SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Chico, CA (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 + CA
COL Index: 118.41 (+18.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 75.1% Realized
$45,582 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $60,730 $29.20/hr
Effective Tax Drag 18.94% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$11,504 $442.46/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 $29.20 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,644/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$437/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,670
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,765
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$881
California Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,398
State Disability Insurance (SDI)
Statutory Payroll Assessment
-$789
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$45,582 ($1,753.16 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Chico, CA Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $60,730
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $47.2k 25th $50.0k Median: $60,730 50th (Median) $60.7k 75th $81.7k 90th $99.5k You: $60,730
10th (Entry) $47,180 $22.68/hr
25th (Junior) $50,050 $24.06/hr
50th (Median) $60,730 $29.20/hr
75th (Senior) $81,710 $39.28/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $99,530 $47.85/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Chico, CA
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$42,073$20.23/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$47,784$22.97/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$60,730$29.20/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$81,005$38.94/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$103,184$49.61/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 Chico, CA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
31% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,190/month Requires minimum annual gross of $47,600
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,509/month Requires minimum annual gross of $60,360
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $26.19/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $24.55/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 Chico, CA.

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$60,730-$11,504$45,582$1,753.16
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$72,117-$14,627$53,163$2,044.74
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$83,504-$18,857$59,637$2,293.72
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$94,891-$23,192$66,005$2,538.65
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$106,278-$27,562$72,339$2,782.28
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 Chico, CA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$60,730/yr
$29.20/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
18.94% Effective
-$11,504 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
31% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,609/mo
Post-$1,190/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 Chico, CA: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Chico, CA report a median annual wage of $60,730, 4.8% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $47,180 to $99,530, and HUD’s $1,190 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 23.5% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $26.19 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+77.1%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+70.2%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+69.2%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+67.3%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+66.3%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+59.9%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+59.7%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+59.3%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+59.2%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+57.3%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Chico, CA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$176,750$84.98/hr
Nurse Practitioner$167,080$80.33/hr
Physician Assistant$164,780$79.22/hr
Marketing Managers$139,830$67.23/hr
Human Resources Managers$139,830$67.23/hr
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$139,600$67.12/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$137,890$66.29/hr
Medical and Health Services Managers$131,520$63.23/hr
Software Engineer$131,360$63.15/hr
Financial Manager$130,600$62.79/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 Chico, CA (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Chico, CA is $60,730 a year ($29.20/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents and living wage.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Chico, CA?

The median annual wage is $60,730 ($29.20 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $47,180 and $99,530. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $60,730, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $48,570 a year ($4,048 a month) after $12,160 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.02%, using 2026 tax rules.