How Much Do Plumbers Make? Pay by Level and State
A plumber makes a median wage of $62,970 a year, or about $30.27 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2024. Pay is not flat across the trade: apprentices often earn $42,000 to $46,000, journeymen land near $60,000 to $75,000, master plumbers average around $80,000, and plumbing business owners can clear $150,000 or more. Your state, union status, and overtime move the number a lot.
How much does a plumber make on average?
The median plumber wage is $62,970 a year as of May 2024, per BLS, which covers plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters as one group. That works out to roughly $30.27 an hour for a full-time schedule. The median sits above the wage for all US occupations, and pay climbs steadily with license tier and experience.
The spread is wide. BLS data shows the lowest 10 percent of plumbers earning under roughly $40,000 a year, while the top 10 percent earned above roughly $100,000. Where you fall depends mostly on your license, your region, and whether you work union scale or pick up overtime and on-call premiums.
| Measure | Annual | Hourly (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10 percent | Under ~$40,000 | ~$19 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $62,970 | $30.27 |
| Top 10 percent | Above ~$100,000 | ~$48+ |
Figures are directional and reflect BLS national data plus commonly reported market ranges. Your local market may run higher or lower, so treat these as a starting point rather than a promise.
Plumber pay by career level
Earnings rise at each rung of the license ladder: apprentice, journeyman, master, and owner. An apprentice trades lower pay for paid training, a journeyman works independently at a solid wage, a master commands a premium and can pull permits, and an owner takes on business risk for the highest ceiling. The table below shows typical ranges at each stage.
| Level | Typical annual pay | Typical hourly | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $42,000 to $46,000 | $15 to $22 | Paid training under supervision, pay steps up with hours |
| Journeyman | $60,000 to $75,000 | $28 to $40 | Works independently, can supervise apprentices |
| Master | $78,000 to $92,000 | $38 and up | Pulls permits, designs systems, higher exam and liability |
| Business owner | $80,000 to $250,000+ | Varies | Profit on crews and jobs, plus business risk and overhead |
Apprentices usually start at 30 to 50 percent of the local journeyman rate and get a raise every six to twelve months as they log hours. If you are weighing the trade, our guide on how to become a plumber breaks down the hours, licensing, and year-by-year apprentice pay in detail.
Journeymen make up the bulk of the workforce and sit near the national median. Master plumbers average around $80,000 nationally, with the majority landing between roughly $61,500 and $92,500 and top earners above $118,000 in strong markets. Owners have the widest range: solo operators may take home $50,000 to $100,000, while established shops with multiple crews can clear $150,000 to $250,000 or more.
Plumber pay by state
State pay varies by tens of thousands of dollars, driven by cost of living, union density, licensing rules, and local construction demand. High-cost, high-union states cluster near the top, while lower-cost states in the South and Plains tend to sit lower. The table below shows representative high and low states based on reported 2026 market data.
| Tier | Example states | Typical average pay |
|---|---|---|
| Highest paying | Illinois, Alaska, Massachusetts, New Jersey, D.C. | ~$84,000 to $101,000 |
| Upper middle | California, New York, Oregon, Minnesota, Washington | ~$70,000 to $87,000 |
| Lower paying | Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, South Dakota | ~$49,000 to $52,000 |
Higher-paying states often carry a higher cost of living, so a bigger number does not always mean more buying power. Metro areas inside a state also swing hard: Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and Boston pay well above their state averages, while rural counties in the same state pay less. State rankings shift year to year and by data source, so confirm your specific market before you plan a move.
Hourly vs annual, and overtime
Most plumbers are paid hourly, so annual pay depends on hours worked, not just the base rate. A $30 hourly wage is about $62,000 at 40 hours a week, but overtime, on-call shifts, and emergency calls can add thousands. Service and new-construction plumbers often bank real overtime, which is a major reason two plumbers with the same base rate can earn very different totals.
- Overtime: Time-and-a-half past 40 hours a week can add $5,000 to $15,000 or more in busy service shops.
- On-call and emergency: Nights, weekends, and burst-pipe calls often carry premium pay or callout minimums.
- Per diem and travel: Pipefitters on industrial or out-of-town jobs may earn travel pay and lodging on top of wages.
- Bonuses and commission: Some service shops pay a percentage of billed labor or parts, which rewards fast, high-quality work.
What a plumber earns vs what a plumber charges
The wage a plumber takes home is not the rate a customer pays. A homeowner may be billed $100 to $200 an hour, but that rate covers the truck, fuel, parts markup, insurance, licensing, office staff, warranty, and profit, not just the worker’s pay. The plumber on the job typically earns $25 to $45 an hour of that billed rate. Confusing the two numbers is the single most common mistake in reading plumber pay.
| Where the billed hour goes | Rough share |
|---|---|
| Plumber’s wage and payroll taxes | 25% to 40% |
| Truck, tools, fuel, insurance, licensing | 20% to 30% |
| Office, dispatch, software, marketing | 15% to 25% |
| Shop profit | 5% to 20% |
This is why a shop billing $150 an hour may still run on thin margins, and why the plumber holding the wrench is not pocketing $150. If you are a homeowner trying to understand the bill rather than the wage, see our tracker on what plumbers charge per hour, which is a different number for a different reason.
How plumbers earn more
The fastest ways to raise plumber pay are climbing the license ladder, adding certifications, moving toward higher-value work, or owning the business. Each lever stacks on the base wage, and plumbers who combine several often reach six figures. None of them require leaving the trade.
- Get your master license. The jump from journeyman to master commonly adds $10,000 to $20,000 a year plus the ability to pull permits and run jobs.
- Add specialty certifications. Medical gas, backflow prevention testing, hydronic and radiant heating, and gas piping each carry premium rates.
- Join a union or high-demand market. Union scale often runs 20 to 35 percent above non-union pay in the same market, with pension and healthcare on top.
- Chase overtime and service work. Emergency and on-call plumbing pays premiums that add thousands over a year.
- Own the business. Running your own shop carries the highest ceiling, with established owners clearing $150,000 to $250,000 or more.
Job outlook and why pay holds up
Plumbing pay is supported by steady demand and a shrinking pool of experienced workers. BLS projects about 4 percent employment growth from 2024 to 2034 and roughly 44,000 openings a year over the decade, many of them replacing plumbers who retire. That retirement wave keeps wages firm because supply is tight.
The labor gap is the wage engine behind the numbers on this page, and we track it in our plumber shortage statistics. For the broader market picture, from business counts to margins and revenue, see our roundup of plumbing industry statistics for 2026. Both help explain why a trade with no degree requirement still pays a solid middle-class wage with a high ceiling.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a plumber make an hour?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of about $30.27 per hour for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters as of May 2024. Apprentices often start near $15 to $22, journeymen commonly land at $28 to $40, and master plumbers may reach $38 or more. Union scale and overtime can push the real hourly figure higher in many metro markets.
Do plumbers make good money?
For a trade you can enter without a four-year degree, yes. BLS puts the median plumber wage at $62,970 a year as of May 2024, above the median for all occupations, and you earn a paycheck while you train. The top 10 percent of plumbers earned well over $100,000, and shop owners can clear far more, so the ceiling is high for those who advance.
Can a plumber make $100,000 a year?
Yes, though it is not the average. Reaching six figures usually takes a master license, a high-cost metro or strong union market, overtime or on-call premiums, or owning the business. BLS data shows the top 10 percent of plumbers earning above roughly $100,000, and established plumbing business owners can reach $150,000 to $250,000 or more depending on market and crew size.
What is the difference between what a plumber earns and what a plumber charges?
A plumber’s wage is not the same as the shop’s billing rate. A customer may pay $100 to $200 per hour, but that rate also covers the truck, parts, insurance, office staff, and overhead. The plumber doing the work typically takes home a wage of roughly $25 to $45 per hour, so the billed rate is several times the worker’s pay.
Which states pay plumbers the most?
High-cost, high-union states pay the most. Illinois, Alaska, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, New York, Oregon, Minnesota, and Washington, plus Washington, D.C., commonly rank near the top, with averages often in the $80,000 to $100,000 range. Lower-cost states such as Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, and South Dakota tend to sit near $49,000 to $52,000.
How much do apprentice plumbers make?
Apprentices usually start at 30 to 50 percent of the local journeyman wage, often $15 to $22 per hour, or roughly $42,000 to $46,000 a year in many markets. Pay rises every six to twelve months as hours accumulate, and by the final apprentice year it commonly reaches $28 to $40 per hour. Union apprentices typically add benefits from day one.
Last reviewed: August 2026.