SOC 51-4121

Welder Salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (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 + FL
COL Index: 124.55 (+24.5% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 79.4% Realized
$39,662 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $49,930 $24.00/hr
Effective Tax Drag 14.56% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$7,272 $279.68/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 $24.00 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$2,996/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$359/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$3,452
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,096
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$724
Florida Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$39,662 ($1,525.48 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Welder Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $49,930
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $39.9k 25th $46.7k Median: $49,930 50th (Median) $49.9k 75th $60.3k 90th $67.4k You: $49,930
10th (Entry) $39,890 $19.18/hr
25th (Junior) $46,670 $22.44/hr
50th (Median) $49,930 $24.00/hr
75th (Senior) $60,310 $29.00/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $67,360 $32.38/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Welder in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
1
Welder ApprenticeHigh school diploma or equivalent (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$36,414$17.51/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified WelderDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; AWS welding certification
$43,474$20.90/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman Welder (Structural / Pipe)Full professional competence; leads projects or a small team; AWS welding certification
$49,976$24.03/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Welding SupervisorOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$58,523$28.14/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Welding Inspector (CWI) / Shop OwnerExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$71,992$34.61/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
50% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,648/month Requires minimum annual gross of $65,920
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,917/month Requires minimum annual gross of $76,680
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $27.54/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $23.42/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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.

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$49,930-$7,272$39,662$1,525.48
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$59,292-$9,044$46,690$1,795.79
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$68,654-$10,816$53,718$2,066.09
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$78,016-$13,272$60,063$2,310.11
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$87,378-$15,924$66,211$2,546.57
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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$49,930/yr
$24.00/hr · SOC 51-4121
Statutory Tax Drag
14.56% Effective
-$7,272 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
50% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$1,657/mo
Post-$1,648/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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: Market Snapshot

Welder roles in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL report a median annual wage of $49,930, 7.1% below the national median of $53,750. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $39,890 to $67,360, and HUD’s $1,648 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 39.6% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $27.54 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Welder

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lima, OH$85,790+71.8%
Urban Honolulu, HI$81,120+62.5%
Fairbanks-College, AK$80,210+60.6%
Baton Rouge, LA$78,170+56.6%
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$75,040+50.3%
Anchorage, AK$74,000+48.2%
Lake Charles, LA$72,920+46.0%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,720+43.6%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$67,280+34.7%
Portland-South Portland, ME$66,420+33.0%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Architectural and Engineering Managers$169,310$81.40/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$168,470$81.00/hr
Marketing Managers$159,990$76.92/hr
Financial Manager$157,480$75.71/hr
Human Resources Managers$140,400$67.50/hr
Purchasing Managers$139,430$67.03/hr
Data Engineer$133,290$64.08/hr
Public Relations Managers$132,340$63.62/hr
Sales Managers$132,010$63.47/hr
Software Engineer$130,450$62.72/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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (2026) Overview

Welder median pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL is $49,930 a year ($24.00/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Welder in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

The median annual wage is $49,930 ($24.00 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $39,890 and $67,360. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Welder in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL after taxes?

On the median wage of $49,930, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $42,299 a year ($3,525 a month) after $7,631 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 15.28%, using 2026 tax rules.