SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Iowa City, IA (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 + IA
COL Index: 97.58 (-2.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 76.0% Realized
$46,634 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $61,350 $29.50/hr
Effective Tax Drag 17.99% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$11,035 $424.41/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 $29.50 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,681/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$442/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,740
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,804
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$890
Iowa Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,540
Iowa City school district surtax
LOCAL
-$62
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$46,634 ($1,793.62 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Iowa City, IA Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $61,350
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $45.2k 25th $48.5k Median: $61,350 50th (Median) $61.4k 75th $75.8k 90th $97.9k You: $61,350
10th (Entry) $45,180 $21.72/hr
25th (Junior) $48,450 $23.29/hr
50th (Median) $61,350 $29.50/hr
75th (Senior) $75,770 $36.43/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $97,930 $47.08/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Iowa City, IA
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$42,503$20.43/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$48,272$23.21/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$61,350$29.50/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$81,832$39.34/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$104,237$50.11/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 Iowa City, IA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
26% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,002/month Requires minimum annual gross of $40,080
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,180/month Requires minimum annual gross of $47,200
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $21.58/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $19.61/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 Iowa City, IA.

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$61,350-$11,035$46,634$1,793.62
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$72,853-$13,838$54,644$2,101.70
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$84,356-$17,524$61,771$2,375.80
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$95,859-$21,210$68,898$2,649.91
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$107,363-$24,896$76,024$2,924.02
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 Iowa City, IA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$61,350/yr
$29.50/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
17.99% Effective
-$11,035 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
26% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,884/mo
Post-$1,002/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 Iowa City, IA: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Iowa City, IA report a median annual wage of $61,350, 3.8% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $45,180 to $97,930, and HUD’s $1,002 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 19.6% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.58 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+75.3%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+68.5%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+67.5%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+65.7%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+64.6%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+58.3%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+58.1%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+57.7%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+57.6%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+55.7%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Iowa City, IA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$205,340$98.72/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$151,850$73.00/hr
Budget Analyst$134,850$64.83/hr
Physician Assistant$134,770$64.79/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$134,210$64.52/hr
Financial Manager$132,220$63.57/hr
Nurse Practitioner$129,030$62.03/hr
Public Relations Managers$127,760$61.42/hr
Sales Managers$126,520$60.83/hr
Administrative Services Managers$120,940$58.14/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 Iowa City, IA (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Iowa City, IA is $61,350 a year ($29.50/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 Iowa City, IA?

The median annual wage is $61,350 ($29.50 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $45,180 and $97,930. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Iowa City, IA after taxes?

On the median wage of $61,350, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $49,728 a year ($4,144 a month) after $11,622 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 18.94%, using 2026 tax rules.