SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Knoxville, TN (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: 113.56 (+13.6% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 78.7% Realized
$47,117 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $59,860 $28.78/hr
Effective Tax Drag 15.29% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$9,152 $351.98/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 $28.78 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,592/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$431/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,572
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,711
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$868
Tennessee Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$47,117 ($1,812.19 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Knoxville, TN Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $59,860
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $38.9k 25th $47.2k Median: $59,860 50th (Median) $59.9k 75th $73.5k 90th $79.6k You: $59,860
10th (Entry) $38,940 $18.72/hr
25th (Junior) $47,190 $22.69/hr
50th (Median) $59,860 $28.78/hr
75th (Senior) $73,470 $35.32/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $79,560 $38.25/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Knoxville, TN
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$41,470$19.94/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$47,100$22.64/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$59,860$28.78/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$79,845$38.39/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$101,706$48.90/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 Knoxville, TN under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
30% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,178/month Requires minimum annual gross of $47,120
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,475/month Requires minimum annual gross of $59,000
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $25.11/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $21.46/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 Knoxville, TN.

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$59,860-$9,152$47,117$1,812.19
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$71,084-$11,308$55,511$2,135.03
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$82,308-$14,488$62,881$2,418.51
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$93,531-$17,667$70,252$2,702.00
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$104,755-$20,847$77,623$2,985.48
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 Knoxville, TN: 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
$59,860/yr
$28.78/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
15.29% Effective
-$9,152 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
30% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,748/mo
Post-$1,178/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 Knoxville, TN: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Knoxville, TN report a median annual wage of $59,860, 6.2% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $38,940 to $79,560, and HUD’s $1,178 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 23.6% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $25.11 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+79.7%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+72.7%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+71.7%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+69.8%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+68.7%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+62.3%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+62.0%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+61.6%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+61.5%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+59.6%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Knoxville, TN

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$198,890$95.62/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$162,950$78.34/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$143,650$69.06/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$141,130$67.85/hr
Public Relations Managers$140,660$67.62/hr
Purchasing Managers$139,530$67.08/hr
Financial Manager$133,570$64.22/hr
Human Resources Managers$132,200$63.56/hr
Marketing Managers$131,040$63.00/hr
Education Administrators, All Other$127,720$61.40/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 Knoxville, TN (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Knoxville, TN is $59,860 a year ($28.78/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 Knoxville, TN?

The median annual wage is $59,860 ($28.78 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $38,940 and $79,560. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $59,860, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $50,278 a year ($4,190 a month) after $9,582 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 16.01%, using 2026 tax rules.