SOC 47-2152

Plumber & Pipefitter Salary in Wausau, 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: 97.68 (-2.3% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 72.0% Realized
$62,467 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $86,750 $41.71/hr
Effective Tax Drag 21.99% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$19,078 $733.78/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 $41.71 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$5,205/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,145/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$9,110
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,379
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,258
Wisconsin Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,332
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$62,467 ($2,402.57 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Wausau, WI Plumber & Pipefitter Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $86,750
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $50.4k 25th $62.1k Median: $86,750 50th (Median) $86.8k 75th $100k 90th $103k You: $86,750
10th (Entry) $50,380 $24.22/hr
25th (Junior) $62,090 $29.85/hr
50th (Median) $86,750 $41.71/hr
75th (Senior) $100,360 $48.25/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $103,440 $49.73/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Plumber & Pipefitter in Wausau, WI
1
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 1-2)Post-secondary certificate (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$60,100$28.89/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Plumber's Apprentice (Yr 3-5)Demonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities; state journeyman license
$68,258$32.82/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Journeyman PlumberFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team; state journeyman license
$86,750$41.71/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Master PlumberOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$115,712$55.63/hr · 8-12 Years
5
Plumbing ContractorExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$147,393$70.86/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 Wausau, WI under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
18% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $940/month Requires minimum annual gross of $37,600
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,217/month Requires minimum annual gross of $48,680
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $21.60/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $21.51/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 Wausau, 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$86,750-$19,078$62,467$2,402.57
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$103,016-$24,594$72,241$2,778.49
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$119,281-$30,110$82,015$3,154.41
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$135,547-$35,738$91,677$3,526.02
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$151,813-$41,519$101,185$3,891.71
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 Wausau, 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
$86,750/yr
$41.71/hr · SOC 47-2152
Statutory Tax Drag
21.99% Effective
-$19,078 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
18% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,266/mo
Post-$940/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 Wausau, WI: Market Snapshot

Plumber & Pipefitter roles in Wausau, WI report a median annual wage of $86,750, 36.0% above the national median of $63,800. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $50,380 to $103,440, and HUD’s $940 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 13.0% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $21.60 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Plumber & Pipefitter

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$107,560+24.0%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,380+19.2%
Bellingham, WA$102,750+18.4%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$101,630+17.2%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$101,010+16.4%
Kennewick-Richland, WA$97,130+12.0%
Bloomington, IN$96,980+11.8%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$96,760+11.5%
Fairbanks-College, AK$96,670+11.4%
Champaign-Urbana, IL$95,530+10.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Wausau, WI

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$202,460$97.34/hr
Marketing Managers$141,150$67.86/hr
Financial Manager$131,320$63.13/hr
Human Resources Managers$131,240$63.10/hr
Physician Assistant$129,980$62.49/hr
Nurse Practitioner$129,720$62.37/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$129,620$62.32/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$126,530$60.83/hr
Medical and Health Services Managers$125,550$60.36/hr
Sales Managers$123,230$59.25/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 Wausau, WI (2026) Overview

Plumber & Pipefitter median pay in Wausau, WI is $86,750 a year ($41.71/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living wage.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Plumber & Pipefitter in Wausau, WI?

The median annual wage is $86,750 ($41.71 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $50,380 and $103,440. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $86,750, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $66,218 a year ($5,518 a month) after $20,532 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 23.67%, using 2026 tax rules.