SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (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 + MA
COL Index: 162.67 (+62.7% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 70.3% Realized
$68,045 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $96,760 $46.52/hr
Effective Tax Drag 23.68% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$22,910 $881.15/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 $46.52 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$5,806/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,277/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$11,180
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,999
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,403
Massachusetts Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$4,328
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$68,045 ($2,617.10 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $96,760
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $52.3k 25th $62.6k Median: $96,760 50th (Median) $96.8k 75th $118k 90th $144k You: $96,760
10th (Entry) $52,270 $25.13/hr
25th (Junior) $62,640 $30.12/hr
50th (Median) $96,760 $46.52/hr
75th (Senior) $117,900 $56.68/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $143,950 $69.21/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$67,034$32.23/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$76,134$36.60/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$96,760$46.52/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$129,064$62.05/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$164,401$79.04/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH medianView National Plumber & Pipefitter Salary Data
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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
44% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $2,518/month Requires minimum annual gross of $100,720
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $3,008/month Requires minimum annual gross of $120,320
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $35.97/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $31.43/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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.

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$96,760-$22,910$68,045$2,617.10
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$114,903-$28,902$79,106$3,042.54
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$133,045-$34,960$90,102$3,465.47
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$151,188-$41,294$100,823$3,877.80
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$169,330-$47,627$111,543$4,290.12
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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$96,760/yr
$46.52/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
23.68% Effective
-$22,910 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
44% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,152/mo
Post-$2,518/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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH report a median annual wage of $96,760, 51.7% above the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $52,270 to $143,950, and HUD’s $2,518 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 31.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $35.97 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+11.2%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+6.8%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+6.2%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+5.0%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+4.4%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+0.4%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+0.2%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670-0.1%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530-1.3%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$95,230-1.6%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Natural Sciences Managers$291,000$139.90/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$214,960$103.35/hr
Marketing Managers$213,910$102.84/hr
Financial Manager$209,780$100.86/hr
Sales Managers$206,610$99.33/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$205,130$98.62/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$185,590$89.23/hr
Human Resources Managers$184,990$88.94/hr
Public Relations Managers$176,390$84.80/hr
Purchasing Managers$174,640$83.96/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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is $96,760 a year ($46.52/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Plumber & Pipefitter in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

The median annual wage is $96,760 ($46.52 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $52,270 and $143,950. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH after taxes?

On the median wage of $96,760, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $72,283 a year ($6,024 a month) after $24,477 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 25.3%, using 2026 tax rules.