How much do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

What the Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median says in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at $52,650 per year. Median means the middle of the published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. The row is tied to SOC 51-4121 and BLS area 16980.

BLS lists 9,320 wage and salary jobs for this exact role-place row. That is a survey estimate. It is not a count of open posts. The local mean is $56,180 per year. Mean uses all wage values behind the estimate, so high or low values can move it away from the median.

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN's Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median is 2.0% below the U.S. Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median of $53,750 on the same published median. Both values use the same job code and source date. They do not account for prices, taxes, benefits, hours, or your work history.

Read source key 51-4121 with area 16980

This page exists because the BLS artifact has one row for SOC 51-4121 and area 16980. SOC 51-4121 names Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Area 16980 names Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Both keys must match before WageScope can show or index this answer.

The 51-4121/16980 row has 9,320 wage and salary jobs. There are 2.07 for each 1,000 local jobs. The location quotient is 0.77. Each value stays under the same job and area codes.

For 51-4121/16980, the annual median is $52,650 per year, while the matching mean is $56,180 per year. The row is published with annual and hourly fields. WageScope does not switch units to fill a blank.

• 51-4121/16980 10th percentile: $39,130 per year.
• 51-4121/16980 25th percentile: $46,270 per year.
• 51-4121/16980 median: $52,650 per year.
• 51-4121/16980 75th percentile: $61,750 per year.
• 51-4121/16980 90th percentile: $74,450 per year.
• 51-4121/16980 employment RSE: 7.4%. Mean-wage RSE: 1.4%.
• 51-4121/16980 has no suppression mark in the fields shown on this page.

BLS area 16980 facts behind this Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers page

Area 16980 reports 4,513,280 wage and salary jobs across all covered occupations. Its annual mean is $73,380. Its annual median is $54,720. The employment RSE is 0%. The mean-wage RSE is 0.3%. These are facts for the whole area. They do not replace the 51-4121 row.

The all-jobs wage ladder in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN runs from $34,260 at the 10th percentile to $130,790 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $38,480. The median is $54,720. The 75th percentile is $86,670. This is a place check, not a pay range for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.

The source rows below are the six largest detailed roles in the bounded area file. Each keeps its own SOC code. They help a reader spot-check area 16980. They do not show related skills or a path into Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.

• 1. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand. Area: 16980. SOC: 53-7062. Jobs: 157,920. Yearly median: $40,550. Jobs per 1,000: 34.99. Location quotient: 1.84.
• 2. General and Operations Managers. Area: 16980. SOC: 11-1021. Jobs: 122,930. Yearly median: $109,390. Jobs per 1,000: 27.24. Location quotient: 1.21.
• 3. Home Health and Personal Care Aides. Area: 16980. SOC: 31-1120. Jobs: 108,520. Yearly median: $38,180. Jobs per 1,000: 24.04. Location quotient: 0.87.
• 4. Registered Nurses. Area: 16980. SOC: 29-1141. Jobs: 100,240. Yearly median: $100,490. Jobs per 1,000: 22.21. Location quotient: 1.02.
• 5. Cashiers. Area: 16980. SOC: 41-2011. Jobs: 99,240. Yearly median: $35,010. Jobs per 1,000: 21.99. Location quotient: 1.11.
• 6. Fast Food and Counter Workers. Area: 16980. SOC: 35-3023. Jobs: 97,280. Yearly median: $34,630. Jobs per 1,000: 21.55. Location quotient: 0.87.

Read the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN wage ladder for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

The 10th percentile is $39,130 per year. The 25th percentile is $46,270 per year. The median is $52,650 per year. The 75th percentile is $61,750 per year. The 90th percentile is $74,450 per year.

A percentile is a rank point, not a career stage. The 10th percentile does not mean new-worker pay. The 90th percentile does not mean a wage that comes after a set number of years. The points show how the wage values spread in the source. They do not say why one job sits at one point.

The middle half runs from $46,270 per year to $61,750 per year. The 10th-to-90th span is $35,320. Use the full ladder when a job post sits far from the median.

Compare Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN with its state and the U.S.

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has a annual median of $52,650 per year. Illinois has $51,320 per year. The U.S. row has $53,750 per year. WageScope keeps annual and hourly values apart.

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 2.6% above Illinois on the same published median. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 2.0% below the United States on the same published median. A gap can reflect many things that are not in this row. WageScope reports the gap but does not name a cause.

The state and U.S. rows are benchmarks, not replacements. They do not fill missing local facts. A state can hold many local labor markets. A national row can hold many states. Read the local row first, then use the broader rows to see scale.

Where Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN sits for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ranks 185 of 382 among metro areas with a published annual median for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. The list keeps one SOC code, one map type, one wage metric, and one BLS release. It skips rows without the matching median.

Rank 185 of 382 is not a place score. A small wage gap can move a row several spots. The rank does not add local prices, job count, concentration, commute, taxes, or work rules. Use it only to find where the published median falls inside this like-for-like set.

The nearby rows below are the closest ranks, not chosen cities. Their pay, job counts, and local shares can differ. Open a peer page before making a deeper comparison. A title and one number are not enough for a move or pay choice.

• 182. Waterbury-Shelton, CT. The Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median is $52,710 per year. BLS estimates 200 jobs. The location quotient is 0.47.
• 183. Columbia, MO. The Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median is $52,700 per year. BLS estimates 200 jobs. The location quotient is 0.69.
• 184. Billings, MT. The Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median is $52,670 per year. BLS estimates 430 jobs. The location quotient is 1.72.
• 186. Modesto, CA. The Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median is $52,590 per year. BLS estimates 450 jobs. The location quotient is 0.86.
• 187. Asheville, NC. The Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median is $52,540 per year. BLS estimates 290 jobs. The location quotient is 0.61.
• 188. Redding, CA. The Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median is $52,450 per year. BLS estimates 100 jobs. The location quotient is 0.51.

Where Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers medians lead among metro areas

The rows below use the same SOC 51-4121, the same annual median, the same May 2025 BLS release, and the same metro map type. Lima, OH has the highest published median in this set, at $85,790 per year. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN sits at $52,650 per year.

A pay lead is one fact. It does not show the size of the job base. It does not show how common Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is in the local mix. It also does not add local prices. The bullets keep the median, job count, and location quotient together so a high wage is not read as a full market score.

Use this list to choose a deeper pair, not to choose a place. Open the two local pages. Check the full wage ladder, the job scale, the survey limits, and the exact BEA price row when present. A missing median stays out of this rank instead of becoming zero.

• 1. Lima, OH has a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median of $85,790 per year, or $33,140 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 470 jobs there, compared with 9,320 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 3.54.
• 2. Urban Honolulu, HI has a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median of $81,120 per year, or $28,470 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 430 jobs there, compared with 9,320 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 0.36.
• 3. Fairbanks-College, AK has a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median of $80,210 per year, or $27,560 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 70 jobs there, compared with 9,320 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 0.75.
• 4. Baton Rouge, LA has a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median of $78,170 per year, or $25,520 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 3,690 jobs there, compared with 9,320 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 3.36.
• 5. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT has a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median of $75,040 per year, or $22,390 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 670 jobs there, compared with 9,320 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 0.42.
• 6. Anchorage, AK has a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median of $74,000 per year, or $21,350 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 250 jobs there, compared with 9,320 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 0.53.
• 7. Lake Charles, LA has a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median of $72,920 per year, or $20,270 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 970 jobs there, compared with 9,320 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 3.55.
• 8. Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA has a Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median of $71,720 per year, or $19,070 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 740 jobs there, compared with 9,320 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 2.96.

Where BLS counts the most Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX has the largest published metro job estimate for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in this same-source set, at 15,850 jobs. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has 9,320. The count shows covered job scale, not open posts.

A large job base can have a lower median than a smaller one. It can also have a location quotient near or below 1. That is why WageScope does not blend job count, pay, and local share. Each field keeps its name and unit. The rows below let you compare all three without making one score.

Current MeritLog listings can add a dated view of employer-title matches. They do not change this May 2025 order. A place with few current cards can still have a large BLS job estimate. A place with several cards can still have a smaller estimate. The sources use different clocks and scopes.

• 1. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX has 15,850 estimated Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs, a gap of 6,530 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $57,940 per year, or $5,290 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 1.8.
• 2. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX has 10,620 estimated Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs, a gap of 1,300 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $51,630 per year, or $1,020 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.98.
• 3. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has 9,320 estimated Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs, a gap of 0 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $52,650 per year, or $0 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.77.
• 4. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA has 7,850 estimated Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs, a gap of 1,470 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $56,160 per year, or $3,510 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.47.
• 5. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has 5,780 estimated Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs, a gap of 3,540 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $61,680 per year, or $9,030 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.23.
• 6. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ has 5,440 estimated Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs, a gap of 3,880 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $56,540 per year, or $3,890 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.86.
• 7. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA has 5,240 estimated Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs, a gap of 4,080 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $49,630 per year, or $3,020 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.68.
• 8. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD has 4,630 estimated Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs, a gap of 4,690 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $58,380 per year, or $5,730 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.6.

Where Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers takes the largest share of local jobs

Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA has the highest published location quotient in this metro set, at 6.03. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has 0.77. A value above 1 means the role's local job share is larger than its national share.

A high quotient can come from a small local job base. It does not prove more jobs, more posts, faster growth, or higher pay. The bullets keep each quotient beside its BLS job count and median. This lets a reader see when the three measures point in different ways.

Use this list to ask where Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is a large part of the local mix. Use the employment list to ask where BLS counts the most jobs. Use the pay list to ask where the median is highest. None of those lists decides where a person should work.

• 1. Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA has a location quotient of 6.03, a gap of 5.26 from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 1,350 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs and a median of $56,990 per year, or $4,340 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
• 2. Elkhart-Goshen, IN has a location quotient of 5.86, a gap of 5.09 from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 2,000 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs and a median of $50,950 per year, or $1,700 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
• 3. Gulfport-Biloxi, MS has a location quotient of 5.23, a gap of 4.46 from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 2,220 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs and a median of $63,440 per year, or $10,790 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
• 4. Wausau, WI has a location quotient of 5, a gap of 4.23 from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 930 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs and a median of $55,780 per year, or $3,130 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
• 5. Elizabethtown, KY has a location quotient of 4.8, a gap of 4.03 from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 660 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs and a median of $59,900 per year, or $7,250 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
• 6. Sheboygan, WI has a location quotient of 4.57, a gap of 3.80 from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 740 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs and a median of $59,460 per year, or $6,810 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
• 7. Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX has a location quotient of 4.52, a gap of 3.75 from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 1,980 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs and a median of $59,190 per year, or $6,540 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
• 8. Casper, WY has a location quotient of 4.51, a gap of 3.74 from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 480 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs and a median of $62,660 per year, or $10,010 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.

How common Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

BLS lists 9,320 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. It also lists 2.07 jobs per 1,000 local jobs. Jobs per 1,000 turns the count into a rate. It helps compare places of different size. It does not show open posts or hiring speed.

The location quotient is 0.77. A value of 1 means Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. This row is lower than 1. The quotient is a share check, not a wage or a growth measure.

Read the three values as separate facts. Employment asks how many covered jobs BLS estimated. Jobs per 1,000 asks how much of the local job base the role takes. Location quotient asks how that share compares with the national share. None of them tells you how many posts are open today.

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers beside other roles in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

The all-occupations median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $54,720 per year. The Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median is $52,650 per year. Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers is 3.8% below the local all-occupations median on the same published median. This compares one role with the full covered job mix.

The nearby role medians below come from the bounded detailed-role table for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. They are close by wage, not by task. A small wage gap does not mean two jobs need the same skill or lead to the same career. Official titles keep their own SOC codes and source rows.

Use the list to spot the local wage mix around Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Then open the role page you mean. A role can have a similar median and a very different job count or local share. The pay number alone cannot show fit, demand, or a path between jobs.

• 1. Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks, SOC 43-3031, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $51,440 per year. BLS lists 35,660 jobs and a location quotient of 0.89.
• 2. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive, SOC 43-6014, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $50,440 per year. BLS lists 50,190 jobs and a location quotient of 1.01.
• 3. Light Truck Drivers, SOC 53-3033, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $47,950 per year. BLS lists 34,680 jobs and a location quotient of 1.22.
• 4. Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, SOC 49-9071, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $58,020 per year. BLS lists 45,710 jobs and a location quotient of 1.03.
• 5. Customer Service Representatives, SOC 43-4051, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $47,100 per year. BLS lists 75,240 jobs and a location quotient of 1.
• 6. Nursing Assistants, SOC 31-1131, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $46,940 per year. BLS lists 45,850 jobs and a location quotient of 1.09.
• 7. Office Clerks, General, SOC 43-9061, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $46,330 per year. BLS lists 66,840 jobs and a location quotient of 0.93.
• 8. Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators, SOC 51-2090, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $43,650 per year. BLS lists 47,970 jobs and a location quotient of 1.18.

The largest detailed roles in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand is the largest detailed occupation in the bounded Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN table, at 157,920 jobs. Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers has 9,320 jobs in its exact role-place row. The two counts show where this role sits beside other large parts of the local job base.

The all-occupations job count is 4,513,280. The detailed list below is only a bounded view of that larger mix. It does not sum to every local job. It does not include a blank role as zero. It helps explain why one role's wage and job count should not stand in for the whole area.

A large role can have a lower median. A smaller role can have a higher one. Job count does not show current posts, job quality, or growth. Use the list to see local scale. Then keep Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers's own median, spread, and share in their own fields.

• 1. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand has 157,920 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 148,600 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its median is $40,550 per year, or $12,100 below Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 1.84.
• 2. General and Operations Managers has 122,930 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 113,610 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its median is $109,390 per year, or $56,740 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 1.21.
• 3. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has 108,520 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 99,200 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its median is $38,180 per year, or $14,470 below Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 0.87.
• 4. Registered Nurses has 100,240 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 90,920 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its median is $100,490 per year, or $47,840 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 1.02.
• 5. Cashiers has 99,240 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 89,920 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its median is $35,010 per year, or $17,640 below Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 1.11.
• 6. Fast Food and Counter Workers has 97,280 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 87,960 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its median is $34,630 per year, or $18,020 below Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 0.87.
• 7. Retail Salespersons has 96,950 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 87,630 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its median is $35,820 per year, or $16,830 below Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 0.86.
• 8. Stockers and Order Fillers has 79,850 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 70,530 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its median is $38,450 per year, or $14,200 below Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 0.97.

Published role medians around Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Financial Managers has the highest published median in the bounded Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN role table, at $168,810 per year. Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers has $52,650 per year. This puts the role beside a local pay range without blending the source rows.

The local all-occupations median is $54,720 per year. A role above that mark is not better. A role below it is not worse. The mark only shows where the role's published median sits against the full covered job mix. Job tasks, level, hours, and work setting are separate facts.

The bullets keep each SOC title, job count, median, and local share together. Use them to find a role page worth opening. Do not use a close median as proof that two roles share skills or that one is a path to the other.

• 1. Financial Managers has a median of $168,810 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $116,160 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 41,590 jobs, compared with 9,320 for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 1.7.
• 2. Software Developers has a median of $134,380 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $81,730 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 40,370 jobs, compared with 9,320 for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 0.82.
• 3. General and Operations Managers has a median of $109,390 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $56,740 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 122,930 jobs, compared with 9,320 for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 1.21.
• 4. Management Analysts has a median of $105,090 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $52,440 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 37,510 jobs, compared with 9,320 for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 1.44.
• 5. Registered Nurses has a median of $100,490 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $47,840 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 100,240 jobs, compared with 9,320 for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 1.02.
• 6. Accountants and Auditors has a median of $82,360 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $29,710 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 41,360 jobs, compared with 9,320 for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 0.98.
• 7. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education has a median of $78,390 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $25,740 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 45,840 jobs, compared with 9,320 for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 1.14.
• 8. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products has a median of $75,350 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $22,700 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 38,490 jobs, compared with 9,320 for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Its location quotient is 1.07.

Roles with the largest local share in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand has the highest location quotient in the bounded Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN role table, at 1.84. Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers has 0.77. Both values compare a local job share with the matching national share.

A quotient above 1 means the role takes a larger share of local jobs than it does across the nation. It does not mean more jobs than every other role. It does not mean open posts, growth, or high pay. The job count and median beside each row answer those other narrow questions.

The local role-share mix can differ a lot from the pay mix. Read both lists. Then compare Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers with the same SOC code in another place. This keeps a broad area pattern from replacing the exact role-place row.

• 1. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand has a location quotient of 1.84 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 1.07 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 157,920 jobs and a median of $40,550 per year, or $12,100 below Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
• 2. Financial Managers has a location quotient of 1.7 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 0.93 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 41,590 jobs and a median of $168,810 per year, or $116,160 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
• 3. Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel has a location quotient of 1.53 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 0.76 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 55,730 jobs and a median of $70,710 per year, or $18,060 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
• 4. Management Analysts has a location quotient of 1.44 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 0.67 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 37,510 jobs and a median of $105,090 per year, or $52,440 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
• 5. Security Guards has a location quotient of 1.3 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 0.53 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 48,360 jobs and a median of $39,990 per year, or $12,660 below Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
• 6. Light Truck Drivers has a location quotient of 1.22 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 0.45 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 34,680 jobs and a median of $47,950 per year, or $4,700 below Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
• 7. General and Operations Managers has a location quotient of 1.21 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 0.44 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 122,930 jobs and a median of $109,390 per year, or $56,740 above Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.
• 8. Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators has a location quotient of 1.18 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 0.41 from Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. BLS lists 47,970 jobs and a median of $43,650 per year, or $9,000 below Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers.

What $52,650 may mean after the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN price level

BEA's 2024 all-items price index for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 103.6. The U.S. level is 100. The local level is 3.6% above that mark. This is a broad price comparison. It is not a personal budget.

WageScope divides the $52,650 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers median by 103.6 divided by 100. The result is $50,823 in national-price dollars per year. This proxy keeps the math clear. It is not take-home pay and does not set a move target.

Housing is 112.0. Goods are 107.3. Utilities are 83.6. Other services are 100.5. The parts do not move as one. WageScope uses BEA's all-items index for the proxy and does not make its own basket.

How much care to use with the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN row

The employment RSE for this Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers row is 7.4%. The mean-wage RSE is 1.4%. RSE means relative standard error. It is a survey precision flag. A smaller value often means less sampling uncertainty. It is not the chance that one person's pay is right or wrong.

The employment RSE belongs to the 9,320 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE belongs to the $56,180 mean. BLS does not give the same RSE field for the median or every percentile. WageScope does not move an RSE from one field to another.

A local row can change in a new release. A small role-place sample can also have more survey uncertainty than a broad national row. Keep the May 2025 date next to the value. Do not mix a newer job post with the BLS date as if both facts came from one clock.

Use Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN wage data before you tailor

The job block looks for strict employer-title matches to Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. It uses a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN place filter only when the public place list has an exact approved match. If that match is not safe, the page says the jobs are not narrowed to this place. A false negative is safer than showing a different role.

Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. Listings can change between visits while the survey figures stay tied to their release date. A listing range does not replace the $52,650 BLS median. The listing and survey answer different questions.

Open one listing. Check its level, work place, pay range, and needs. Then tailor with work facts you can support. Do not turn a wage, job count, rank, or price proxy into a résumé claim. The public page is read only. It does not save a job or start a draft on load.

What the Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers row for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN does not claim

The row does not say what one person earns. It does not promise a job, offer, raise, or move result. It does not say why the local median differs from the U.S. row. It does not add tips, bonus pay, stock, benefits, taxes, or work hours unless those items are in the BLS wage measure.

The 9,320 job estimate is not a live opening count. The location quotient of 0.77 is not a growth score. Rank 185 of 382 is not a place score. The 103.6 price index is not a personal budget.

Use the row for one clear task. Read the May 2025 wage spread for SOC 51-4121 in BLS area 16980. Compare the same metric with the state and U.S. rows. Add the separate 2024 price level when present. Inspect a dated job match. Then use confirmed work facts for a résumé.