Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salary in San Jose, CA
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area earn a median $107,560 a year — 69% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $77,327 take-home, or $6,444 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary in San Jose, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$14,833
- Social Security (6.2%)$6,669
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,560
- California income tax$5,773
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,398
- Take-home pay$77,327
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 9.30% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters pay by experience in San Jose, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $63,270 | $30.42 | $50,345 | $4,195 |
| 25th percentile | $76,040 | $36.56 | $58,465 | $4,872 |
| Median (50th) | $107,560 | $51.71 | $77,327 | $6,444 |
| 75th percentile | $155,600 | $74.81 | $105,355 | $8,780 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $155,600 | $74.81 | $105,355 | $8,780 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $107,560 buys in San Jose, CA
Prices in San Jose, CA are 10.4% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 2.12× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters's $77,327 take-home pay has the buying power of $70,028 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 Jose, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.13).
Best-paying cities for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, adjusted for cost of living
San Jose, CA ranks #3 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.
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salaries elsewhere in California
- San Francisco, CA — $77,880
- San Diego, CA — $72,510
- 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 Jose, CA?
The median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area is $107,560 a year, or about $51.71 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $76,040 and $155,600.
What is a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters’s take-home pay in San Jose, CA?
On the median $107,560 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $77,327 a year ($6,444 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $7,172 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Jose, CA a good place to work as a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Pay here is 69% above the national median of $63,800. Local prices are 10.4% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $70,028 would in a typical U.S. city. San Jose, CA ranks #3 of 46 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters afford rent in San Jose, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Jose, CA is $2,957 a month ($3,464 for two bedrooms) — 46% 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 Jose, CA
- First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers — $129,700
- Electrician — $91,030
- Carpenter — $80,190
- Construction Laborer — $68,470
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance — $61,970