SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

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: 105.93 (+5.9% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 72.2% Realized
$53,890 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $74,680 $35.90/hr
Effective Tax Drag 21.84% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$16,309 $627.28/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 $35.90 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,481/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$986/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$6,614
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,630
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,083
Kentucky Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,339
Louisville Metro occupational tax
2.20%
-$1,643
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$53,890 ($2,072.69 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $74,680
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $48.2k 25th $51.7k Median: $74,680 50th (Median) $74.7k 75th $88.4k 90th $94.9k You: $74,680
10th (Entry) $48,250 $23.20/hr
25th (Junior) $51,660 $24.84/hr
50th (Median) $74,680 $35.90/hr
75th (Senior) $88,420 $42.51/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $94,920 $45.63/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$51,738$24.87/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$58,761$28.25/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$74,680$35.90/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$99,612$47.89/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$126,886$61.00/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
24% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,058/month Requires minimum annual gross of $42,320
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,276/month Requires minimum annual gross of $51,040
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.43/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $21.49/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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.

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$74,680-$16,309$53,890$2,072.69
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$88,683-$21,045$62,317$2,396.80
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$102,685-$25,780$70,743$2,720.90
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$116,688-$30,516$79,170$3,045.01
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$130,690-$35,273$87,576$3,368.30
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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN: 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
$74,680/yr
$35.90/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
21.84% Effective
-$16,309 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
24% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,433/mo
Post-$1,058/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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN report a median annual wage of $74,680, 17.1% above the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $48,250 to $94,920, and HUD’s $1,058 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.0% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.43 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+44.0%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+38.4%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+37.6%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+36.1%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+35.3%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+30.1%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+29.9%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+29.6%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+29.4%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+27.9%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$213,920$102.85/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$150,710$72.46/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$149,430$71.84/hr
Education Administrators, Postsecondary$138,670$66.67/hr
Sales Managers$137,880$66.29/hr
Financial Manager$136,970$65.85/hr
Marketing Managers$136,350$65.55/hr
Physician Assistant$130,830$62.90/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$127,730$61.41/hr
Fundraising Managers$126,620$60.88/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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN is $74,680 a year ($35.90/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles. Official 2026 economic data for Plumber & Pipefitter in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?

The median annual wage is $74,680 ($35.90 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $48,250 and $94,920. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN after taxes?

On the median wage of $74,680, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $57,228 a year ($4,769 a month) after $17,452 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 23.37%, using 2026 tax rules.