Plumber Salary: BLS Median Pay by State
BLS reports plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters as one occupation. Its May 2025 median was $63,800 a year, and the state medians in this guide run from $48,660 to $99,950.
$63,800
Median annual wage
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, May 2025 OEWS
$30.67
Median hourly wage
Official OEWS hourly median
4.5%
Projected growth, 2024–2034
all occupations: 3.1%
465,840
OEWS employment, May 2025
wage and salary workers
Wage figures are medians for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152). May 2025 OEWS estimates, released May 15, 2026; reviewed July 2026. The OEWS mean is $72,170 per year ($34.70 per hour), which is a different statistic from the median.
BLS does not publish a wage series for plumbers on their own. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are grouped into a single detailed occupation, SOC 47-2152, so every national and state figure on this page covers all three trades together. The May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release put the combined median annual wage at $63,800, or $30.67 an hour, across 465,840 wage and salary workers. Half of that group earned more and half earned less. The arithmetic mean was $72,170 a year, which is a different statistic and sits above the midpoint. State medians vary widely, from $48,660 in Arkansas to $99,950 in Illinois among the states listed here, and part of that spread reflects how much industrial pipefitting a state has rather than differences in residential plumbing pay alone. BLS projects the occupation to grow from 504,500 in 2024 to 527,200 in 2034, a net increase of 22,700 positions, with an average of 44,000 openings a year. This guide reports those figures and is explicit about the combined scope throughout.
Plumber wage benchmark lookup
Look up the official BLS median wage for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters nationally or in a listed state. This is a published benchmark, not a personalized salary estimate, and it applies no adjustment for experience, employer, or credentials.
Only states with a published OEWS median for this occupation are listed.
Median annual wage, United States (national)
$63,800/year
Median hourly wage: $30.67/hr
Source: May 2025 OEWS estimates, released May 15, 2026; reviewed July 2026. Half of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in this area earned more than this amount and half earned less. OEWS covers wage and salary workers. It excludes self-employed people and owners or partners of unincorporated firms, so it does not measure owner earnings, draws, or business profit.
Plumber median wages by state
Across the 32 states listed here, the May 2025 OEWS median for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters runs from $48,660 in Arkansas to $99,950 in Illinois. Both the annual and hourly columns are published medians; neither is derived from the other.
States with the highest median pay
| State | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $99,950 | $48.05/hr |
| Oregon | $97,050 | $46.66/hr |
| Minnesota | $94,410 | $45.39/hr |
| Alaska | $93,920 | $45.15/hr |
| Massachusetts | $93,880 | $45.14/hr |
| Wisconsin | $81,210 | $39.04/hr |
| Washington | $81,030 | $38.96/hr |
| Michigan | $80,190 | $38.56/hr |
| New Jersey | $78,240 | $37.61/hr |
| Hawaii | $78,060 | $37.53/hr |
| New York | $77,490 | $37.26/hr |
States with the lowest median pay
| State | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $60,470 | $29.07/hr |
| Texas | $59,840 | $28.77/hr |
| Alabama | $58,670 | $28.21/hr |
| Tennessee | $58,600 | $28.17/hr |
| Georgia | $57,200 | $27.50/hr |
| North Carolina | $57,080 | $27.44/hr |
| West Virginia | $56,980 | $27.39/hr |
| Mississippi | $55,480 | $26.67/hr |
| South Carolina | $53,940 | $25.93/hr |
| Florida | $52,910 | $25.44/hr |
| Arkansas | $48,660 | $23.39/hr |
Career path and progression
What the work involves at each stage. BLS publishes wages for the occupation as a whole, not by years of experience or license tier, so no pay figures are shown here.
Apprentice
Learns the trade on the job alongside classroom instruction, working under a licensed plumber or a qualified journey-level worker. Required hours and program structure are set by the state or the sponsoring program.
Journey-level plumber or fitter
Works independently on rough-in, finish, service, and repair, or on pipe fabrication and welding on the fitting side of the trade.
Foreman or lead
Runs a crew, coordinates with other trades and inspectors, manages material and fixture schedules, and takes on commissioning and testing work.
Master plumber or contractor
Holds whichever license class a jurisdiction ties to permit authority and responsibility for a contracting business. That class and its requirements differ by state and locality.
Specialties and work settings
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is a single BLS occupation, so the published wage data does not break out these specialties. They are described here for career planning only.
Residential plumbing
Water supply, drain, waste, and vent systems, fixtures, and water heaters in housing. High call volume and year-round service demand.
Commercial plumbing
Offices, hotels, retail, and institutional buildings. Larger fixture counts, booster and recirculation systems, and more coordination with other trades.
Pipefitting
Process and pressure piping in industrial plants, refineries, and power generation. Reported by BLS inside this same occupation code.
Steamfitting
Steam and high-pressure piping in hospitals, campuses, and industrial facilities. Also inside this occupation code.
Medical gas systems
Oxygen, nitrogen, and vacuum piping in healthcare facilities. Installation and verification are governed by industry standards such as ASSE 6010 and 6030.
Drain, sewer, and pipe rehabilitation
Drain cleaning, sewer repair, hydro jetting, and trenchless lining. Steady service-call work with recurring inspection and maintenance components.
Licenses and credentials in this trade
Requirements are set by states and localities and differ between them. BLS does not publish a wage premium for any license or credential, so none is claimed here.
| Credential | Full name | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Journey license | State or local journey-level plumber license | Authorizes independent plumbing work within the scope the issuing jurisdiction defines. Experience hours, classroom hours, and exam content are set locally, so the path differs between states and in some cases between counties. |
| Master license | State or local master plumber license | The license class jurisdictions typically tie to pulling permits and taking responsibility for a plumbing business. Some states issue it directly, others delegate licensing to local authorities. |
| ASSE 6010 | ASSE 6010 medical gas systems installer | An industry credential for installing medical gas and vacuum piping, commonly required by healthcare project specifications and referenced by adopted codes. |
| Backflow tester | Backflow prevention assembly tester | A credential many water purveyors and municipalities require before a person may test or repair backflow prevention assemblies on their systems. |
| OSHA 30 | OSHA 30-Hour Construction Outreach Training | Voluntary safety outreach training on construction hazards. It is a training course rather than a credential OSHA issues, and general contractors often ask for it before site access. |
Plumber pay compared with related occupations
Every row is a single BLS detailed occupation with its own SOC code, May 2025 OEWS medians, and 2024–2034 projected growth. Rows are not adjusted for hours, region, or self-employment.
| Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Growth 2024–2034 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber and pipefitterThis guidePlumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $63,800 | $30.67 | 4.5% |
| ElectricianElectricians | $63,190 | $30.38 | 9.5% |
| HVACR technicianHeating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $61,010 | $29.33 | 8.1% |
| Sheet metal workerSheet Metal Workers | $61,800 | $29.71 | 2.4% |
| CarpenterCarpenters | $60,580 | $29.12 | 4.5% |
| WelderWelders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $53,750 | $25.84 | 2.2% |
| Elevator installerElevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $109,910 | $52.84 | 5% |
Employment projections, 2024–2034
Projection figures come from the BLS National Employment Matrix for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. They use a broader employment concept than the OEWS wage-and-salary count above, so the two employment figures are not interchangeable.
504,500
Employment, 2024
National Employment Matrix base year
527,200
Projected employment, 2034
National Employment Matrix projection
+22,700
Net employment change, 2024–2034
BLS published net change
4.5%
Projected growth, 2024–2034
percent change in employment
44,000
Average annual openings, 2024–2034
includes growth plus separations
3.1%
All occupations, 2024–2034
benchmark growth rate
BLS projects 4.5% employment growth for this occupation from 2024 to 2034, above the 3.1% BLS projects for all occupations.
BLS projects employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters to rise from 504,500 in 2024 to 527,200 in 2034, a net increase of 22,700 positions, with an average of 44,000 openings a year across the decade. Openings far exceed net new positions because the projection also counts workers who retire or move into other occupations, which is characteristic of a licensed trade with a long-tenured workforce. BLS attributes demand to new construction and to the maintenance and replacement of piping systems in existing buildings and industrial facilities. It does not publish a breakdown of the projection by driver or by trade within the combined occupation.
Methodology and sources
- Occupation:
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152)
- Wage source:
- May 2025 OEWS estimates, released May 15, 2026; reviewed July 2026.
- Projection source:
- BLS Employment Projections and National Employment Matrix, 2024–2034, released August 28, 2025.
- Median vs mean:
- The median is the midpoint of the wage distribution. The mean is the arithmetic average and is usually higher. Headline figures on this page are medians.
- Scope:
- OEWS covers wage and salary workers. It excludes self-employed people and owners or partners of unincorporated firms, so it does not measure owner earnings, draws, or business profit.
- Occupation scope:
- BLS combines plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters into one detailed occupation. Every wage and employment figure on this page covers all three trades together, and no part of it can be attributed to plumbers alone.
- Note:
- All wage figures are the 47-2152 rows of the May 2025 OEWS national and state cross-industry files. All projection figures are the 47-2152 row of the BLS 2024-2034 occupational projections table.
- Note:
- Because SOC 47-2152 combines plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, a state median partly reflects that state's mix of residential plumbing and industrial pipe work. Two states with identical plumbing pay can show different medians.
- Coverage caveat:
- State tables list only the states with a published OEWS median for this occupation. BLS suppresses estimates that do not meet its disclosure or reliability standards, and published employment levels are rounded, so a published net change can differ slightly from the difference between the rounded 2024 and 2034 levels.
- Last reviewed:
- July 2026
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters pay, answered from the published data.
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median annual wage for the combined Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters occupation was $63,800. Half of that group earned more and half earned less. BLS does not publish a separate figure for plumbers on their own, so this number covers all three trades together.
The published median hourly wage for the combined occupation was $30.67. The arithmetic mean was $34.70 an hour, a separate statistic that sits above the midpoint of the distribution.
Among the states in this guide, the highest May 2025 OEWS annual medians were Illinois at $99,950, Oregon at $97,050, Minnesota at $94,410, Alaska at $93,920, and Massachusetts at $93,880. These are medians for the combined plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter occupation, and a state with a large industrial pipe-fitting workforce will read higher for that reason alone.
Plumbers generally work on potable water, drainage, waste, vent, and gas systems in buildings, while pipefitters work on process and pressure piping in industrial settings and steamfitters on steam and high-pressure systems. BLS groups all three into one occupation, so its wage data cannot tell you how the three compare with one another.
BLS projects 4.5% growth for the combined occupation between 2024 and 2034, from 504,500 to 527,200 positions. That is above the 3.1% projected for all occupations. The projection also implies an average of 44,000 openings a year.
Licensing is handled by states and in some places by counties or cities, and the required experience hours, classroom hours, and exams differ between them. Check the licensing authority for the state and locality where you plan to work.
No. OEWS publishes wage percentiles for the occupation as a whole and does not break wages out by apprentice, journey, or master status, by specialty, or by credential. Figures presented that way come from other sources.
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