SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX (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 + TX
COL Index: 82.52 (-17.5% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 79.7% Realized
$37,350 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $46,850 $22.52/hr
Effective Tax Drag 14.28% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$6,689 $257.26/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 $22.52 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$2,811/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$337/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$3,105
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$2,905
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$679
Texas Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$37,350 ($1,436.55 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $46,850
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $32.7k 25th $37.4k Median: $46,850 50th (Median) $46.9k 75th $55.9k 90th $63.8k You: $46,850
10th (Entry) $32,670 $15.71/hr
25th (Junior) $37,370 $17.97/hr
50th (Median) $46,850 $22.52/hr
75th (Senior) $55,900 $26.88/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $63,820 $30.68/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$32,457$15.60/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$36,863$17.72/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$46,850$22.52/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$62,491$30.04/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$79,601$38.27/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
28% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $884/month Requires minimum annual gross of $35,360
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,042/month Requires minimum annual gross of $41,680
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $18.25/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $16.43/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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX.

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$46,850-$6,689$37,350$1,436.55
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$55,634-$8,352$43,945$1,690.18
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$64,419-$10,014$50,539$1,943.81
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$73,203-$11,908$56,902$2,188.56
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$81,988-$14,397$62,671$2,410.43
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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$46,850/yr
$22.52/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
14.28% Effective
-$6,689 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
28% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,229/mo
Post-$884/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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX report a median annual wage of $46,850, 26.6% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $32,670 to $63,820, and HUD’s $884 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 22.6% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $18.25 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+129.6%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+120.7%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+119.3%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+116.9%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+115.6%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+107.3%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+107.0%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+106.5%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+106.3%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+103.9%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$178,860$85.99/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$157,160$75.56/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$137,880$66.29/hr
Financial Manager$129,820$62.41/hr
Physician Assistant$127,370$61.24/hr
Nurse Practitioner$124,530$59.87/hr
Marketing Managers$113,220$54.43/hr
Industrial Production Managers$110,830$53.28/hr
Human Resources Managers$110,230$53.00/hr
Software Engineer$106,990$51.44/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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX is $46,850 a year ($22.52/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Plumber & Pipefitter in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?

The median annual wage is $46,850 ($22.52 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $32,670 and $63,820. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX after taxes?

On the median wage of $46,850, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $39,824 a year ($3,319 a month) after $7,026 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 15%, using 2026 tax rules.