Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salary
The median pay for a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is $84,700/year ($40.72/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $57K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.94), that's roughly $87,374 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,338/month, or 25% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $85K get you in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Milwaukee-Waukesha’s Regional Price Parity (96.94). 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.
About plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
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What this looks like in Milwaukee-Waukesha
Milwaukee-Waukesha sits well above the national pay line for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, local pay runs about 33% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,338/month, 24.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 96.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Milwaukee-Waukesha offers a genuinely strong financial position for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitterss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in metros near Milwaukee-Waukesha, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | $85K | $88K |
| Appleton | $92K | $99K |
| Green Bay | $91K | $97K |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $83K | $90K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Entry-level plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (10th percentile) start around $57K. Mid-career wages sit at $85K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $68K 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)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Yes — at the median salary of $85K, rent takes 24.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,338/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters typically earn — is $57K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,391/month. At HUD’s $1,338/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Local pay is 33% above the national median — $85K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Milwaukee-Waukesha compare to the national average for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Milwaukee-Waukesha pays $85K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $87K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?
The median is $84,700 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $56,520, and experienced plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters can clear $124,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $85K enough to live in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,378/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,338/month, which eats 24.9% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Milwaukee-Waukesha has a Regional Price Parity of 96.94 (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 $87,374 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.