Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters salary in McAllen, TX
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in McAllen, TX: $44,870/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $30,010 – $61,040 · about 370 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($59,690) by −$14,820 (-25%).
What it's really worth in McAllen
With McAllen's cost of living at 86 (US=100), that $44,870 has the buying power of about $52,129 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $49,371 · median home $193,978 · median rent $1,128/mo.
How McAllen ranks for this job
On raw pay, McAllen, TX is 182nd of the 187 metros we hold plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters wages for. Once McAllen's cost of living is applied, it ranks 160th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — McAllen 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 McAllen
A median home in McAllen, TX costs $193,978 — about 4.3× 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 $1,128/mo works out at 30% 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 McAllen.
| Metro | Median pay | vs McAllen | Rent vs McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $101,560 | +126% | 2× |
| Kennewick, WA | $97,150 | +117% | 1.5× |
| Minneapolis, MN | $96,200 | +114% | 1.5× |
| Duluth, MN | $88,000 | +96% | 1.2× |
Same job elsewhere in TX
| Metro | Median pay | vs McAllen | Rent vs McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont, TX | $62,160 | +39% | 1.2× |
| Austin, TX | $60,740 | +35% | 1.4× |
| Houston, TX | $60,490 | +35% | 1.5× |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $60,080 | +34% | 1.2× |
Staying in TX keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters around McAllen
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Panasonic · Manufacturing
Other jobs in McAllen
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.