Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters salary in Winston-Salem, NC
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in Winston-Salem, NC: $50,120/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $36,820 – $65,870 · about 840 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($59,690) by −$9,570 (-16%).
What it's really worth in Winston-Salem
With Winston-Salem's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $50,120 has the buying power of about $54,715 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $60,145 · median home $283,871 · median rent $1,546/mo.
How Winston-Salem ranks for this job
On raw pay, Winston-Salem, NC is 147th of the 187 metros we hold plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters wages for. Once Winston-Salem's cost of living is applied, it ranks 138th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Winston-Salem sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Winston-Salem
A median home in Winston-Salem, NC costs $283,871 — about 5.7× 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 $1,546/mo works out at 37% 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 Winston-Salem.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Winston-Salem | Rent vs Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $101,560 | +103% | 1.5× |
| Kennewick, WA | $97,150 | +94% | 1.1× |
| Minneapolis, MN | $96,200 | +92% | 1.1× |
| Duluth, MN | $88,000 | +76% | 0.9× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Winston-Salem | Rent vs Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | $59,250 | +18% | 1.1× |
| Durham, NC | $57,720 | +15% | 1.1× |
| Charlotte, NC | $54,560 | +9% | 1.1× |
| Raleigh, NC | $52,170 | +4% | 1.1× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters around Winston-Salem
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- HanesBrands · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Winston-Salem
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.