th $49.7k Median: $58,380 50th (Median) $58.4k 75th $68.9k 90th $80.0k You: $58,380
10th (Entry) $44,430 $21.36/hr
25th (Junior) $49,700 $23.89/hr
50th (Median) $58,380 $28.07/hr
75th (Senior) $68,890 $33.12/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $79,960 $38.44/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Welder in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
1
Welder ApprenticeHigh school diploma or equivalent (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$42,577$20.47/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified WelderDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; AWS welding certification
$50,831$24.44/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman Welder (Structural / Pipe)Full professional competence; leads projects or a small team; AWS welding certification
$58,434$28.09/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Welding SupervisorOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$68,427$32.90/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Welding Inspector (CWI) / Shop OwnerExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$84,176$40.47/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
44% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,558/month Requires minimum annual gross of $62,320
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,860/month Requires minimum annual gross of $74,400
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $26.51/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $24.25/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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.

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$58,380-$12,844$42,033$1,616.66
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$69,326-$15,661$49,506$1,904.06
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$80,273-$19,374$56,082$2,157.02
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$91,219-$23,220$62,526$2,404.84
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$102,165-$27,066$68,969$2,652.67
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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$58,380/yr
$28.07/hr · SOC 51-4121
Statutory Tax Drag
22% Effective
-$12,844 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
44% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$1,945/mo
Post-$1,558/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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: Market Snapshot

Welder roles in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD report a median annual wage of $58,380, 8.6% above the national median of $53,750. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $44,430 to $79,960, and HUD’s $1,558 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 32.0% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $26.51 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Welder

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lima, OH$85,790+47.0%
Urban Honolulu, HI$81,120+39.0%
Fairbanks-College, AK$80,210+37.4%
Baton Rouge, LA$78,170+33.9%
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$75,040+28.5%
Anchorage, AK$74,000+26.8%
Lake Charles, LA$72,920+24.9%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,720+22.9%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$67,280+15.2%
Portland-South Portland, ME$66,420+13.8%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$292,770$140.75/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$173,470$83.40/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$172,900$83.12/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$171,140$82.28/hr
Financial Manager$166,920$80.25/hr
Marketing Managers$166,310$79.96/hr
Data Engineer$163,590$78.65/hr
Sales Managers$156,500$75.24/hr
Purchasing Managers$155,500$74.76/hr
Human Resources Managers$154,490$74.27/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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (2026) Overview

Welder median pay in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is $58,380 a year ($28.07/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Welder in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The median annual wage is $58,380 ($28.07 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $44,430 and $79,960. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Welder in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD after taxes?

On the median wage of $58,380, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $45,116 a year ($3,760 a month) after $13,264 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.72%, using 2026 tax rules.