WAGE DATA · SOC 47-2152

PIPEFITTER PAY
IN TENNESSEE.

Tennessee pipefitters earn a median of $27.76/hr (BLS 2024). 8,810 workers employed statewide. Compare market wages, federal prevailing rates, and per-diem baselines below.

// BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS · STATEWIDEOEWS · MAY 2024
HOURLY MEDIAN
$27.76/hr
MEAN HOURLY
$28.57/hr
ANNUAL MEDIAN
$58K
EMPLOYED
8,810
10th · $18.31MEDIAN · $27.7690th · $39.22
// DAVIS-BACON · FEDERAL PREVAILING WAGE120 ACTIVE WDS

Active Wage Determinations · Tennessee

120 active Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations cover Tennessee. Each WD sets the legal minimum wage (base + fringe by trade classification) on federally-funded construction in the counties it applies to. Showing the 12 most recently modified — click through for the per-trade rates on sam.gov.

Per-trade rates (the actual $/hr for pipefitters by county) are published on the SAM.gov detail page for each WD. Browse all 120 Tennessee Wage Determinations on sam.gov. If a contractor on a federal job is paying below the WD, file a WH-3 with DOL WHD.

// GSA PER DIEM · FY 2026GSA

Lodging + M&IE by City

The federal government's per-diem rate is the baseline most contractors use. If your job's per diem is below this, you're subsidizing the contractor.

Nashville
Davidson
$308
/day · meals $86
Brentwood / Franklin
Williamson
$216
/day · meals $86
Memphis
Shelby
$203
/day · meals $74
Knoxville
Knox
$193
/day · meals $74
Chattanooga
Hamilton
$191
/day · meals $74
Standard Rate
Tennessee
$178
/day · meals $68
// ROADHAND COMMUNITY DATABE FIRST

What are workers actually earning?

Government data is a baseline. Real take-home pay — including per diem, OT rules, housing allowances — comes from workers on the ground. Submit your pay anonymously to help the next hand.

SHARE YOUR PAY

FAQ

How much does a pipefitter earn in Tennessee?+
According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (2024), pipefitters in Tennessee earn a median of $27.76/hr. That's roughly $58K/year for a full-time schedule at straight time.
What's the top pay for pipefitters in Tennessee?+
The top 10% of pipefitters in Tennessee earn more than $39.22/hr (BLS 2024). That represents experienced workers, supervisors, or those on high-per-diem travel contracts.
How many pipefitters work in Tennessee?+
BLS reports 8,810 pipefitters employed in Tennessee as of 2024. Numbers fluctuate with major construction cycles — when big projects like LNG terminals or data centers start, demand spikes.
Do pipefitters in Tennessee get per diem?+
Per diem is standard on travel contracts. The federal GSA baseline for Tennessee is typically $150-$260/day depending on the city. Contractors may set their per diem higher or lower — if it's below the GSA floor, you're subsidizing the contractor's housing budget out of pocket.
What's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage?+
Davis-Bacon rates are the legally-required minimum wages on federally-funded construction projects — base pay plus fringe benefits. Every contractor working a federal job must pay at least the Davis-Bacon rate for that county and trade. Private-sector jobs don't have to match, but many do as a competitive floor.