Plumbers Salary: $79,263 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 33,580 plumbers nationally earn a mean of $79,263. Projections imply about 6.1% annual decline; CA accounts for about 1,090 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
Plumbers: what the data shows
Common questions about plumbers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a plumbers?
Plumbers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-2151.
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 33,580 workers.
What does a plumbers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Handling and Moving Objects, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a plumbers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $48,710 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $79,263 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,814 |
| 25th percentile | $57,852 |
| Median (50th) | $80,385 |
| 75th percentile | $101,673 |
| 90th percentile | $116,352 |
What education do you need?
For Plumbers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Active Listening, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is plumbers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 6.1% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -27.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -46.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 33,580.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do plumberss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 33,580 | 19.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 27,980 | 15.9% |
| Construction | 26,610 | 15.2% |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 16,920 | 9.6% |
| Utility System Construction | 13,640 | 7.8% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 8,610 | 4.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Plumbers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers | 59,990 | $71,300 |
| Carpenters | 697,740 | $59,310 |
| HVAC Technicians | 396,870 | $59,810 |
| Electricians | 742,580 | $62,350 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 286,760 | $102,320 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Plumbers workforce.
Employment Over Time
33,580 Workforce in 2023
The Plumbers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Plumbers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$79,263 Average Wage
In 2023, Plumbers earned an average of $79,263.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Plumbers.
Salary distribution for Plumbers.
Employment Growth Projections
-6.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
4,094 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -27.1%
2,983 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -46.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Plumbers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Plumbers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Plumbers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Plumbers.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 26.9% growth (Current: $83,961)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Plumbers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Plumbers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,090 employees, $77,899 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Plumbers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 380 employees, $83,961 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 280 employees, $76,247 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 160 employees, $77,822 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 130 employees, $82,835 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 90 employees, $51,459 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 50 employees, $76,093 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Plumbers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Plumbers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Plumbers in 2023 was 33,580 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Plumbers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Plumbers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Plumbers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Plumbers in 2023 were Plumbing Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Technical Training.
Common majors for Plumbers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Plumbers workers.
Education level distribution for Plumbers.
Skills
Plumbers need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Active Listening, Coordination, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Plumbers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Plumbers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Plumbers include Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security, Design.
Knowledge areas required for Plumbers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Plumbers include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Extent Flexibility.
Required abilities for Plumbers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Plumbers.
Daily Activities
Plumbers spend their time on activities such as Handling and Moving Objects, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Performing General Physical Activities.
Most important work activities for Plumbers.
About
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
The average yearly wage for Plumbers was $79,263 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-2151 - Plumbers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Plumbers reports an average salary of $79,263.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 33,580 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -6.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.