BLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC 47-2152 · snapshot 2026-09-06
Plumber Salary by State
Every one of the 51 areas BLS publishes a plumber wage for, ranked. District of Columbia leads at $101,020 and Arkansas sits lowest at $48,660, against a national median of $63,800. Cost of living comes from the federal price parity series, so the adjusted column is a published index rather than a commercial one.
Highest median
Best after cost of living
National spread
| # | State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employed | RPP | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $101,020 | $48.57 | $52,310 | $117,180 | 1,010 | 109.9 | $91,920 |
| 2 | Illinois | $99,950 | $48.05 | $50,250 | $126,430 | 16,750 | 100 | $99,950 |
| 3 | Oregon | $97,050 | $46.66 | $58,230 | $147,100 | 5,370 | 103.4 | $93,859 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $94,410 | $45.39 | $48,720 | $121,050 | 10,720 | 98.6 | $95,751 |
| 5 | Alaska | $93,920 | $45.15 | $53,730 | $122,660 | 1,200 | 102.4 | $91,719 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $93,880 | $45.14 | $52,010 | $135,080 | 13,460 | 105.8 | $88,733 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $81,210 | $39.04 | $50,020 | $120,070 | 10,210 | 94.1 | $86,302 |
| 8 | Washington | $81,030 | $38.96 | $49,490 | $141,860 | 12,470 | 107 | $75,729 |
| 9 | Michigan | $80,190 | $38.56 | $46,560 | $103,430 | 14,120 | 96.2 | $83,358 |
| 10 | Montana | $79,960 | $38.44 | $48,250 | $100,860 | 1,860 | 94.6 | $84,524 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $78,240 | $37.61 | $48,720 | $136,710 | 8,750 | 108.8 | $71,912 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $78,060 | $37.53 | $47,750 | $113,300 | 2,500 | 110 | $70,964 |
| 13 | New York | $77,490 | $37.26 | $46,130 | $130,420 | 23,210 | 107.9 | $71,816 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $77,280 | $37.16 | $45,670 | $102,990 | 5,410 | 103.6 | $74,595 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $76,470 | $36.77 | $49,680 | $110,360 | 1,820 | 102.3 | $74,751 |
| 16 | Indiana | $76,320 | $36.69 | $46,890 | $102,520 | 11,280 | 93.3 | $81,801 |
| 17 | California | $72,830 | $35.01 | $47,350 | $131,100 | 47,660 | 110.7 | $65,790 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $68,080 | $32.73 | $46,770 | $134,110 | 13,620 | 97.6 | $69,754 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $66,810 | $32.12 | $44,850 | $87,730 | 1,950 | 104.2 | $64,117 |
| 20 | Missouri | $66,790 | $32.11 | $44,780 | $117,180 | 8,310 | 90.8 | $73,557 |
| 21 | Maryland | $65,400 | $31.44 | $45,630 | $108,420 | 11,420 | 105 | $62,286 |
| 22 | Kansas | $65,220 | $31.36 | $39,130 | $109,290 | 4,590 | 90.1 | $72,386 |
| 23 | Delaware | $64,720 | $31.11 | $40,990 | $95,520 | 1,590 | 99.8 | $64,850 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $64,160 | $30.84 | $44,860 | $94,710 | 6,360 | 90.2 | $71,131 |
| 25 | Maine | $64,000 | $30.77 | $48,120 | $80,760 | 2,710 | 97 | $65,979 |
| 26 | Iowa | $63,890 | $30.72 | $45,510 | $97,500 | 5,730 | 87.8 | $72,768 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $63,680 | $30.62 | $38,120 | $79,540 | 8,360 | 88.2 | $72,200 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $63,560 | $30.56 | $45,520 | $83,560 | 1,620 | 89 | $71,416 |
| 29 | Ohio | $63,330 | $30.45 | $45,470 | $101,410 | 16,390 | 92.8 | $68,244 |
| 30 | Colorado | $63,240 | $30.40 | $47,770 | $100,240 | 10,080 | 103.1 | $61,339 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $62,410 | $30.01 | $43,770 | $80,030 | 1,140 | 92.7 | $67,325 |
| 32 | Vermont | $62,170 | $29.89 | $48,800 | $91,940 | 980 | 98 | $63,439 |
| 33 | Arizona | $62,070 | $29.84 | $45,640 | $100,120 | 11,810 | 100.7 | $61,639 |
| 34 | Utah | $61,900 | $29.76 | $43,860 | $83,120 | 7,030 | 98.9 | $62,588 |
| 35 | Nevada | $61,610 | $29.62 | $42,210 | $118,430 | 5,370 | 100 | $61,610 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $61,440 | $29.54 | $36,160 | $87,700 | 2,830 | 92.2 | $66,638 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $60,970 | $29.31 | $42,830 | $98,030 | 4,110 | 90.1 | $67,669 |
| 38 | Virginia | $60,470 | $29.07 | $43,970 | $78,050 | 13,780 | 101.1 | $59,812 |
| 39 | Texas | $59,840 | $28.77 | $38,270 | $81,890 | 44,090 | 97.1 | $61,627 |
| 40 | Alabama | $58,670 | $28.21 | $37,720 | $76,690 | 6,950 | 88.8 | $66,070 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $58,600 | $28.17 | $38,520 | $82,020 | 9,270 | 91.9 | $63,765 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $57,970 | $27.87 | $37,990 | $82,560 | 6,050 | 87.8 | $66,025 |
| 43 | Georgia | $57,200 | $27.50 | $37,680 | $80,740 | 8,930 | 96.3 | $59,398 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $57,080 | $27.44 | $38,860 | $75,850 | 14,510 | 94.3 | $60,530 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $56,980 | $27.39 | $36,010 | $83,160 | 1,830 | 89.5 | $63,665 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $55,480 | $26.67 | $35,830 | $75,470 | 3,360 | 87 | $63,770 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $53,940 | $25.93 | $37,660 | $75,780 | 5,770 | 93.7 | $57,567 |
| 48 | Florida | $52,910 | $25.44 | $38,940 | $73,610 | 29,260 | 103.4 | $51,170 |
| 49 | Idaho | $52,380 | $25.18 | $39,430 | $82,620 | 3,090 | 95.5 | $54,848 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $51,620 | $24.82 | $39,230 | $74,480 | 1,760 | 88.6 | $58,262 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $48,660 | $23.39 | $33,410 | $68,870 | 3,370 | 86.9 | $55,995 |
RPP is the BEA Regional Price Parity for all items, 2024, where the national average is 100. Adjusted restates the state median at the national price level. The District of Columbia is included because BLS publishes it as a separate area, which is why the table has 51 rows rather than 50.
SOC 47-2111
Electricians
$63,190
National median, same release
SOC 49-9021
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
$61,010
National median, same release
SOC 47-3015
Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
$42,360
National median, same release
Same survey, same reference period, so these are directly comparable with the plumber figures above.
Why union states dominate the top of the table.
Illinois, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York all have a strong UA Local presence, and all sit well above the national median. The federal data does not break pay out by union status, so we cannot attribute the gap precisely, but the ranking tracks union density closely enough that it is the obvious explanation. Note the size of the spread within a state as well: the 10th and 90th percentile columns are usually further apart in the high union states than in the low ones.
Market context
Strongest union presence in the country and the highest state median.
Growing construction market with a strong UA presence.
High union density and a cost of living close to the national average.
Remote premium and seasonal demand on a small workforce.
Strong union market, hospital and life sciences construction pipeline.
Long union tradition and low living costs.
Seattle metro tech campus construction lifts the state figure.
Industrial pipefitting for the automotive plants, at low living costs.
Union rates close to the New York City metro.
High demand and high living costs, with the widest gap between the city and upstate.
Union rates and a lot of ageing infrastructure work.
High demand, but the highest living costs erode the premium.
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh anchor two separate pay bands.
Steady industrial and residential demand at low living costs.
Front Range population growth is the main driver.
Phoenix construction boom plus large semiconductor fab projects.
Northern Virginia data centre alley plus federal facilities work.
No state income tax, and Gulf Coast energy work for industrial pipefitters.
Nashville growth, no state income tax.
Atlanta metro residential demand and suburban data centre work.
Research Triangle data centres plus Charlotte population growth.
Population growth and year round construction, no state income tax.
A small workforce on federal prevailing wage projects, which puts it at the top of the table.
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, SOC 47-2152 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities by State (SARPP), all items, 2024, last updated 2026-02-19. Both are US federal statistics and in the public domain. Snapshot taken 2026-09-06. OEWS covers wage and salary workers and excludes the self-employed, so it understates what owner operators earn.
Refreshed when BLS publishes the next May reference year, normally in the spring.