SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Reading, PA (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 + PA + Municipal
COL Index: 99.77 (-0.2% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 71.8% Realized
$44,789 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $62,370 $29.99/hr
Effective Tax Drag 22.19% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$13,839 $532.26/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 $29.99 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,742/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$449/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,855
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,867
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$904
Pennsylvania Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,915
Reading earned income tax
3.60%
-$2,297
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$44,789 ($1,722.66 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Reading, PA Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $62,370
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $46.4k 25th $50.4k Median: $62,370 50th (Median) $62.4k 75th $76.2k 90th $102k You: $62,370
10th (Entry) $46,410 $22.31/hr
25th (Junior) $50,440 $24.25/hr
50th (Median) $62,370 $29.99/hr
75th (Senior) $76,250 $36.66/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $101,750 $48.92/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Reading, PA
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$43,209$20.77/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$49,075$23.59/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$62,370$29.99/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$83,193$40.00/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$105,970$50.95/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 Reading, PA 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) $1,114/month Requires minimum annual gross of $44,560
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,418/month Requires minimum annual gross of $56,720
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.06/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $21.27/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 Reading, PA.

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$62,370-$13,839$44,789$1,722.66
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$74,064-$17,145$52,476$2,018.31
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$85,759-$21,238$59,376$2,283.68
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$97,453-$25,331$66,275$2,549.05
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$109,148-$29,424$73,175$2,814.42
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 Reading, PA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$62,370/yr
$29.99/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
22.19% Effective
-$13,839 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
30% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,618/mo
Post-$1,114/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 Reading, PA: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Reading, PA report a median annual wage of $62,370, 2.2% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $46,410 to $101,750, and HUD’s $1,114 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 21.4% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.06 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+72.5%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+65.8%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+64.7%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+62.9%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+62.0%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+55.7%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+55.5%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+55.1%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+55.0%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+53.2%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Reading, PA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$229,740$110.45/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$159,720$76.79/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$148,550$71.42/hr
Nurse Practitioner$135,390$65.09/hr
Financial Manager$133,900$64.38/hr
Physician Assistant$130,160$62.58/hr
Sales Managers$129,230$62.13/hr
Human Resources Managers$128,310$61.69/hr
Marketing Managers$127,920$61.50/hr
Purchasing Managers$127,290$61.20/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 Reading, PA (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Reading, PA is $62,370 a year ($29.99/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 Reading, PA?

The median annual wage is $62,370 ($29.99 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $46,410 and $101,750. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $62,370, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $48,082 a year ($4,007 a month) after $14,288 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.91%, using 2026 tax rules.