How much do steamfitters make in 2026?
Steamfitters are counted in the BLS plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters series: OEWS May 2025 gives the SOC 47-2152 national median as $63,800 a year ($30.67 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $44,150 and the top 10% at $108,420. The series pools residential plumbing with industrial pipe trades, so steamfitting has to be located inside it — generally in the upper part. Three reasons. Steamfitters work high-pressure and high-temperature systems, where code, welding qualification and testing standards are strict. Many hold their own welding tickets, which makes them dual-skilled on jobs where fitting and welding are otherwise separate scopes. And the work is concentrated in power generation, refining, chemical plants, hospitals and district energy systems, whose planned outages run continuous shifts with overtime and per-diem. Employment across the series is projected to grow 4.5% through 2034 with roughly 44,000 openings a year. → Full steamfitter career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $63,800 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Steamfitters earn a national median $63,800/yr ($30.67/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2152); the P10 to P90 range is $44,150 to $108,420.
- BLS pools steamfitters with plumbers and pipefitters in SOC 47-2152, so steamfitting sits in the upper part of the $44,150 to $108,420 band rather than in its own series.
- High-pressure and high-temperature code work, plus welding qualification, is what separates steamfitting from plumbing in both scope and pay.
- Planned outages in power, refining and district energy run continuous shifts with overtime and per-diem, which is where annual earnings are made.
US Steamfitter Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do steamfitters earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 47-2152; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2152, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a steamfitter earn at each career stage?
Steamfitting pay follows code and welding qualification, system complexity and outage availability. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 47-2152.
By State
Which states pay steamfitters the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median for the series scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Steamfitting follows industrial and institutional plant: refining and chemical corridors, power generation, university and hospital district energy systems. Some states license pipefitting or require state boiler and pressure-piping approvals for certain work, and prevailing-wage rules apply on public projects, both of which raise effective rates locally.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($73,370), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay steamfitters the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median for the series scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a steamfitter’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does steamfitter pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Steamfitters sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify steamfitter wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a steamfitter actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Steamfitter Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
Steamfitter career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring steamfitters?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · Steamfitter
Everything for steamfitters in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full steamfitter cluster.