Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salary in San Diego, CA
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $72,510 a year — 14% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $56,310 take-home, or $4,692 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$7,122
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,496
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,051
- California income tax$2,589
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$943
- Take-home pay$56,310
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 8.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters pay by experience in San Diego, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $46,030 | $22.13 | $37,736 | $3,145 |
| 25th percentile | $61,390 | $29.51 | $48,976 | $4,081 |
| Median (50th) | $72,510 | $34.86 | $56,310 | $4,692 |
| 75th percentile | $94,480 | $45.42 | $69,511 | $5,793 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $127,790 | $61.44 | $89,294 | $7,441 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $72,510 buys in San Diego, CA
Prices in San Diego, CA are 11.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.79× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters's $56,310 take-home pay has the buying power of $50,327 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters jobs are about as common in San Diego, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.11).
Best-paying cities for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, adjusted for cost of living
San Diego, CA ranks #31 of 46 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | $103,380 | $76,585 | $73,928 |
| 2 | Minneapolis, MN | $101,630 | $74,939 | $71,492 |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $107,560 | $77,327 | $70,028 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $95,230 | $75,824 | $68,228 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $101,010 | $71,882 | $68,185 |
| 6 | Milwaukee, WI | $84,700 | $65,308 | $67,371 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $96,760 | $72,283 | $66,764 |
| 8 | Detroit, MI | $86,370 | $66,171 | $65,975 |
| 31 | San Diego, CA | $72,510 | $56,310 | $50,327 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 46 metros →
About the job: plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +6.8% (faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salaries elsewhere in California
- San Jose, CA — $107,560
- San Francisco, CA — $77,880
- Los Angeles, CA — $71,110
- Sacramento, CA — $65,210
- Riverside, CA — $63,920
Frequently asked questions
How much does a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make in San Diego, CA?
The median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $72,510 a year, or about $34.86 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $61,390 and $94,480.
What is a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?
On the median $72,510 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $56,310 a year ($4,692 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,531 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Pay here is 14% above the national median of $63,800. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $50,327 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #31 of 46 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters afford rent in San Diego, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Diego, CA is $2,459 a month ($3,001 for two bedrooms) — 52% of a median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Diego, CA
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