SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Trenton-Princeton, NJ (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 + NJ
COL Index: 124.25 (+24.2% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 74.1% Realized
$56,558 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $76,360 $36.71/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.93% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$15,221 $585.42/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 $36.71 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,582/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,008/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$6,961
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,734
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,107
New Jersey Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,418
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$56,558 ($2,175.29 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Trenton-Princeton, NJ Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $76,360
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $50.4k 25th $60.2k Median: $76,360 50th (Median) $76.4k 75th $106k 90th $127k You: $76,360
10th (Entry) $50,440 $24.25/hr
25th (Junior) $60,170 $28.93/hr
50th (Median) $76,360 $36.71/hr
75th (Senior) $106,360 $51.13/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $127,300 $61.20/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Trenton-Princeton, NJ
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$52,901$25.43/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$60,083$28.89/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$76,360$36.71/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$101,853$48.97/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$129,740$62.38/hr · 12+ Years
Scaled to the Trenton-Princeton, NJ 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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
37% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,764/month Requires minimum annual gross of $70,560
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,242/month Requires minimum annual gross of $89,680
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $27.48/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $27.18/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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ.

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$76,360-$15,221$56,558$2,175.29
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$90,678-$20,099$65,138$2,505.32
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$104,995-$25,012$73,683$2,833.97
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$119,313-$29,925$82,228$3,162.63
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$133,630-$34,915$90,697$3,488.35
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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$76,360/yr
$36.71/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
19.93% Effective
-$15,221 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
37% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,949/mo
Post-$1,764/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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Trenton-Princeton, NJ report a median annual wage of $76,360, 19.7% above the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $50,440 to $127,300, and HUD’s $1,764 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 27.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $27.48 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+40.9%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+35.4%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+34.6%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+33.1%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+32.3%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+27.2%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+27.0%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+26.7%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+26.6%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+25.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Trenton-Princeton, NJ

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Marketing Managers$208,440$100.21/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$197,420$94.91/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$196,870$94.65/hr
Chief Executives$191,360$92.00/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$186,700$89.76/hr
Financial Manager$184,800$88.85/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$182,230$87.61/hr
General and Operations Managers$181,450$87.24/hr
Purchasing Managers$180,340$86.70/hr
Public Relations Managers$179,330$86.22/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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Trenton-Princeton, NJ is $76,360 a year ($36.71/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for Plumber & Pipefitter in Trenton-Princeton, NJ 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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

The median annual wage is $76,360 ($36.71 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $50,440 and $127,300. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Trenton-Princeton, NJ after taxes?

On the median wage of $76,360, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $59,875 a year ($4,990 a month) after $16,485 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.59%, using 2026 tax rules.