Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salary
The median pay for a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Wilmington, NC is $56,390/year ($27.11/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $58,484 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 37.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $56K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). 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 Wilmington
Pay for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Wilmington runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $64K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 38.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitterss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in metros near Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $59K | $60K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $61K | $62K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $58K | $62K |
| Winston-Salem | $49K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $38K 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 Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 38.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,345/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Wilmington?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $56K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Wilmington pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — below the national median.
How much do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $56,390 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,090, and experienced plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters can clear $76,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,734/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 38.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary go in Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $58,484 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.