The following article will be helpful if you want to find out more about your possible salary, no matter whether you are looking for an apprenticeship, or you are a licensed journeyman and a seasoned Master Plumber.
It is good to know the average salary for each occupation prior to starting doing the job.
In order to give you more details on the average salary for a plumber in different locations, we gathered all the data from thousands of job postings, analyzed it, and present it here for you.
You will be able to find out the average hourly rate for plumbers across the country and by state.
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How Much Does a Plumber Make?
The average hourly rate for plumbers across the entire United States is $25.69 and if we consider the salary on an annual basis, it would be around $50,000 per year.
However, this is just an average, and this number includes salaries listed for plumbing positions in the areas with the highest cost of living, such as San Francisco or New York, but also low cost of living, like in some rural towns.
We have to mention that the state with the highest average hourly rate is Delaware and plumber there earn an hourly rate of $40.32 on average.
On the other hand, the state with the lowest average hourly rate is South Dakota, where plumbers earn an average pay of just $14.11 per hour.
Average Plumber Salary by State
The plumbing industry is in constant development and growth, causing the salaries to be higher.
As plumbers earn different wages in different states, it can be helpful to see the average hourly amount in each individual state.
Again, it is worth noting that this average includes both the high and low amounts, and the salaries of various plumbers are included, from temporary or contract workers all the way up to Master Plumber.
Why is this knowledge important?
Well, by knowing the average hourly rate in various states, you will have an insight into which states tend to pay the most and which pay the least, so as to look for a job in a state that is most suitable to you.
Salary Information by State
| State | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7,250 | $52,860 | $25.42 | $70,090 | $35,260 |
| Alaska | 960 | $82,100 | $39.47 | $105,180 | $51,280 |
| Arizona | 9,640 | $60,740 | $29.20 | $92,670 | $40,510 |
| Arkansas | 3,520 | $48,570 | $23.35 | $64,080 | $30,940 |
| California | 42,480 | $75,300 | $36.20 | $126,390 | $43,710 |
| Colorado | 9,340 | $64,180 | $30.86 | $92,470 | $41,370 |
| Connecticut | 4,310 | $66,580 | $32.01 | $96,710 | $39,720 |
| Delaware | 1,190 | $64,120 | $30.83 | $98,160 | $37,360 |
| District of Columbia | 630 | $84,460 | $40.61 | $105,000 | $52,070 |
| Florida | 28,750 | $51,830 | $24.92 | $64,610 | $36,050 |
| Georgia | 7,520 | $56,980 | $27.39 | $76,520 | $36,050 |
| Hawaii | 2,680 | $74,860 | $35.99 | $107,430 | $47,050 |
| Idaho | 3,360 | $60,310 | $29.00 | $85,350 | $37,630 |
| Illinois | 16,940 | $88,420 | $42.51 | $120,540 | $47,630 |
| Indiana | 11,040 | $69,220 | $33.28 | $96,460 | $43,680 |
| Iowa | 6,640 | $64,540 | $31.03 | $89,080 | $39,040 |
| Kansas | 4,360 | $62,930 | $30.25 | $96,810 | $36,890 |
| Kentucky | 5,760 | $62,540 | $30.07 | $90,340 | $36,360 |
| Louisiana | 7,180 | $60,190 | $28.94 | $77,510 | $37,630 |
| Maine | 2,410 | $60,200 | $28.94 | $75,410 | $41,500 |
| Maryland | 10,880 | $65,650 | $31.56 | $100,130 | $38,090 |
| Massachusetts | 15,710 | $89,140 | $42.86 | $135,120 | $47,040 |
| Michigan | 12,860 | $69,550 | $33.44 | $98,880 | $38,820 |
| Minnesota | 10,100 | $79,470 | $38.21 | $115,590 | $47,070 |
| Mississippi | 3,060 | $53,270 | $25.61 | $65,540 | $32,540 |
| Missouri | 7,680 | $69,730 | $33.52 | $103,910 | $37,480 |
| Montana | 1,820 | $73,730 | $35.45 | $88,080 | $49,390 |
| Nebraska | 3,460 | $63,850 | $30.70 | $90,610 | $39,380 |
| Nevada | 5,170 | $67,410 | $32.41 | $107,660 | $39,490 |
| New Hampshire | 2,410 | $61,010 | $29.33 | $80,460 | $38,890 |
| New Jersey | 9,560 | $97,690 | $46.97 | $137,150 | $50,830 |
| New Mexico | 2,890 | $55,430 | $26.65 | $81,580 | $36,040 |
| New York | 24,440 | $84,890 | $40.81 | $133,010 | $46,060 |
| North Carolina | 15,120 | $53,140 | $25.55 | $71,970 | $36,060 |
| North Dakota | 1,560 | $65,140 | $31.32 | $94,630 | $40,160 |
| Ohio | 12,780 | $67,630 | $32.51 | $94,630 | $39,420 |
| Oklahoma | 6,110 | $57,630 | $27.71 | $81,020 | $36,030 |
| Oregon | 4,830 | $85,680 | $41.19 | $128,830 | $49,150 |
| Pennsylvania | 13,540 | $69,670 | $33.50 | $101,460 | $44,420 |
| Rhode Island | 2,100 | $73,400 | $35.29 | $101,780 | $47,840 |
| South Carolina | 4,010 | $53,540 | $25.74 | $73,660 | $35,450 |
| South Dakota | 1,420 | $54,740 | $26.32 | $75,110 | $39,250 |
| Tennessee | 8,920 | $55,230 | $26.55 | $75,800 | $36,640 |
| Texas | 41,890 | $56,890 | $27.35 | $77,050 | $36,320 |
| Utah | 5,790 | $59,530 | $28.62 | $83,020 | $37,530 |
| Vermont | 980 | $61,580 | $29.61 | $82,840 | $46,290 |
| Virginia | 10,930 | $57,720 | $27.75 | $75,660 | $38,970 |
| Washington | 10,860 | $82,400 | $39.61 | $134,580 | $44,550 |
| West Virginia | 1,350 | $54,510 | $26.21 | $78,560 | $32,280 |
| Wisconsin | 6,860 | $77,470 | $37.24 | $102,200 | $45,490 |
| Wyoming | 1,120 | $59,260 | $28.49 | $84,530 | $37,690 |
| Guam | 300 | $40,520 | $19.48 | $48,600 | $35,460 |
| Puerto Rico | 690 | $27,820 | $13.38 | $37,430 | $20,250 |
| Virgin Islands | ** | $54,140 | $26.03 | $72,950 | $31,110 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Salary Range for Plumbers
Another way to understand plumbing salaries is to look at the range of pay being offered.
You should take a closer look into the range of salaries, as it gives us some context about how broad the pay scale is from the lowest-paid to the highest-paid plumbing positions.
Across the entire United States, the average salary range for plumbing positions runs from $9.47 per hour to $51.60.
This calculation is made based on both the low and high end of the salary range for all states.
However, this range includes a variety of positions, considering the fact that the pay scale for a plumber is not only based on location but what affects it a lot are certifications and years of experience.
The highest-paid plumbers are Master Plumbers.
Licensed journeymen are in the middle, while an apprentice would receive half of that rate and they are at the lower end of the scale.
In collecting this data, we have included all types of roles.
Plumbing Salary Range by State
When the average salary is measured, the statistics represent the national average.
However, we should take a look at what plumbers are earning in each state and this can be done if we pay attention to the range of salaries shown on a state-by-state basis.
The estimate is based on a high and low level for what plumbers might expect to earn in their role, based on their location.
Numerous states have an average lowest hourly wage of $7.25/hour which is considered the minimum wage, while Hawaii has the highest average hourly wage at $81.85/hour.
Plumbing Jobs Paying $55,000 Per Year
You should not only look at hourly rates for plumber’s job, as it can make it difficult to get a sense of what an annual salary might look like.
Our suggestion is to calculate what an hourly rate translates into over the course of an entire year and we have done it for you.
According to Indeed’s data, we found out that an annual salary of plumbers can be more than $55,000 per year.
Actually, it all again depends on the location, as California has the highest number of jobs listed that pay over $55,000 per year and there were 1,383 total listings.
On the other hand, there is Rhode Island, the state that has the highest percentage of jobs listed that pay over $55,000 per year with 25.98%.
Cities with the Highest Plumbing Salaries in Each State
Due to the fact that there is generally a large range of pays within each state, you can take a look at the salary of plumbers in a particular city you are interested in.
The plumbers’ roles in big cities are more demanding and these cities tend to offer higher salaries than those in smaller towns and rural communities.
When determining where you want to start working, you may not only compare your salary to the country as a whole or even your entire state, but you can look at salaries offered in cities.
If we take a look at the cities within each state that have the highest average salary, we have to include Wakefield, Massachusetts, and Saint Paul, Minnesota which offers the highest average hourly rate at $48.08/hour, while Portland, Maine has the lowest average hourly rate at $19.61.
We did not have sufficient data from Alaska and Vermont to determine which city had the highest average hourly rate.
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