SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Chattanooga, TN-GA (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 + TN
COL Index: 112.89 (+12.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 78.8% Realized
$46,261 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $58,720 $28.23/hr
Effective Tax Drag 15.22% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$8,936 $343.68/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 $28.23 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,523/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$423/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,444
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,641
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$851
Tennessee Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$46,261 ($1,779.27 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Chattanooga, TN-GA Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $58,720
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $37.7k 25th $46.5k Median: $58,720 50th (Median) $58.7k 75th $71.0k 90th $78.9k You: $58,720
10th (Entry) $37,670 $18.11/hr
25th (Junior) $46,480 $22.35/hr
50th (Median) $58,720 $28.23/hr
75th (Senior) $71,020 $34.14/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $78,880 $37.92/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Chattanooga, TN-GA
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$40,681$19.56/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$46,203$22.21/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$58,720$28.23/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$78,324$37.66/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$99,769$47.97/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 Chattanooga, TN-GA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
32% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,231/month Requires minimum annual gross of $49,240
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,340/month Requires minimum annual gross of $53,600
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $24.97/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.79/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 Chattanooga, TN-GA.

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$58,720-$8,936$46,261$1,779.27
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$69,730-$11,020$54,526$2,097.17
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$80,740-$14,044$61,852$2,378.92
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$91,750-$17,163$69,082$2,657.01
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$102,760-$20,282$76,312$2,935.10
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 Chattanooga, TN-GA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$58,720/yr
$28.23/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
15.22% Effective
-$8,936 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
32% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,624/mo
Post-$1,231/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 Chattanooga, TN-GA: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Chattanooga, TN-GA report a median annual wage of $58,720, 8.0% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $37,670 to $78,880, and HUD’s $1,231 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 25.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $24.97 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+83.2%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+76.1%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+75.0%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+73.1%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+72.0%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+65.4%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+65.2%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+64.8%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+64.6%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+62.7%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Chattanooga, TN-GA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$209,990$100.96/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$163,720$78.71/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$152,980$73.55/hr
Financial Manager$151,530$72.85/hr
Administrative Services Managers$130,540$62.76/hr
Human Resources Managers$129,900$62.45/hr
Marketing Managers$124,360$59.79/hr
Purchasing Managers$123,750$59.50/hr
Industrial Production Managers$121,670$58.50/hr
Physician Assistant$121,600$58.46/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 Chattanooga, TN-GA (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Chattanooga, TN-GA is $58,720 a year ($28.23/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Plumber & Pipefitter in Chattanooga, TN-GA 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 Chattanooga, TN-GA?

The median annual wage is $58,720 ($28.23 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $37,670 and $78,880. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Chattanooga, TN-GA after taxes?

On the median wage of $58,720, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $49,362 a year ($4,113 a month) after $9,358 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 15.94%, using 2026 tax rules.