Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salary
The median pay for a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL is $65,180/year ($31.34/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $104K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.08), which stretches that salary to about $75,720 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $992/month, or 23.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $65K get you in Cape Girardeau?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cape Girardeau’s Regional Price Parity (86.08). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Cape Girardeau
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters pay in Cape Girardeau tracks closely to the national median, $65K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 2% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $992/month, 22.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in metros near Cape Girardeau, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $77K | $81K |
| Kansas City | $76K | $82K |
| Springfield | $61K | $69K |
| Columbia | $58K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
Entry-level plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $104K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $101K | +58% | 1,010 |
| Illinois | $100K | +57% | 16,750 |
| Oregon | $97K | +52% | 5,370 |
| Minnesota | $94K | +48% | 10,720 |
| Alaska | $94K | +47% | 1,200 |
| Massachusetts | $94K | +47% | 13,460 |
| Wisconsin | $81K | +27% | 10,210 |
| Washington | $81K | +27% | 12,470 |
| Michigan | $80K | +26% | 14,120 |
| Montana | $80K | +25% | 1,860 |
| New Jersey | $78K | +23% | 8,750 |
| Hawaii | $78K | +22% | 2,500 |
| New York | $77K | +21% | 23,210 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +21% | 5,410 |
| Rhode Island | $76K | +20% | 1,820 |
| Indiana | $76K | +20% | 11,280 |
| California | $73K | +14% | 47,660 |
| Pennsylvania | $68K | +7% | 13,620 |
| New Hampshire | $67K | +5% | 1,950 |
| Missouri | $67K | +5% | 8,310 |
| Maryland | $65K | +3% | 11,420 |
| Kansas | $65K | +2% | 4,590 |
| Delaware | $65K | +1% | 1,590 |
| Kentucky | $64K | +1% | 6,360 |
| Maine | $64K | +0% | 2,710 |
| Iowa | $64K | +0% | 5,730 |
| Louisiana | $64K | -0% | 8,360 |
| North Dakota | $64K | -0% | 1,620 |
| Ohio | $63K | -1% | 16,390 |
| Colorado | $63K | -1% | 10,080 |
| Wyoming | $62K | -2% | 1,140 |
| Vermont | $62K | -3% | 980 |
| Arizona | $62K | -3% | 11,810 |
| Utah | $62K | -3% | 7,030 |
| Nevada | $62K | -3% | 5,370 |
| New Mexico | $61K | -4% | 2,830 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -4% | 4,110 |
| Virginia | $60K | -5% | 13,780 |
| Texas | $60K | -6% | 44,090 |
| Alabama | $59K | -8% | 6,950 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -8% | 9,270 |
| Oklahoma | $58K | -9% | 6,050 |
| Georgia | $57K | -10% | 8,930 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -11% | 14,510 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -11% | 1,830 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -13% | 3,360 |
| South Carolina | $54K | -15% | 5,770 |
| Florida | $53K | -17% | 29,260 |
| Idaho | $52K | -18% | 3,090 |
| South Dakota | $52K | -19% | 1,760 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -24% | 3,370 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cape Girardeau?
Yes — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 22.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $992/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Cape Girardeau?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,406/month. At HUD’s $992/month FMR, rent would take 41% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitter a high-paying job in Cape Girardeau?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $65K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Cape Girardeau compare to the national average for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Cape Girardeau pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?
The median is $65,180 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,100, and experienced plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters can clear $104,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Cape Girardeau?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,327/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $992/month, which eats 22.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary go in Cape Girardeau?
Cape Girardeau has a Regional Price Parity of 86.08 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary is worth about $75,720 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.