Plumbers in Oregon earn a median of $74,920 a year. Plumbers doing the same licensed work in Arkansas earn a median of $39,150, a gap of nearly $36,000 for the same trade and license level.
Calculate Your Plumber Salary by State
Use the calculator below to see exactly what plumbers earn in your state, adjusted for experience, certification, and union status, using real BLS wage data.
Plumber Salary Calculator
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State range (10th–90th pct)
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vs. weighted US median ($54,011)
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State median, 10th–90th percentile range, and weighted US median ($54,011) are sourced directly from BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2152 (Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters). Experience, certification, and union adjustments are estimates based on published trade wage research — not separate BLS breakdowns. Actual pay varies by employer and local market. Data last updated: June 2026.
Plumber Salary in the US: Quick Facts
- Weighted national median: $54,011/year, BLS OEWS May 2025 (all experience levels)
- Mean annual wage: $72,170/year, BLS OEWS May 2025
- Median hourly rate: $34.70/hour, BLS OEWS May 2025
- Entry-level floor (helpers): $43,730/year, BLS OEWS May 2025
- Top 10% earners: More than $105,150/year, BLS OEWS May 2025
- Total US jobs in the occupation: 465,840, BLS OEWS May 2025
- Projected job growth: 4% from 2024 to 2034, BLS OOH
- Annual job openings: ~44,000/year, BLS OOH
- Highest-paying state: Oregon, $74,920 median, BLS OEWS May 2025
- Lowest-paying state: Arkansas, $39,150 median, BLS OEWS May 2025
Table of Contents
Why Plumber Salary Figures Vary So Much by Source
If you have searched “plumber salary” recently, you have probably seen figures ranging from around $51,000 to $72,000 or more, all claiming to cite BLS data. Here is why, and which numbers this article uses:
The mean vs. median gap. The BLS reports two national wage figures for this occupation. The weighted median of $54,011 is the true midpoint; half of all plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earn above it and half below. The mean annual wage of $72,170 is the arithmetic average, pulled significantly upward by high-earning industrial pipefitters and specialists in the upper tail. Neither is wrong; they measure different things.
The SOC code bundling effect. BLS tracks plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters under a single code, SOC 47-2152. In states with high levels of employment among pipefitters and steamfitters, such as Illinois, Louisiana, and Washington, the blended state median is materially higher than what a typical residential or commercial plumber earns on their own. This article flags those states explicitly.
Plumber Salary by State: Full BLS Table
The table below shows the ten highest-paying states and the five lowest-paying states for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, using confirmed BLS OEWS May 2025 state-level data.
| State | Median Annual Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
| Oregon | $74,920 | $58,230 | $147,100 |
| District of Columbia | $74,630 | $52,310 | $117,180 |
| Alaska | $73,640 | $53,730 | $122,660 |
| Illinois | $72,070 | $50,250 | $126,430 |
| Massachusetts | $61,860 | $52,010 | $135,080 |
| New Jersey | $61,810 | $48,720 | $136,710 |
| Hawaii | $61,570 | $47,750 | $113,300 |
| Wisconsin | $61,430 | $50,020 | $120,070 |
| Maine | $61,300 | $48,120 | $80,760 |
| Minnesota | $61,150 | $48,720 | $121,050 |
| New Mexico | $45,190 | $36,160 | $87,700 |
| Georgia | $45,130 | $37,680 | $80,740 |
| West Virginia | $44,020 | $36,010 | $83,160 |
| Mississippi | $41,010 | $35,830 | $75,470 |
| Arkansas | $39,150 | $33,410 | $68,870 |
Three major markets for context: Texas ($47,380 median), Florida ($47,220), and California ($58,980), three of the largest plumbing job markets by employment volume, sit well below the top-paying states, which reflects lower union density and a higher proportion of residential versus industrial work in those markets.
The Illinois caveat: Illinois ranks fourth nationally, but its $72,070 median is significantly elevated by the concentration of industrial pipefitters and steamfitters in the Chicago area, working under UA union contracts in refineries, utilities, and heavy manufacturing. A residential service plumber in suburban Illinois will typically earn closer to the state’s lower percentile range.
The Cost of living matters as much as the headline wage. A plumber earning $47,700 in Charleston, West Virginia, may have comparable or higher purchasing power than one earning $63,900 in San Francisco, once housing, taxes, and living costs are applied. Before relocating purely for a higher state median, confirm the full cost picture for your specific target market.
For a detailed Texas-specific breakdown, including pay by city, specialization, and the petrochemical premium in the Houston market, see our plumber salary in Texas guide.
National Salary Percentile Breakdown
The BLS percentile data show the full earnings spread across the occupation, from entry-level helpers and early apprentices at the 10th percentile, to experienced masters and industrial specialists at the 90th.
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Hourly Rate | Who This Typically Represents |
| 10th | $44,150 | $21.22 | Entry-level helpers; early-stage apprentices |
| 25th | $50,190 | $24.13 | Later-stage apprentices; new journeymen |
| 50th (median) | $54,011 (weighted) | $34.70 | Mid-career journeyman plumbers |
| 75th | $85,110 | $40.92 | Experienced journeymen; early master level |
| 90th | $108,420+ | $52.13+ | Master plumbers, industrial specialists, and union senior workers |
| Mean (all workers) | $72,170 | $34.70 | Pulled upward by high-earning industrial pipefitters |
A notable development in the May 2025 data: For the first time in recent OEWS releases, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters outpaced electricians on both median hourly ($34.70 vs. $34.37) and mean annual wages ($72,170 vs. $71,490).
The difference is modest, about $680 per year on mean annual wages, but it reflects consistent demand pressure on the plumbing trade driven by aging residential infrastructure, water system upgrades, and the skilled worker shortage that has hit this trade particularly hard. Whether this gap holds in future surveys remains to be seen.
Plumber Salary by License Level
License level is the single most controllable pay variable in a plumbing career. The jump from apprentice to journeyman is the largest single pay increase most plumbers will ever experience, and the master license opens the door to business ownership, where the BLS ceiling no longer applies.
Apprentice pay
Apprentice plumbers typically start at 40–50% of the local journeyman rate, increasing at defined milestones throughout the program. A representative 2024 UA union wage schedule (Local 344) shows first-year apprentices starting at $22/hour and reaching $32/hour by Year 5, an increase of 46% over the apprenticeship period alone.
The BLS reports helper wages, the closest proxy for entry-level plumbing labor, at $43,730 annually as of May 2025.
Journeyman pay
Licensed journeyman plumbers earn approximately $34/hour on average nationally, or around $69,000–$72,000 per year depending on state and union status. The journeyman license allows independent work and opens access to commercial and industrial projects, which pay meaningfully more than residential work for equivalent license levels.
Master plumber pay
Master plumbers working as employees average approximately $38–$40/hour, or $80,000–$85,000 per year. The master license also enables plumbing contracting business ownership, where income is no longer bound by any employee wage survey.
| License Level | Avg. Hourly | Avg. Annual | Notes |
| Apprentice (Year 1) | ~$19–$22/hr | ~$40,000–$46,000 | 40–50% of journeyman rate; increases each year |
| Apprentice (Year 5) | ~$29–$32/hr | ~$60,000–$67,000 | Approaching journeyman scale |
| Journeyman (licensed) | ~$34/hr | ~$69,000–$72,000 | Independent work varies by state and union status |
| Master Plumber (employee) | ~$38–$40/hr | ~$80,000–$85,000 | Permit-pulling; business ownership eligible |
| Master Plumber (owner) | Varies | $100,000–$200,000+ | Outside BLS employee survey data |
Plumber Salary by Industry and Employer Type
Where you work affects your pay as much as your license level does in many markets. BLS tracks wages across employer industries, and the spread within this occupation is significant.
| Industry / Employer Type | Mean Annual Wage | Notes |
| Natural gas distribution | ~$90,000+ | Highest-paying industry for SOC 47-2152 |
| Local government (excl. schools/hospitals) | ~$75,000–$80,000 | Stable; benefits-heavy |
| Nonresidential building construction | ~$68,000–$72,000 | Commercial construction |
| Specialty trade contractors | ~$64,000–$68,000 | Most common employer type |
| Residential building construction | ~$58,000–$65,000 | Most common for journeyman entry |
The practical implication: moving from residential contracting into commercial construction, local government, or utility-adjacent work typically adds $8,000–$20,000 per year for an equivalent license level, without requiring any additional certification beyond your existing journeyman or master license.
Union vs. Non-Union Plumber Pay
Union membership produces a measurable, documented pay premium in most markets, and the gap is wider than base wages alone suggest when total compensation is the measure.
Union journeyman plumbers in active UA markets typically earn base wages 15–25% higher than non-union journeymen doing comparable work in the same city, with employer-funded health insurance, defined-benefit pension, and annuity contributions adding significant value on top of that.
| Factor | Union (UA) | Non-Union |
| Base hourly rate | Collectively bargained, typically higher | Market rate; employer-set |
| Health insurance | Employer-funded through a union trust | Varies, often employee-paid |
| Pension/retirement | Defined-benefit pension + annuity | 401(k) if offered |
| Overtime access | Defined by CBA | Employer-dependent |
| Total comp premium | Frequently 20–40% above base wage | Baseline |
| Strongest markets | Northeast, Midwest, West Coast | South, Mountain West, rural areas |
In high-union-density markets like Chicago, New York, and Seattle, total union compensation packages for journeyman plumbers routinely exceed $100,000 annually when benefits are fully accounted for.
Self-Employed Plumber Income: Beyond the BLS Ceiling
The BLS OEWS survey captures employee wages only. It does not include self-employed plumbers who own and operate their own contracting businesses, and that matters because the highest incomes in the plumbing trade are generated outside the employment relationship entirely.
A licensed master plumber running a residential service and repair business in a mid-sized metro can generate gross revenue well above what any employee wage survey captures.
After business expenses, a solo owner-operator working consistent volume frequently nets $100,000–$150,000+ annually. Those who scale into multi-truck operations with employees can net significantly more.
The BLS’s $105,150+ 90th-percentile figure is not the ceiling for a plumbing career; it is the ceiling for a plumbing employee. Business ownership removes that ceiling. It also introduces business risk, management responsibility, and administrative overhead.
For those with the right combination of trade skill and business aptitude, the plumbing trade is one of the most accessible routes to self-employment available in any skilled occupation.
Plumber Salary vs. Related Trades
| Trade | Mean Annual Wage (BLS May 2025) | Median Hourly | SOC Code |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, Steamfitters | $72,170 | $34.70 | 47-2152 |
| Electricians | $71,490 | $34.37 | 47-2111 |
| HVAC Mechanics and Installers | $68,120 | $32.75 | 49-9021 |
| Carpenters | $65,630 | $31.55 | 47-2031 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $67,850 | $32.62 | 47-2211 |
Plumbing and electrical work are now essentially at parity at the national level, with plumbers edging ahead marginally in the May 2025 data for the first time in recent survey history.
HVAC sits approximately $4,000 below both on mean annual wages, though HVAC has shown stronger growth momentum driven by heat pump installation demand and commercial HVAC retrofits. The meaningful distinction between plumbing and electrical remains in job outlook: electricians project 9% growth versus plumbing’s 4%, reflecting the surge in EV charging, solar, and data center electrical demand.
How to Increase Your Plumber Salary
1. Get licensed, and progress your license as fast as your state allows
The apprentice-to-journeyman jump is the single highest-ROI career move in plumbing. The master license, available after one to several years as a licensed journeyman, is the second. Both are time-gated but entirely within your control to pursue on the earliest eligible timeline.
2. Move from residential into commercial or industrial work
The pay difference between residential service plumbing and commercial or industrial pipefitting can be $10,000–$20,000 annually for equivalent license levels. The skills transfer; the pay structure does not.
3. Add specialty certifications
Backflow prevention, medical gas piping, and industrial process piping all command pay premiums relative to a standard journeyman license. Medical gas certification through ASSE opens access to hospital and healthcare construction, consistently one of the highest-paying sectors in commercial construction.
4. Access union work in your market
If you are in a market with an active UA local, particularly in the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast, union membership typically adds $5–$15+ per hour in base wages plus a benefits package that significantly exceeds what most non-union employers offer. Find your nearest local at ua.org/find-a-local.
5. Relocate to a higher-paying market
Oregon, DC, Alaska, Illinois, and Massachusetts consistently pay the most by state median. For plumbers willing to relocate, the wage difference relative to lower-paying states can exceed $35,000 per year, though cost-of-living must always be factored into any relocation decision before the math is compelling.
Job Outlook for Plumbers in 2026
Employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is projected to grow 4% from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations, with about 44,000 openings projected each year on average over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
What the 4% growth rate understates is the structural workforce gap underneath it. The plumbing workforce is aging faster than new entrants are replacing experienced workers in most markets. Retirements are consistently outpacing new apprenticeship completions, which keeps wages elevated and the hiring environment favorable for newly licensed plumbers. A dynamic that the headline growth rate does not fully capture.
Demand drivers over the next decade include new residential and commercial construction, ongoing maintenance of aging water infrastructure, and growing installation demand for water-efficient systems tied to expanding green building standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average plumber’s salary in the US?
The weighted national median is $54,011 per year, representing the true midpoint across all 465,840 plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters as of BLS OEWS May 2025. The mean annual wage is $72,170, pulled upward by high-earning industrial pipefitters and specialists in the upper percentiles. The median hourly rate is $34.70.
Which state pays plumbers the most?
Oregon currently posts the highest state median for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters at $74,920 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data, followed by Washington DC ($74,630) and Alaska ($73,640) while Illinois ranks fourth at $72,070
Do union plumbers make more than non-union plumbers?
In most markets, yes, particularly when total compensation rather than just base wages is the measure. Union journeyman plumbers in active UA markets typically earn 15–25% more in base wages than non-union counterparts, with employer-funded health insurance, defined-benefit pension, and annuity contributions adding significant value on top.
Do plumbers make six figures?
Yes, in specific circumstances. The BLS reports that the top 10% of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earned more than $105,150 annually as of May 2025. Union journeymen in the highest-paying states regularly approach or exceed this figure as employees. Master plumbers who own and operate their own contracting businesses can earn well beyond $105,150, since self-employed plumbers are outside the BLS employee wage survey entirely.
How much do plumbers make per hour?
The national median hourly rate for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters was $34.70 per hour as of BLS OEWS May 2025. Entry-level helpers average $43,730 per year, which works out to approximately $21/hour. Licensed journeymen average around $34/hour nationally, with union journeymen in high-wage markets earning $40–$50+ per hour.
What is the difference in pay between a journeyman and a master plumber?
The gap between journeyman and master plumber pay at the employee level is approximately $10,000–$15,000 per year on average, with journeymen averaging around $69,000–$72,000 and master plumbers around $80,000–$85,000 as employees. The more significant distinction is that the master license enables business ownership, where income is no longer bound by employee wage data at all.
The Bottom Line on Plumber Pay
At a weighted national median of $54,011 and a mean of $72,170, plumbers earn competitive wages without a college degree, above both the all-occupation US median of $50,980 and the HVAC trade average of $68,120. The realistic ceiling extends well above those figures for plumbers who progress their license, move into commercial or industrial work, access union markets, and eventually run their own business.
The variables that move the needle most, License level, industry sector, state, and union status, are all within your control with deliberate career planning. The 50-state table and the calculator above give you a data-backed starting point for wherever you are in that process.
For the complete training and licensing pathway, read our full guide on how to become a plumber in the US. Evaluating the apprenticeship route specifically? See our plumbing apprenticeship guide for a detailed breakdown of how to apply, what the aptitude test covers, and what the pay looks like across all five years of training.