Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters salary in Charleston, WV
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in Charleston, WV: $59,640/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $37,000 – $78,740 · about 170 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($59,690) by −$50 (+0%).
What it's really worth in Charleston
With Charleston's cost of living at 89 (US=100), that $59,640 has the buying power of about $66,968 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $54,473 · median home $148,817 · median rent $1,265/mo.
How Charleston ranks for this job
On raw pay, Charleston, WV is 95th of the 187 metros we hold plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters wages for. Once Charleston's cost of living is applied, it ranks 54th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Charleston is one of the places where plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Charleston
A median home in Charleston, WV costs $148,817 — about 2.5× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,265/mo works out at 25% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Charleston.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $101,560 | +70% | 1.8× |
| Kennewick, WA | $97,150 | +63% | 1.4× |
| Minneapolis, MN | $96,200 | +61% | 1.4× |
| Duluth, MN | $88,000 | +48% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in WV
| Metro | Median pay | vs Charleston | Rent vs Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington, WV | $59,580 | +0% | 0.9× |
Staying in WV keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters around Charleston
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- West Virginia-American Water Company · Energy
- State of West Virginia · Government
- Charleston Stamping and Manufacturing · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Charleston
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.