2027 Salary Guide · Skilled Trades
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earned a median of $63,800 a year in May 2025, or $30.67 an hour, according to BLS; that is about $68,000 for 2027. The range is wide: the top tenth earned more than $108,420. Where you work is the biggest single factor, with a median of $103,380 in Chicago and $52,000 in Tampa.
License stages
BLS does not report pay by license level. This ladder maps the usual stages onto the BLS percentiles, in hourly and annual terms, as a planning guide.
About $21 to $24 an hour (10th to 25th percentile)
BLS says plumbers usually learn through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship with about 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training a year, plus technical instruction. Unions, trade associations and businesses sponsor the programs.
About $24 to $41 an hour, or $50,190 to $85,110 a year (25th to 75th percentile)
Most states and some localities license plumbers. BLS says they often require 2 to 5 years of experience and a passing exam score before someone can work independently.
About $41 to $52+ an hour, or $85,110 to $108,420+ (75th to 90th percentile)
BLS notes that plumbers with several years of experience who pass a further exam earn master status. Master plumbers often supervise crews or run their own shops, and an owner's income depends on the business, which these wage figures do not cover.
Local pay
Five metros in this guide have medians above $95,000: Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Portland, Boston and Seattle. Large Sun Belt markets pay close to or below the national median, including Dallas-Fort Worth ($61,250), Houston ($61,300) and Atlanta ($58,380). New York City has the largest workforce, about 21,040, at a median of $78,610.
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $103,380 +62% | $53,960 – $127,200 | 12,750 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $101,630 +59% | $51,370 – $121,720 | 6,730 |
| Portland | $101,010 +58% | $57,640 – $147,100 | 4,600 |
| Boston | $96,760 +52% | $52,270 – $143,950 | 9,200 |
| Seattle | $95,230 +49% | $51,930 – $153,500 | 6,350 |
| Detroit | $86,370 +35% | $48,250 – $107,780 | 5,520 |
| Providence | $79,820 +25% | $49,590 – $110,770 | 3,000 |
| New York City | $78,610 +23% | $47,870 – $145,480 | 21,040 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | $77,880 +22% | $48,540 – $155,330 | 5,660 |
| Albany | $77,460 +21% | $47,050 – $116,550 | 1,470 |
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford | $77,190 +21% | $43,260 – $102,180 | 1,850 |
| Philadelphia | $74,860 +17% | $48,400 – $142,210 | 7,150 |
| San Diego | $72,510 +14% | $46,030 – $127,790 | 5,100 |
| Buffalo | $72,230 +13% | $40,300 – $104,040 | 1,430 |
| Washington, DC | $71,860 +13% | $47,480 – $114,400 | 9,420 |
| Los Angeles | $71,110 +11% | $46,090 – $125,080 | 15,690 |
| Pittsburgh | $70,100 +10% | $46,910 – $107,870 | 2,910 |
| Denver | $63,900 +0% | $48,640 – $102,770 | 5,750 |
| Phoenix | $63,750 +-0% | $46,530 – $100,710 | 9,270 |
| Baltimore | $63,200 -1% | $45,220 – $102,640 | 5,220 |
| Austin | $62,810 -2% | $40,810 – $80,920 | 5,260 |
| Houston | $61,300 -4% | $39,920 – $85,680 | 10,980 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $61,250 -4% | $39,350 – $82,230 | 11,980 |
| Raleigh | $60,540 -5% | $42,940 – $77,610 | 2,810 |
| Nashville | $60,100 -6% | $42,650 – $83,670 | 2,760 |
| Charlotte | $58,690 -8% | $42,320 – $76,010 | 3,840 |
| Atlanta | $58,380 -8% | $37,900 – $81,580 | 5,470 |
| Miami | $57,760 -9% | $40,360 – $75,010 | 5,930 |
| Tampa | $52,000 -18% | $41,610 – $66,830 | 4,180 |
BLS metro estimates, May 2025. Percent compares the metro median with the national median. "Jobs" is BLS estimated employment in the metro; blank where BLS does not publish it.
Pay distribution
BLS reports plumbers together with pipefitters and steamfitters. The national bottom tenth earned under $44,150 a year ($21.22 an hour) and the top tenth more than $108,420 ($52.13 an hour).
Typical for the Plumber title: $50,190 to $85,110 (25th to 75th percentile of Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters)
| Percentile | BLS, May 2025 | 2027 planning estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,150 | $47,000 |
| 25th percentile | $50,190 | $53,500 |
| Median | $63,800 | $68,000 |
| 75th percentile | $85,110 | $90,500 |
| 90th percentile | $108,420 | $115,000 |
By employer
BLS publishes median pay for the industries that employ the most plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters. The differences are modest compared with the metro spread.
| Industry | Median pay, May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Government | $71,660 |
| Manufacturing | $65,770 |
| Heavy and civil engineering construction | $63,270 |
| Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors | $63,010 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. Government excludes state and local education and hospitals.
Outlook
BLS projects much faster than average growth for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters through 2035, on top of a large base of about 510,600 jobs. Most openings come from replacing workers who retire or leave, which keeps apprenticeship slots in demand.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters as a whole.
For employers
Licensing is set by states and some cities, so a license from one place may not transfer. Say which license the job needs and verify it before the start date.
A national figure of $30.67 an hour is too low for Chicago or Boston and too high for parts of Florida. Use the metro table above.
BLS notes that many plumbers work nights and weekends and are often on call for emergencies. Spell out the rotation and how it is paid.
Service plumbers, construction plumbers, pipefitters and sprinklerfitters are different candidate pools. O*NET lists all of them under one occupation, but candidates rarely switch freely between them.
Compare
Plumbers and electricians have nearly identical medians. Both earn more than HVAC technicians, carpenters and welders at the median.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber | $63,800 | $68,000 | Much faster than average |
| Electrician | $63,190 | $67,000 | Much faster than average |
| HVAC Technician | $61,010 | $65,000 | Much faster than average |
| Welder | $53,750 | $57,000 | Slower than average |
| Carpenter | $60,580 | $64,500 | Average |
FAQ
The BLS median for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters was $63,800 a year in May 2025, or $30.67 an hour. The middle half earned between $50,190 and $85,110. With two years of wage growth at 3.1% a year, the 2027 planning median is about $68,000.
The national median wage was $30.67 an hour in May 2025, according to BLS data published on O*NET. The bottom tenth earned under $21.22 an hour and the top tenth more than $52.13. Rates in Chicago, Minneapolis and Portland run far above the national figure.
Apprentice plumber pay has no separate BLS figure. The 10th percentile for the occupation, $21.22 an hour or $44,150 a year, and the 25th percentile, $24.13 an hour, are reasonable reference points for apprentices. BLS notes that apprentices are paid for their on-the-job training hours.
Chicago tops the 29 metros in this guide with a May 2025 median of $103,380, followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul ($101,630) and Portland ($101,010). Tampa had the lowest at $52,000, about half the Chicago figure.
BLS says most plumbers train through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship. Licensing rules are set by states and localities and often require 2 to 5 years of experience plus an exam before working independently. Master status takes several more years and another exam.
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