SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Altoona, PA (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 + PA + Municipal
COL Index: 87.72 (-12.3% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.8% Realized
$45,313 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $61,430 $29.53/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.24% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$12,431 $478.11/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 $29.53 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,686/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$442/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,749
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,809
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$891
Pennsylvania Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,886
Altoona earned income tax
1.70%
-$1,096
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$45,313 ($1,742.82 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Altoona, PA Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $61,430
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $40.1k 25th $49.5k Median: $61,430 50th (Median) $61.4k 75th $75.7k 90th $80.7k You: $61,430
10th (Entry) $40,100 $19.28/hr
25th (Junior) $49,530 $23.81/hr
50th (Median) $61,430 $29.53/hr
75th (Senior) $75,730 $36.41/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $80,700 $38.80/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Altoona, PA
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$42,558$20.46/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$48,335$23.24/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$61,430$29.53/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$81,939$39.39/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$104,373$50.18/hr · 12+ Years
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters-$21,440/yr
National median: $42,360
Skill overlap: 89%
Boilermakers+$12,610/yr
National median: $76,410
Skill overlap: 88%
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General-$14,210/yr
National median: $49,590
Skill overlap: 88%
Pipelayers-$14,800/yr
National median: $49,000
Skill overlap: 86%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Altoona, PA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
25% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $959/month Requires minimum annual gross of $38,360
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,151/month Requires minimum annual gross of $46,040
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $19.40/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $18.35/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 Altoona, PA.

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$61,430-$12,431$45,313$1,742.82
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$72,948-$15,368$53,203$2,046.28
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$84,466-$19,180$60,218$2,316.07
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$95,984-$22,993$67,232$2,585.86
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$107,503-$26,805$74,247$2,855.65
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

Plumber & Pipefitter in Altoona, PA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$61,430/yr
$29.53/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
20.24% Effective
-$12,431 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
25% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,817/mo
Post-$959/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 47-2152
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

Plumber & Pipefitter in Altoona, PA: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Altoona, PA report a median annual wage of $61,430, 3.7% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $40,100 to $80,700, and HUD’s $959 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 18.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $19.40 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+75.1%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+68.3%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+67.3%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+65.4%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+64.4%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+58.1%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+57.9%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+57.5%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+57.4%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+55.5%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Altoona, PA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$197,360$94.88/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$133,050$63.97/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$128,380$61.72/hr
Physician Assistant$123,270$59.26/hr
Nurse Practitioner$119,930$57.66/hr
Marketing Managers$119,670$57.53/hr
Financial Manager$113,980$54.80/hr
Human Resources Managers$104,010$50.00/hr
Software Engineer$101,670$48.88/hr
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$100,790$48.46/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 388 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.

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Altoona, PA (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Altoona, PA is $61,430 a year ($29.53/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Altoona, PA?

The median annual wage is $61,430 ($29.53 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $40,100 and $80,700. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Altoona, PA after taxes?

On the median wage of $61,430, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $48,557 a year ($4,046 a month) after $12,873 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.96%, using 2026 tax rules.