SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (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 + NY
COL Index: 105.65 (+5.7% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.6% Realized
$53,194 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $72,230 $34.73/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.35% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$14,702 $565.47/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 $34.73 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,334/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$953/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$6,107
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,478
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,047
New York Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,069
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$53,194 ($2,045.92 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $72,230
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $40.3k 25th $51.3k Median: $72,230 50th (Median) $72.2k 75th $93.7k 90th $104k You: $72,230
10th (Entry) $40,300 $19.38/hr
25th (Junior) $51,310 $24.67/hr
50th (Median) $72,230 $34.73/hr
75th (Senior) $93,690 $45.04/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $104,040 $50.02/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$50,040$24.06/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$56,833$27.32/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$72,230$34.73/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$96,344$46.32/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$122,723$59.00/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
27% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,203/month Requires minimum annual gross of $48,120
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,423/month Requires minimum annual gross of $56,920
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.36/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $22.99/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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.

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$72,230-$14,702$53,194$2,045.92
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$85,773-$19,226$61,400$2,361.55
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$99,316-$23,774$69,583$2,676.28
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$112,859-$28,362$77,726$2,989.45
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$126,403-$33,077$85,742$3,297.75
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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$72,230/yr
$34.73/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
20.35% Effective
-$14,702 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
27% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,230/mo
Post-$1,203/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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY report a median annual wage of $72,230, 13.2% above the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $40,300 to $104,040, and HUD’s $1,203 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 20.0% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.36 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+48.9%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+43.1%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+42.3%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+40.7%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+39.8%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+34.5%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+34.3%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+34.0%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+33.8%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+32.3%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$239,990$115.38/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$172,650$83.00/hr
Financial Manager$164,230$78.96/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$164,120$78.90/hr
Sales Managers$163,090$78.41/hr
Advertising and Promotions Managers$156,500$75.24/hr
Human Resources Managers$150,180$72.20/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$144,510$69.48/hr
Marketing Managers$144,390$69.42/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$139,570$67.10/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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY is $72,230 a year ($34.73/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Plumber & Pipefitter in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?

The median annual wage is $72,230 ($34.73 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $40,300 and $104,040. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY after taxes?

On the median wage of $72,230, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $56,340 a year ($4,695 a month) after $15,890 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22%, using 2026 tax rules.