SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Birmingham, AL (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 + AL + Municipal
COL Index: 108.46 (+8.5% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.8% Realized
$44,334 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $60,090 $28.89/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.22% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$12,150 $467.32/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 $28.89 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,605/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$433/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,598
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,726
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$871
Alabama Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,354
Birmingham occupational tax
1.00%
-$601
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$44,334 ($1,705.17 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Birmingham, AL Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $60,090
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $38.6k 25th $49.2k Median: $60,090 50th (Median) $60.1k 75th $64.5k 90th $76.3k You: $60,090
10th (Entry) $38,620 $18.57/hr
25th (Junior) $49,240 $23.67/hr
50th (Median) $60,090 $28.89/hr
75th (Senior) $64,450 $30.99/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $76,290 $36.68/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Birmingham, AL
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$41,630$20.01/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$47,281$22.73/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$60,090$28.89/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$80,151$38.53/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$102,096$49.08/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 Birmingham, AL under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
34% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,263/month Requires minimum annual gross of $50,520
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,375/month Requires minimum annual gross of $55,000
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.99/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $21.14/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 Birmingham, AL.

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$60,090-$12,150$44,334$1,705.17
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$71,357-$14,916$52,159$2,006.12
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$82,624-$18,634$59,032$2,270.47
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$93,891-$22,352$65,906$2,534.83
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$105,158-$26,069$72,779$2,799.18
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 Birmingham, AL: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$60,090/yr
$28.89/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
20.22% Effective
-$12,150 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
34% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,432/mo
Post-$1,263/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 Birmingham, AL: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Birmingham, AL report a median annual wage of $60,090, 5.8% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $38,620 to $76,290, and HUD’s $1,263 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 25.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.99 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+79.0%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+72.0%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+71.0%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+69.1%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+68.1%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+61.6%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+61.4%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+61.0%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+60.9%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+59.0%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Birmingham, AL

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$167,080$80.33/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$166,670$80.13/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$156,710$75.34/hr
Financial Manager$153,930$74.00/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$140,230$67.42/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$139,050$66.85/hr
Training and Development Managers$133,980$64.41/hr
Actuary$132,840$63.87/hr
Marketing Managers$130,160$62.58/hr
Administrative Services Managers$129,380$62.20/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 Birmingham, AL (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Birmingham, AL is $60,090 a year ($28.89/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 Birmingham, AL?

The median annual wage is $60,090 ($28.89 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $38,620 and $76,290. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $60,090, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $47,348 a year ($3,946 a month) after $12,742 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.2%, using 2026 tax rules.