# How Much Do Plumbers Make? BLS Wage Data

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Publisher: SimplyWise, Inc. (https://www.simplywise.com)
Published: October 29, 2026
Updated: October 29, 2026
Category: Project Cost Guides
Summary: Plumber income from the BLS: national and state pay for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, the apprentice to master ladder, and what owners keep.

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## How Much Do Plumbers Make? BLS Wage Data

Plumbers make $34.70 an hour on average, or $72,170 a year. The median is $63,800 (BLS, May 2025).

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Plumber income, at a glance

1. National plumber income: mean $34.70/hr, $72,170/yr (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
2. Median plumber income runs lower: $30.67/hr, $63,800/yr.
3. The middle 50 percent earns $24.13 to $40.92 an hour.
4. Oregon pays the most among states, $98,450/yr average. Arkansas pays the least, $50,640.
5. Employment is projected to grow 7 percent through 2035, with about 42,000 openings a year (BLS).
6. Those are employee wages. A business owner’s income is different: revenue minus costs, not a wage BLS tracks.

## What is the average plumber income?

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters fall under BLS code 47-2152. National plumber income averages $34.70 an hour, $72,170 a year. The median is lower: $30.67 an hour, $63,800 a year. A smaller group of high earners pulls the mean above the median. The classification counts an estimated 465,840 workers nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

## What is the full pay range for plumbers?

A single average hides the spread. BLS also publishes percentile wages, from the lowest tenth to the highest tenth.

| Percentile | Hourly wage | Annual wage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10th percentile | $21.22 | $44,150 |
| 25th percentile | $24.13 | $50,190 |
| Median (50th) | $30.67 | $63,800 |
| Mean (average) | $34.70 | $72,170 |
| 75th percentile | $40.92 | $85,110 |
| 90th percentile | $52.13 | $108,420 |

The spread runs from $44,150 to $108,420 a year, wide enough that license level and specialty work move pay a lot inside this one classification (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

## Which states pay plumbers the most, and which pay the least?

State averages move plumber income even more. Here are the six highest and six lowest paying states, by mean annual wage.

| State | Mean hourly | Mean annual | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oregon | $47.33 | $98,450 | Highest |
| Illinois | $44.91 | $93,400 | Highest |
| New Jersey | $44.51 | $92,590 | Highest |
| Alaska | $43.49 | $90,460 | Highest |
| Massachusetts | $43.46 | $90,410 | Highest |
| Washington | $42.69 | $88,800 | Highest |
| North Carolina | $27.27 | $56,720 | Lowest |
| Mississippi | $27.25 | $56,690 | Lowest |
| Florida | $26.94 | $56,030 | Lowest |
| South Carolina | $26.87 | $55,890 | Lowest |
| South Dakota | $26.70 | $55,530 | Lowest |
| Arkansas | $24.35 | $50,640 | Lowest |

Oregon’s mean plumber income runs $47,810 above Arkansas’s, about a 94 percent gap (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The trade is growing too: BLS projects 7 percent employment growth through 2035, with about 42,000 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who change jobs or leave the labor force. Our own contractor hourly labor rates by trade (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-hourly-labor-rates-by-trade/) page tracks pay across more trades.

## From apprentice to master plumber: how the ladder works

The BLS number blends every license level into one average. Licensing boards show why the range is wide: a plumber climbs a ladder of hours and exams first. Texas lists four licenses: Tradesman, Journeyman, Master, and Plumbing Inspector.

Texas defines the entry rung plainly: “A Plumber’s Apprentice may learn about and assist with the installation of plumbing under the direct supervision of a licensed plumber.”

The Journeyman exam needs “at least 8,000 hours of experience working in the plumbing trade” plus a 48-hour course. Master requires “a Journeyman Plumber in Texas or another state and have held your license for at least two years,” one listed path. Each state sets its own hours.

## How much do plumbing business owners make?

Every figure above is an employee wage. An owner keeps the gap between what a job bills and what it costs, a number BLS does not report. That also differs from what a customer pays: our own how much does a plumber cost (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/how-much-does-a-plumber-cost/) page covers the billed rate, which folds in payroll tax and overhead. This page covers plumber income, what the worker takes in.

One real example: most plumbing companies quote by phone and post no rate. Brass Tacks Plumbing & HVAC, a licensed Twin Cities contractor, posts its own.

Brass Tacks charges a $99 diagnostic fee, waived if the homeowner approves the repair (posted June 17, 2026). Four diagnostic calls a day is $396 gross, before payroll, insurance, and fuel.

A repair adds parts, labor, and margin on top. That is revenue, not take-home income.

## How to turn plumber wage data into your own bid

1. Start from the BLS wage floor Use $30.67 to $34.70 an hour as a labor baseline. Solo, that is the value of your own time before overhead.
2. Price the job, not just your hour A service call bundles diagnostic time, parts, and drive time into one flat or hourly rate.
3. Add license and overhead costs Insurance, education, and renewal fees ride on top of the wage floor. Build them into your rate.
4. Turn the estimate into a bid Snap a photo in SimplyWise Cost Estimator. Edit the material, labor, and fee lines, then send a branded quote.

## SimplyWise Cost Estimator for pricing plumbing jobs

SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Material, labor, and fee lines are editable, so you can price the visit and your own labor rate separately. Send a branded quote the client signs to approve. $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, about $20/mo on annual, with a 7-day free trial.

## Sources

### BLS wage and outlook data

- BLS OEWS national estimates (https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), code 47-2152, verified 2026-09-26.
- BLS OEWS state estimates (https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25st.zip), code 47-2152, verified 2026-09-26.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm), plumbers, verified 2026-09-26.
- SimplyWise labor rates by trade (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-hourly-labor-rates-by-trade/), cross-check, live 2026-09-26.

### Licensing ladder

- Texas Board of Plumbing Examiners, License Types (https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/), verified 2026-09-26.
- TSBPE, Apprentice scope of work (https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/apprentice/), verified 2026-09-26.
- TSBPE, Journeyman eligibility (https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/journeyman/), verified 2026-09-26.
- TSBPE, Master eligibility (https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/master-plumber/), verified 2026-09-26.

### Owner-operator pricing and SimplyWise

- Brass Tacks Plumbing & HVAC (https://brasstacksplumbing.com/how-much-should-a-plumber-visit-cost/), own posted diagnostic fee, dated 2026-06-17, captured 2026-09-26.
- SimplyWise, how much does a plumber cost (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/how-much-does-a-plumber-cost/), hire cost distinction, live 2026-09-26.
- SimplyWise on the App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplywise-cost-estimator/id6670619664), 4.8 rating, verified 2026-09-26.

## Frequently asked questions about plumber pay

### The wage

**How much do plumbers make an hour?**

National plumber income averages $34.70 an hour, median $30.67 an hour (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The classification is BLS code 47-2152, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters.

**What is the median plumber income a year?**

Median annual plumber income is $63,800, mean $72,170 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The 10th percentile earns $44,150, the 90th earns $108,420.

### The range

**Which state pays plumbers the most?**

Oregon: $98,450 a year, $47.33 an hour, the highest mean plumber income among states. Illinois, New Jersey, Alaska, Massachusetts, and Washington round out the top six (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

**How much do plumbing business owners make?**

BLS wage data covers employees, not owner profit. Brass Tacks Plumbing & HVAC, a Twin Cities contractor, posts a $99 diagnostic fee. Four calls a day is $396 gross before payroll, insurance, and overhead.

### Estimating the job

**Can I quote a plumbing job from a photo?**

Yes. SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Every line stays editable.

**Does SimplyWise Cost Estimator work for plumbing bids?**

It builds material, labor, and fee line items, each with unit, quantity, and price per unit, so you can price the visit, parts, and labor separately. Pricing is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, with a 7-day free trial.

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