How Much Do Plumbers Make?
National median $62,970/yr ($30.27/hr)
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earned a median of $62,970 a year, or $30.27 an hour, as of May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means half the trade made more than that and half made less. The lowest-paid 10 percent, mostly apprentices and helpers, made under $40,670 a year, while the top 10 percent made over $105,150. Nationally there were about 504,500 people working in the trade.
Pay in plumbing is not flat. What you earn depends heavily on your license level, whether you work residential service or heavy industrial, and whether you are union or open shop. A licensed journeyman doing commercial or industrial work in a strong union market can more than double what a first-year apprentice makes. Overtime, on-call service, and travel jobs stack real money on top of base pay.
The work is steady. BLS projects employment to grow about 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, with roughly 44,000 openings a year as older plumbers retire. You get paid to learn through an apprenticeship instead of taking on college debt, and the ceiling is high if you chase a master license, specialty certs, or your own shop.
Pay by experience
Highest-paying paths
Journeyman plumbers and pipefitters in strong UA locals run roughly $42 to $50/hr in base pay plus $16 to $25/hr in benefits, for total packages of $60 to $75/hr in top markets like Chicago, New York, and the Bay Area.
Refinery, power plant, and industrial pipefitters and welders routinely clear $80,000 to $120,000+ a year with overtime, well above typical residential service pay.
Turnaround and shutdown jobs add tax-advantaged per diem of roughly $100 to $150 a day plus heavy overtime, so a few months of travel work can gross far more than staying local.
Time-and-a-half and double-time on nights, weekends, and emergency calls can add $15,000 to $30,000 or more to a year of pay.
Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Alaska, and California pay the most, with state medians near $87,000 to $89,000, far above the $62,970 national figure.
Medical gas installation, backflow testing, steamfitting, gas fitting, and pipe welding certs command premium hourly rates over general service plumbing.
How to earn more
- Finish your apprenticeship and pass the journeyman exam, then chase your master license so you can pull permits and run your own jobs.
- Join a UA local or a union shop. Negotiated scale plus a benefits package usually beats open-shop pay in the same market.
- Add specialty certifications that pay a premium, such as medical gas, backflow prevention testing, gas fitting, or pipe and TIG welding.
- Move from residential service into commercial or industrial pipefitting, where the jobs are bigger and the rates are higher.
- Take travel and shutdown work for the per-diem and overtime, then bank the difference.
- Work the overtime and on-call rotations. Emergency and weekend work pays time-and-a-half or double-time.
- Relocate or take jobs in high-wage states and metros like Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Alaska, and California.
- Move up to foreman or start your own service company once you have the license, tools, and customer base.
See who's hiring
Browse Plumber jobs with pay shown upfront, or read the full Plumber career guide.
Plumber pay: common questions
How much do plumbers make?
The median plumber, pipefitter, or steamfitter made $62,970 a year, about $30.27 an hour, as of May 2024 per the BLS. The bottom 10 percent made under $40,670 and the top 10 percent made over $105,150.
Do plumbers make good money?
Yes. Plumbing pays above the median for all jobs, you earn while you train instead of paying for college, and experienced or specialized plumbers regularly break six figures. Union, industrial, and self-employed plumbers earn the most.
What are the highest paying plumber jobs?
Industrial and refinery pipefitting, union journeyman work in high-cost metros, medical gas and welding specialties, and traveling shutdown or turnaround crews pay the most. Business owners with a service company can top all of these.
How much do plumbers make per hour?
The median is $30.27 an hour as of May 2024. Most plumbers fall between about $19.55 and $50.55 an hour, and union journeymen with benefits can reach $60 to $75 an hour in total package value.
Can you make $100,000 a year as a plumber?
Yes. The top 10 percent of plumbers earn over $105,150 a year. Masters, industrial pipefitters, high-wage-metro union journeymen with overtime, and shop owners all reach or pass $100,000.