SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Tuscaloosa, AL (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 + AL
COL Index: 105.03 (+5.0% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 74.8% Realized
$44,538 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $59,530 $28.62/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19.18% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$11,420 $439.24/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 $28.62 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,572/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$429/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,535
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,691
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$863
Alabama Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,331
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$44,538 ($1,713.00 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Tuscaloosa, AL Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $59,530
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $38.4k 25th $47.6k Median: $59,530 50th (Median) $59.5k 75th $71.5k 90th $74.2k You: $59,530
10th (Entry) $38,410 $18.47/hr
25th (Junior) $47,650 $22.91/hr
50th (Median) $59,530 $28.62/hr
75th (Senior) $71,470 $34.36/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $74,150 $35.65/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Tuscaloosa, AL
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$41,242$19.83/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$46,840$22.52/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$59,530$28.62/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$79,404$38.17/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$101,145$48.63/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 Tuscaloosa, AL under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
26% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $975/month Requires minimum annual gross of $39,000
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,165/month Requires minimum annual gross of $46,600
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.23/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.07/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 Tuscaloosa, AL.

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$59,530-$11,420$44,538$1,713.00
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$70,692-$13,995$52,456$2,017.52
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$81,854-$17,561$59,381$2,283.89
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$93,016-$21,133$66,302$2,550.07
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$104,178-$24,704$73,223$2,816.26
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 Tuscaloosa, AL: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$59,530/yr
$28.62/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
19.18% Effective
-$11,420 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
26% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,737/mo
Post-$975/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 Tuscaloosa, AL: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Tuscaloosa, AL report a median annual wage of $59,530, 6.7% below the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $38,410 to $74,150, and HUD’s $975 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 19.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.23 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+80.7%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+73.7%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+72.6%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+70.7%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+69.7%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+63.2%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+62.9%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+62.5%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+62.4%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+60.5%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Tuscaloosa, AL

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$164,810$79.24/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$140,070$67.34/hr
Financial Manager$130,000$62.50/hr
Facilities Managers$129,880$62.44/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$126,270$60.71/hr
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$125,100$60.14/hr
Industrial Production Managers$123,390$59.32/hr
Solutions Architect$115,750$55.65/hr
Purchasing Managers$114,960$55.27/hr
Nurse Practitioner$110,460$53.11/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 Tuscaloosa, AL (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Tuscaloosa, AL is $59,530 a year ($28.62/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 Tuscaloosa, AL?

The median annual wage is $59,530 ($28.62 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $38,410 and $74,150. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $59,530, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $47,524 a year ($3,960 a month) after $12,006 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.17%, using 2026 tax rules.