SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY (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 + KY + Municipal
COL Index: 96.93 (-3.1% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 72.7% Realized
$45,006 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $61,870 $29.75/hr
Effective Tax Drag 21.26% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$13,151 $505.82/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 $29.75 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,712/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$445/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,799
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,836
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$897
Kentucky Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,918
Lexington-Fayette occupational and school tax
2.75%
-$1,701
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$45,006 ($1,731.02 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Lexington-Fayette, KY Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $61,870
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $45.3k 25th $49.0k Median: $61,870 50th (Median) $61.9k 75th $81.3k 90th $96.2k You: $61,870
10th (Entry) $45,280 $21.77/hr
25th (Junior) $48,990 $23.55/hr
50th (Median) $61,870 $29.75/hr
75th (Senior) $81,350 $39.11/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $96,190 $46.25/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Lexington-Fayette, KY
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$42,863$20.61/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$48,681$23.40/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$61,870$29.75/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$82,526$39.68/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$105,121$50.54/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Lexington-Fayette, KY medianView National Plumber & Pipefitter Salary Data
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 Lexington-Fayette, KY 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) $1,205/month Requires minimum annual gross of $48,200
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,416/month Requires minimum annual gross of $56,640
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $21.44/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.42/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 Lexington-Fayette, KY.

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$61,870-$13,151$45,006$1,731.02
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$73,471-$16,304$52,758$2,029.16
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$85,071-$20,291$59,676$2,295.21
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$96,672-$24,279$66,593$2,561.27
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$108,273-$28,266$73,510$2,827.33
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 Lexington-Fayette, KY: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$61,870/yr
$29.75/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
21.26% Effective
-$13,151 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
32% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,546/mo
Post-$1,205/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 Lexington-Fayette, KY: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Lexington-Fayette, KY report a median annual wage of $61,870, 3.0% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $45,280 to $96,190, and HUD’s $1,205 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 23.4% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.44 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+73.8%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+67.1%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+66.1%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+64.3%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+63.3%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+57.0%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+56.7%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+56.4%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+56.2%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+54.4%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Lexington-Fayette, KY

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$179,520$86.31/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$161,450$77.62/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$161,170$77.49/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$144,160$69.31/hr
Fundraising Managers$140,090$67.35/hr
Education Administrators, Postsecondary$137,250$65.99/hr
Financial Manager$135,760$65.27/hr
Purchasing Managers$128,910$61.98/hr
Marketing Managers$127,040$61.08/hr
Sales Managers$124,860$60.03/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 Lexington-Fayette, KY (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY is $61,870 a year ($29.75/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Plumber & Pipefitter in Lexington-Fayette, KY 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY?

The median annual wage is $61,870 ($29.75 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $45,280 and $96,190. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Lexington-Fayette, KY after taxes?

On the median wage of $61,870, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $48,143 a year ($4,012 a month) after $13,727 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.19%, using 2026 tax rules.