SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI (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 + WI
COL Index: 100.48 (+0.5% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 72.3% Realized
$61,235 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $84,700 $40.72/hr
Effective Tax Drag 21.7% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$18,383 $707.04/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 $40.72 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$5,082/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,118/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$8,686
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,251
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,228
Wisconsin Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,218
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$61,235 ($2,355.19 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $84,700
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $56.5k 25th $62.4k Median: $84,700 50th (Median) $84.7k 75th $108k 90th $124k You: $84,700
10th (Entry) $56,520 $27.17/hr
25th (Junior) $62,350 $29.98/hr
50th (Median) $84,700 $40.72/hr
75th (Senior) $108,000 $51.92/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $124,470 $59.84/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$58,679$28.21/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$66,645$32.04/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$84,700$40.72/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$112,978$54.32/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$143,910$69.19/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
21% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,060/month Requires minimum annual gross of $42,400
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,263/month Requires minimum annual gross of $50,520
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.22/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $22.33/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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.

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$84,700-$18,383$61,235$2,355.19
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$100,581-$23,768$70,778$2,722.23
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$116,463-$29,154$80,321$3,089.27
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$132,344-$34,591$89,812$3,454.31
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$148,225-$40,257$99,075$3,810.57
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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$84,700/yr
$40.72/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
21.7% Effective
-$18,383 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
21% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,043/mo
Post-$1,060/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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI report a median annual wage of $84,700, 32.8% above the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $56,520 to $124,470, and HUD’s $1,060 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 15.0% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.22 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+27.0%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+22.1%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+21.3%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+20.0%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+19.3%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+14.7%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+14.5%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+14.2%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+14.1%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+12.8%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$216,240$103.96/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$161,220$77.51/hr
Financial Manager$156,100$75.05/hr
Data Engineer$148,020$71.16/hr
Advertising and Promotions Managers$144,960$69.69/hr
Sales Managers$144,560$69.50/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$143,570$69.02/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$140,170$67.39/hr
Human Resources Managers$136,530$65.64/hr
Physician Assistant$135,040$64.92/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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is $84,700 a year ($40.72/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Plumber & Pipefitter in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

The median annual wage is $84,700 ($40.72 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $56,520 and $124,470. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI after taxes?

On the median wage of $84,700, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $64,897 a year ($5,408 a month) after $19,803 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 23.38%, using 2026 tax rules.