How much do plumbers make?
Plumbers make $63,800 a year at the national median, and the middle half earn between $50,190 and $85,110.[onet_plumb][oews] BLS counts plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters together (SOC 47-2152): residential and service plumbers, commercial pipefitters and steamfitters who run high-pressure lines in plants. It estimated 465,840 such jobs in May 2025.[oews_api]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $44,150 | $21.23 | $37,655 |
| 25th | $50,190 | $24.13 | $42,508 |
| Median (50th) | $63,800 | $30.67 | $53,443 |
| 75th | $85,110 | $40.92 | $68,705 |
| 90th | $108,420 | $52.13 | $85,103 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
The survey covers employees only. Plumbers who own a contracting business are self-employed and are not counted, so the 90th percentile ($108,420) understates what some master plumbers who run their own shop earn.[oews_faq]
Plumber helper and apprentice pay
Plumbers’ helpers, a separate BLS occupation, earn a median of $42,360 ($20.37 an hour), which is $21,440 less than the plumber median.[onet_helpP][onet_plumb] Apprentices in a registered program are on a different track: their pay starts at a share of the journey-level rate and must rise on a written schedule as they progress.[ecfr295]
| Percentile | Helper | Plumber | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $33,590 | $44,150 | $10,560 |
| 25th | $36,940 | $50,190 | $13,250 |
| Median | $42,360 | $63,800 | $21,440 |
| 75th | $47,720 | $85,110 | $37,390 |
| 90th | $57,780 | $108,420 | $50,640 |
The full path from helper or apprentice to licensed journeyman, with typical hours, is on how to become a plumber; the apprentice pay calculator is on plumbing apprenticeship.
Plumber salary by state
District of Columbia pays plumbers the most at a median of $101,020, followed by Illinois ($99,950) and Oregon ($97,050); Arkansas is lowest at $48,660.[onet_plumb][oews_api]
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. District of Columbia | $101,020 | $48.57 | $52,310 | $117,180 | 1,010 |
| 2. Illinois | $99,950 | $48.05 | $50,250 | $126,430 | 16,750 |
| 3. Oregon | $97,050 | $46.66 | $58,230 | $147,100 | 5,370 |
| 4. Minnesota | $94,410 | $45.39 | $48,720 | $121,050 | 10,720 |
| 5. Alaska | $93,920 | $45.15 | $53,730 | $122,660 | 1,200 |
| 6. Massachusetts | $93,880 | $45.13 | $52,010 | $135,080 | 13,460 |
| 7. Wisconsin | $81,210 | $39.04 | $50,020 | $120,070 | 10,210 |
| 8. Washington | $81,030 | $38.96 | $49,490 | $141,860 | 12,470 |
| 9. Michigan | $80,190 | $38.55 | $46,560 | $103,430 | 14,120 |
| 10. Montana | $79,960 | $38.44 | $48,250 | $100,860 | 1,860 |
| 11. New Jersey | $78,240 | $37.62 | $48,720 | $136,710 | 8,750 |
| 12. Hawaii | $78,060 | $37.53 | $47,750 | $113,300 | 2,500 |
| 13. New York | $77,490 | $37.25 | $46,130 | $130,420 | 23,210 |
| 14. Connecticut | $77,280 | $37.15 | $45,670 | $102,990 | 5,410 |
| 15. Rhode Island | $76,470 | $36.76 | $49,680 | $110,360 | 1,820 |
| 16. Indiana | $76,320 | $36.69 | $46,890 | $102,520 | 11,280 |
| 17. California | $72,830 | $35.01 | $47,350 | $131,100 | 47,660 |
| 18. Pennsylvania | $68,080 | $32.73 | $46,770 | $134,110 | 13,620 |
| 19. New Hampshire | $66,810 | $32.12 | $44,850 | $87,730 | 1,950 |
| 20. Missouri | $66,790 | $32.11 | $44,780 | $117,180 | 8,310 |
| 21. Maryland | $65,400 | $31.44 | $45,630 | $108,420 | 11,420 |
| 22. Kansas | $65,220 | $31.36 | $39,130 | $109,290 | 4,590 |
| 23. Delaware | $64,720 | $31.12 | $40,990 | $95,520 | 1,590 |
| 24. Kentucky | $64,160 | $30.85 | $44,860 | $94,710 | 6,360 |
| 25. Maine | $64,000 | $30.77 | $48,120 | $80,760 | 2,710 |
| 26. Iowa | $63,890 | $30.72 | $45,510 | $97,500 | 5,730 |
| 27. Louisiana | $63,680 | $30.62 | $38,120 | $79,540 | 8,360 |
| 28. North Dakota | $63,560 | $30.56 | $45,520 | $83,560 | 1,620 |
| 29. Ohio | $63,330 | $30.45 | $45,470 | $101,410 | 16,390 |
| 30. Colorado | $63,240 | $30.40 | $47,770 | $100,240 | 10,080 |
| 31. Wyoming | $62,410 | $30.00 | $43,770 | $80,030 | 1,140 |
| 32. Vermont | $62,170 | $29.89 | $48,800 | $91,940 | 980 |
| 33. Arizona | $62,070 | $29.84 | $45,640 | $100,120 | 11,810 |
| 34. Utah | $61,900 | $29.76 | $43,860 | $83,120 | 7,030 |
| 35. Nevada | $61,610 | $29.62 | $42,210 | $118,430 | 5,370 |
| 36. New Mexico | $61,440 | $29.54 | $36,160 | $87,700 | 2,830 |
| 37. Nebraska | $60,970 | $29.31 | $42,830 | $98,030 | 4,110 |
| 38. Virginia | $60,470 | $29.07 | $43,970 | $78,050 | 13,780 |
| 39. Texas | $59,840 | $28.77 | $38,270 | $81,890 | 44,090 |
| 40. Alabama | $58,670 | $28.21 | $37,720 | $76,690 | 6,950 |
| 41. Tennessee | $58,600 | $28.17 | $38,520 | $82,020 | 9,270 |
| 42. Oklahoma | $57,970 | $27.87 | $37,990 | $82,560 | 6,050 |
| 43. Georgia | $57,200 | $27.50 | $37,680 | $80,740 | 8,930 |
| 44. North Carolina | $57,080 | $27.44 | $38,860 | $75,850 | 14,510 |
| 45. West Virginia | $56,980 | $27.39 | $36,010 | $83,160 | 1,830 |
| 46. Mississippi | $55,480 | $26.67 | $35,830 | $75,470 | 3,360 |
| 47. South Carolina | $53,940 | $25.93 | $37,660 | $75,780 | 5,770 |
| 48. Florida | $52,910 | $25.44 | $38,940 | $73,610 | 29,260 |
| 49. Idaho | $52,380 | $25.18 | $39,430 | $82,620 | 3,090 |
| 50. South Dakota | $51,620 | $24.82 | $39,230 | $74,480 | 1,760 |
| 51. Arkansas | $48,660 | $23.39 | $33,410 | $68,870 | 3,370 |
Jobs: BLS OEWS employment estimate, May 2025.
Plumber salary in Texas
The median plumber salary in Texas is $59,840 ($28.77 an hour), 39th of 51 states, with 44,090 jobs.[onet_plumb][oews_api] Texas has no state income tax on wages, so a single plumber at that median keeps about $50,261 a year.[txtax][irs]
| Area | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $62,810 | $30.20 | $40,810 | $80,920 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $62,220 | $29.91 | $45,640 | $85,380 |
| Odessa, TX | $61,870 | $29.75 | $39,460 | $78,210 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $61,300 | $29.47 | $39,920 | $85,680 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $61,250 | $29.45 | $39,350 | $82,230 |
| Midland, TX | $60,700 | $29.18 | $41,580 | $80,760 |
| Victoria, TX | $60,320 | $29.00 | $37,590 | $75,120 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $59,390 | $28.55 | $37,870 | $74,870 |
| Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $58,240 | $28.00 | $35,730 | $84,200 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $58,180 | $27.97 | $37,240 | $78,530 |
| Waco, TX | $57,550 | $27.67 | $37,530 | $76,030 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | $56,620 | $27.22 | $35,980 | $74,940 |
| Amarillo, TX | $55,970 | $26.91 | $35,030 | $74,420 |
| Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $55,810 | $26.83 | $36,940 | $84,200 |
| Longview, TX | $54,320 | $26.12 | $37,080 | $76,360 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | $54,320 | $26.12 | $35,480 | $76,810 |
| El Paso, TX | $53,560 | $25.75 | $35,600 | $88,370 |
| Abilene, TX | $51,790 | $24.90 | $35,360 | $76,250 |
| Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $51,550 | $24.78 | $36,150 | $89,720 |
| North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $51,190 | $24.61 | $35,730 | $75,290 |
| Eastern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $49,810 | $23.95 | $35,380 | $73,840 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $49,780 | $23.93 | $35,760 | $76,380 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | $49,210 | $23.66 | $36,490 | $72,960 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $49,110 | $23.61 | $37,810 | $73,920 |
| Tyler, TX | $49,060 | $23.59 | $35,510 | $72,100 |
| Lubbock, TX | $48,950 | $23.53 | $36,400 | $80,100 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $48,480 | $23.31 | $34,130 | $75,610 |
| San Angelo, TX | $48,050 | $23.10 | $35,690 | $68,490 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $46,850 | $22.52 | $32,670 | $63,820 |
| Laredo, TX | $46,350 | $22.28 | $32,600 | $69,750 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $46,110 | $22.17 | $30,370 | $62,130 |
Highest-paying metro areas for plumbers
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest plumber median of any area, $107,560.[onet_plumb]
| Area | Median | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $107,560 | $51.71 |
| 2. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $103,380 | $49.70 |
| 3. Bellingham, WA | $102,750 | $49.40 |
| 4. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $101,630 | $48.86 |
| 5. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $101,010 | $48.56 |
| 6. Kennewick-Richland, WA | $97,130 | $46.70 |
| 7. Bloomington, IN | $96,980 | $46.63 |
| 8. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $96,760 | $46.52 |
| 9. Fairbanks-College, AK | $96,670 | $46.48 |
| 10. Champaign-Urbana, IL | $95,530 | $45.93 |
Demand is growing faster than average: BLS projects 7% more plumber, pipefitter and steamfitter jobs from 2025 to 2035 (all occupations: 3%) and about 42,000 openings a year.[ooh_plumb] Plumbing pays close to electrical work; compare the two side by side on the electrician salary page, or see HVAC technician salary for the neighboring mechanical trade.
Frequently asked questions
How much do plumbers make an hour?
$30.67 at the national median (BLS, May 2025); $21.23 at the 10th percentile and $52.13 at the 90th, before overtime.
Do pipefitters make more than plumbers?
BLS publishes one combined wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, so there is no official separate pipefitter figure. Industrial pipefitting jobs often sit in the upper half of the combined range.
What state pays plumbers the most?
District of Columbia ($101,020 median), then Illinois and Oregon.
How much does a plumber take home a month?
About $4,454 after 2026 federal income tax and FICA for a single filer at the national median, before state tax.
Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Local Wages: 47-2152.00 Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS May 2025 employment and median wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- Local Wages: 47-3015.00 Helpers, pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (state and metro percentiles)
- 29 CFR 29.5, Standards of apprenticeship (2,000-hour minimum term; 144 hours related instruction recommended; progressive wage schedule)
- Texas Taxes (Texas does not have a state personal income tax)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)