SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Charleston, WV (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 + WV
COL Index: 101.88 (+1.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 75.5% Realized
$44,510 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $58,940 $28.34/hr
Effective Tax Drag 18.48% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$10,894 $419.00/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 $28.34 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,536/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$424/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,468
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,654
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$855
West Virginia Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,761
Charleston city service fee
LOCAL
-$156
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$44,510 ($1,711.91 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Charleston, WV Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $58,940
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $37.3k 25th $45.8k Median: $58,940 50th (Median) $58.9k 75th $76.7k 90th $83.8k You: $58,940
10th (Entry) $37,310 $17.94/hr
25th (Junior) $45,770 $22.00/hr
50th (Median) $58,940 $28.34/hr
75th (Senior) $76,660 $36.86/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $83,800 $40.29/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Charleston, WV
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$40,833$19.63/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$46,376$22.30/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$58,940$28.34/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$78,617$37.80/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$100,143$48.15/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 Charleston, WV under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
23% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $844/month Requires minimum annual gross of $33,760
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,048/month Requires minimum annual gross of $41,920
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.53/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $22.54/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 Charleston, WV.

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$58,940-$10,894$44,510$1,711.91
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$69,991-$13,462$52,330$2,012.70
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$81,043-$17,022$59,158$2,275.29
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$92,094-$20,654$65,914$2,535.16
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$103,145-$24,285$72,671$2,795.04
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 Charleston, WV: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$58,940/yr
$28.34/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
18.48% Effective
-$10,894 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
23% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,865/mo
Post-$844/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 Charleston, WV: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Charleston, WV report a median annual wage of $58,940, 7.6% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $37,310 to $83,800, and HUD’s $844 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.53 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+82.5%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+75.4%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+74.3%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+72.4%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+71.4%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+64.8%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+64.5%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+64.2%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+64.0%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+62.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Charleston, WV

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Architectural and Engineering Managers$165,690$79.66/hr
Chief Executives$161,540$77.66/hr
Nurse Practitioner$129,260$62.14/hr
Physician Assistant$126,620$60.88/hr
Medical and Health Services Managers$125,470$60.32/hr
Software Engineer$122,980$59.12/hr
Financial Manager$116,300$55.91/hr
Industrial Production Managers$107,960$51.90/hr
Human Resources Managers$105,920$50.92/hr
Data Engineer$104,570$50.27/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 Charleston, WV (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Charleston, WV is $58,940 a year ($28.34/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 Charleston, WV?

The median annual wage is $58,940 ($28.34 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $37,310 and $83,800. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $58,940, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $47,465 a year ($3,955 a month) after $11,475 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 19.47%, using 2026 tax rules.