Pay data / Plumbers
Plumber Pay
& Hiring
Install and repair water, gas, and drainage systems in homes, businesses, and plants. Nationally, plumbers earn a median of $61,550 a year, about $30 an hour, with most between $39,000 and $101,190.
Pay by experience
- Apprentice$36,900$18/hr
Working toward a journeyman license over 4-5 years.
- Journeyman$61,600$30/hr
Licensed to work independently.
- Master$83,100$40/hr
Permits, inspections, and running the crew.
What moves plumber pay
- ·License level. Master plumbers who can pull permits earn the most.
- ·Service vs new construction. Emergency service and repipe work carries premium rates.
- ·Gas and medical-gas certification. Specialty endorsements lift pay.
- ·Prevailing-wage and union jobs. Public work sets higher wage floors.
Plumbers are state-licensed, moving Apprentice, Journeyman, then Master. A licensed plumber is required to permit and inspect most work.
Plumber pay by state
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming