Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters salary in Seattle, WA
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in Seattle, WA: $83,230/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $47,510 – $138,790 · about 5,860 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($59,690) by +$23,540 (+39%).
What it's really worth in Seattle
With Seattle's cost of living at 113 (US=100), that $83,230 has the buying power of about $73,831 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $107,206 · median home $750,279 · median rent $2,232/mo.
How Seattle ranks for this job
On raw pay, Seattle, WA is 10th of the 187 metros we hold plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters wages for. Once Seattle's cost of living is applied, it ranks 32nd.
The headline number flatters Seattle. 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 Seattle
A median home in Seattle, WA costs $750,279 — about 9× 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 $2,232/mo works out at 32% 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 Seattle.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Seattle | Rent vs Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $101,560 | +22% | 1× |
| Kennewick, WA | $97,150 | +17% | 0.8× |
| Minneapolis, MN | $96,200 | +16% | 0.8× |
| Duluth, MN | $88,000 | +6% | 0.6× |
Same job elsewhere in WA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Seattle | Rent vs Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick, WA | $97,150 | +17% | 0.8× |
| Olympia, WA | $76,260 | −8% | 0.9× |
| Bremerton, WA | $69,010 | −17% | 0.9× |
| Spokane, WA | $64,840 | −22% | 0.7× |
Staying in WA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Seattle
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.