Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salary in Boston, MA
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area earn a median $96,760 a year — 52% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $72,283 take-home, or $6,024 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary in Boston, MA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$12,457
- Social Security (6.2%)$5,999
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,403
- Massachusetts income tax$4,618
- Take-home pay$72,283
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 5.00% state
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro spans Massachusetts, New Hampshire. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters pay by experience in Boston, MA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $52,270 | $25.13 | $41,785 | $3,482 |
| 25th percentile | $62,640 | $30.12 | $49,599 | $4,133 |
| Median (50th) | $96,760 | $46.52 | $72,283 | $6,024 |
| 75th percentile | $117,900 | $56.68 | $86,098 | $7,175 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $143,950 | $69.21 | $102,678 | $8,557 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Massachusetts resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $96,760 buys in Boston, MA
Prices in Boston, MA are 8.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.48× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters's $72,283 take-home pay has the buying power of $66,764 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 Boston, MA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.14).
Best-paying cities for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, adjusted for cost of living
Boston, MA ranks #7 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 |
*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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make in Boston, MA?
The median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area is $96,760 a year, or about $46.52 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $62,640 and $117,900.
What is a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters’s take-home pay in Boston, MA?
On the median $96,760 salary, a single filer living in Massachusetts takes home about $72,283 a year ($6,024 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $4,618 in Massachusetts taxes in 2026.
Is Boston, MA a good place to work as a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Pay here is 52% above the national median of $63,800. Local prices are 8.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $66,764 would in a typical U.S. city. Boston, MA ranks #7 of 46 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters afford rent in Boston, MA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Boston, MA is $2,276 a month ($2,762 for two bedrooms) — 38% of a median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Boston, MA
- First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers — $99,890
- Construction and Building Inspector — $84,620
- Electrician — $79,910
- Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator — $76,940
- Carpenter — $75,210
- Construction Laborer — $63,420
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance — $57,820