Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters salary in San Francisco, CA
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in San Francisco, CA: $75,840/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $48,200 – $156,010 · about 5,430 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($59,690) by +$16,150 (+27%).
What it's really worth in San Francisco
With San Francisco's cost of living at 118 (US=100), that $75,840 has the buying power of about $64,517 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $129,315 · median home $1,149,215 · median rent $3,258/mo.
How San Francisco ranks for this job
On raw pay, San Francisco, CA is 28th of the 187 metros we hold plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters wages for. Once San Francisco's cost of living is applied, it ranks 68th.
The headline number flatters San Francisco. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in San Francisco
A median home in San Francisco, CA costs $1,149,215 — about 15.2× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $3,258/mo works out at 52% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
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 San Francisco.
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Francisco | Rent vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $101,560 | +34% | 0.7× |
| Kennewick, WA | $97,150 | +28% | 0.5× |
| Minneapolis, MN | $96,200 | +27% | 0.5× |
| Duluth, MN | $88,000 | +16% | 0.4× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Francisco | Rent vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $86,370 | +14% | 1.1× |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $64,380 | −15% | 1.1× |
| San Diego, CA | $64,100 | −15% | 0.9× |
| Los Angeles, CA | $62,730 | −17% | 0.9× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters around San Francisco
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- City and County of San Francisco · Government
Other jobs in San Francisco
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.