BLS plumber pay an hour and a year by percentile and state, apprentice to master, with overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earned a median of $63,800 a year in May 2025 — $30.67 an hour — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' count of 465,840 on employers' payrolls. The 10th percentile, $21.22 an hour, is where apprentices tend to start; the top tenth earned over $52.13. Self-employed plumbers and plumbing business owners aren't in these figures.
This is the BLS line for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (SOC 47-2152) on an employer's payroll. Self-employed plumbers who run their own business are not in the survey. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.22 | $44,150 | $3,679 | $37,655 |
| 25th percentile | $24.13 | $50,190 | $4,183 | $42,508 |
| Median | $30.67 | $63,800 | $5,317 | $53,443 |
| 75th percentile | $40.92 | $85,110 | $7,093 | $68,705 |
| 90th percentile | $52.13 | $108,420 | $9,035 | $85,103 |
The best-paid plumbers work in Washington, D.C. ($48.57 an hour), Illinois ($48.05) and Oregon ($46.66) — roughly double Arkansas's $23.39. California and Texas employ the most plumbers, at $35.01 and $28.77.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $48.57 | $101,020 | 1,010 |
| Illinois | $48.05 | $99,950 | 16,750 |
| Oregon | $46.66 | $97,050 | 5,370 |
| Minnesota | $45.39 | $94,410 | 10,720 |
| Alaska | $45.15 | $93,920 | 1,200 |
| Massachusetts | $45.14 | $93,880 | 13,460 |
| Wisconsin | $39.04 | $81,210 | 10,210 |
| Washington | $38.96 | $81,030 | 12,470 |
| Michigan | $38.56 | $80,190 | 14,120 |
| Montana | $38.44 | $79,960 | 1,860 |
| New Jersey | $37.61 | $78,240 | 8,750 |
| Hawaii | $37.53 | $78,060 | 2,500 |
| New York | $37.26 | $77,490 | 23,210 |
| Connecticut | $37.16 | $77,280 | 5,410 |
| Rhode Island | $36.77 | $76,470 | 1,820 |
| Indiana | $36.69 | $76,320 | 11,280 |
| California | $35.01 | $72,830 | 47,660 |
| Pennsylvania | $32.73 | $68,080 | 13,620 |
| New Hampshire | $32.12 | $66,810 | 1,950 |
| Missouri | $32.11 | $66,790 | 8,310 |
| Maryland | $31.44 | $65,400 | 11,420 |
| Kansas | $31.36 | $65,220 | 4,590 |
| Delaware | $31.11 | $64,720 | 1,590 |
| Kentucky | $30.84 | $64,160 | 6,360 |
| Maine | $30.77 | $64,000 | 2,710 |
| Iowa | $30.72 | $63,890 | 5,730 |
| Louisiana | $30.62 | $63,680 | 8,360 |
| North Dakota | $30.56 | $63,560 | 1,620 |
| Ohio | $30.45 | $63,330 | 16,390 |
| Colorado | $30.40 | $63,240 | 10,080 |
| Wyoming | $30.01 | $62,410 | 1,140 |
| Vermont | $29.89 | $62,170 | 980 |
| Arizona | $29.84 | $62,070 | 11,810 |
| Utah | $29.76 | $61,900 | 7,030 |
| Nevada | $29.62 | $61,610 | 5,370 |
| New Mexico | $29.54 | $61,440 | 2,830 |
| Nebraska | $29.31 | $60,970 | 4,110 |
| Virginia | $29.07 | $60,470 | 13,780 |
| Texas | $28.77 | $59,840 | 44,090 |
| Alabama | $28.21 | $58,670 | 6,950 |
| Tennessee | $28.17 | $58,600 | 9,270 |
| Oklahoma | $27.87 | $57,970 | 6,050 |
| Georgia | $27.50 | $57,200 | 8,930 |
| North Carolina | $27.44 | $57,080 | 14,510 |
| West Virginia | $27.39 | $56,980 | 1,830 |
| Mississippi | $26.67 | $55,480 | 3,360 |
| South Carolina | $25.93 | $53,940 | 5,770 |
| Florida | $25.44 | $52,910 | 29,260 |
| Idaho | $25.18 | $52,380 | 3,090 |
| South Dakota | $24.82 | $51,620 | 1,760 |
| Arkansas | $23.39 | $48,660 | 3,370 |
Government plumbers have the highest median, $71,660. Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors, which employ 65% of plumbers, pay $63,010 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $71,660 |
| Manufacturing | $65,770 |
| Heavy and civil engineering construction | $63,270 |
| Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors | $63,010 |
Most plumbers work full time, including nights and weekends, and are often on call for emergencies; self-employed plumbers may set their own schedules (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Emergency call-outs are often paid at premium rates, but BLS's wage figures exclude overtime and on-call pay, so a plumber who takes evening calls earns more than the tables show.
Plumbers on an hourly wage are non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act: time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek (U.S. Department of Labor). Union agreements commonly set their own overtime and double-time rules; use the calculator's multiplier for yours.
Most plumbers learn through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training a year plus classroom instruction, then pass a licensing exam to become journey-level. Most states and some localities require a license, typically after 2 to 5 years of experience, and plumbers with several more years who pass another exam earn master status, which some states require for a contractor's license. Apprentices earn less than fully trained plumbers, and their pay rises as they learn (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). BLS doesn't publish apprentice or master wages separately; the 10th percentile is the closest official guide to starting pay and the 75th–90th to experienced and master-level pay.
More ways to work with your plumber pay:
$63,800 a year ($30.67 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $50,190 to $85,110.
District of Columbia ($48.57 an hour, $101,020 a year), then Illinois and Oregon; Arkansas pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
BLS doesn't publish an apprentice wage. It says apprentices earn less than fully trained plumbers and their pay rises as they progress. The 10th percentile — the pay below which the lowest-paid tenth of plumbers fall — is the nearest official guide to starting pay.
Most plumbers complete a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship, and states that license plumbers typically require 2 to 5 years of experience and an exam; master status takes several more years and another exam (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.