Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salary in Detroit, MI
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earn a median $86,370 a year — 35% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $66,171 take-home, or $5,514 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary in Detroit, MI. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$10,171
- Social Security (6.2%)$5,355
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,252
- Michigan income tax$3,420
- Take-home pay$66,171
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 4.25% state
Living in Detroit? City residents also pay Detroit’s city income tax — about $2,073 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $64,098 ($5,342 a month). Choose “Detroit” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters pay by experience in Detroit, MI
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $48,250 | $23.20 | $39,149 | $3,262 |
| 25th percentile | $61,190 | $29.42 | $48,996 | $4,083 |
| Median (50th) | $86,370 | $41.52 | $66,171 | $5,514 |
| 75th percentile | $99,650 | $47.91 | $74,949 | $6,246 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $107,780 | $51.82 | $80,323 | $6,694 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Michigan resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $86,370 buys in Detroit, MI
Prices in Detroit, MI are 0.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 5% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters's $66,171 take-home pay has the buying power of $65,975 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 Detroit, MI as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.97).
Best-paying cities for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, adjusted for cost of living
Detroit, MI ranks #8 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 Detroit, MI?
The median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area is $86,370 a year, or about $41.52 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $61,190 and $99,650.
What is a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters’s take-home pay in Detroit, MI?
On the median $86,370 salary, a single filer living in Michigan takes home about $66,171 a year ($5,514 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,420 in Michigan taxes in 2026.
Is Detroit, MI a good place to work as a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Pay here is 35% above the national median of $63,800. Local prices are 0.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $65,975 would in a typical U.S. city. Detroit, MI ranks #8 of 46 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters afford rent in Detroit, MI?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Detroit, MI is $1,128 a month ($1,413 for two bedrooms) — 20% of a median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Detroit, MI
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- Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher — $62,330
- Construction Laborer — $57,430