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Plumbers and pipefitters: pay and employment in every state
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152) earned a national median of $63,800 a year in May 2025, $30.67 an hour. 465,840 people held the job. District of Columbia paid the most, $101,020.
How to become a plumber: the license tiers, required hours, exam and fees, sourced from the state authority for California · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Michigan · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Texas. More states as each board's data is collected.
Where plumbers earn the most
Top five by median annual wage: District of Columbia ($101,020), Illinois ($99,950), Oregon ($97,050), Minnesota ($94,410), Alaska ($93,920).
Lowest five: Arkansas ($48,660), South Dakota ($51,620), Idaho ($52,380), Florida ($52,910), South Carolina ($53,940).
Every state, ranked by median pay
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employed | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $101,020 | $48.57 | $52,310 | $117,180 | 1,010 | 1.4 |
| 2 | Illinois | $99,950 | $48.05 | $50,250 | $126,430 | 16,750 | 2.7 |
| 3 | Oregon | $97,050 | $46.66 | $58,230 | $147,100 | 5,370 | 2.7 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $94,410 | $45.39 | $48,720 | $121,050 | 10,720 | 3.6 |
| 5 | Alaska | $93,920 | $45.15 | $53,730 | $122,660 | 1,200 | 3.7 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $93,880 | $45.14 | $52,010 | $135,080 | 13,460 | 3.7 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $81,210 | $39.04 | $50,020 | $120,070 | 10,210 | 3.5 |
| 8 | Washington | $81,030 | $38.96 | $49,490 | $141,860 | 12,470 | 3.5 |
| 9 | Michigan | $80,190 | $38.56 | $46,560 | $103,430 | 14,120 | 3.2 |
| 10 | Montana | $79,960 | $38.44 | $48,250 | $100,860 | 1,860 | 3.6 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $78,240 | $37.61 | $48,720 | $136,710 | 8,750 | 2.0 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $78,060 | $37.53 | $47,750 | $113,300 | 2,500 | 4.0 |
| 13 | New York | $77,490 | $37.26 | $46,130 | $130,420 | 23,210 | 2.4 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $77,280 | $37.16 | $45,670 | $102,990 | 5,410 | 3.2 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $76,470 | $36.77 | $49,680 | $110,360 | 1,820 | 3.6 |
| 16 | Indiana | $76,320 | $36.69 | $46,890 | $102,520 | 11,280 | 3.5 |
| 17 | California | $72,830 | $35.01 | $47,350 | $131,100 | 47,660 | 2.6 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $68,080 | $32.73 | $46,770 | $134,110 | 13,620 | 2.2 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $66,810 | $32.12 | $44,850 | $87,730 | 1,950 | 2.9 |
| 20 | Missouri | $66,790 | $32.11 | $44,780 | $117,180 | 8,310 | 2.8 |
| 21 | Maryland | $65,400 | $31.44 | $45,630 | $108,420 | 11,420 | 4.1 |
| 22 | Kansas | $65,220 | $31.36 | $39,130 | $109,290 | 4,590 | 3.2 |
| 23 | Delaware | $64,720 | $31.11 | $40,990 | $95,520 | 1,590 | 3.3 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $64,160 | $30.84 | $44,860 | $94,710 | 6,360 | 3.2 |
| 25 | Maine | $64,000 | $30.77 | $48,120 | $80,760 | 2,710 | 4.2 |
| 26 | Iowa | $63,890 | $30.72 | $45,510 | $97,500 | 5,730 | 3.7 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $63,680 | $30.62 | $38,120 | $79,540 | 8,360 | 4.3 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $63,560 | $30.56 | $45,520 | $83,560 | 1,620 | 3.8 |
| 29 | Ohio | $63,330 | $30.45 | $45,470 | $101,410 | 16,390 | 3.0 |
| 30 | Colorado | $63,240 | $30.40 | $47,770 | $100,240 | 10,080 | 3.5 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $62,410 | $30.01 | $43,770 | $80,030 | 1,140 | 4.0 |
| 32 | Vermont | $62,170 | $29.89 | $48,800 | $91,940 | 980 | 3.2 |
| 33 | Arizona | $62,070 | $29.84 | $45,640 | $100,120 | 11,810 | 3.6 |
| 34 | Utah | $61,900 | $29.76 | $43,860 | $83,120 | 7,030 | 4.0 |
| 35 | Nevada | $61,610 | $29.62 | $42,210 | $118,430 | 5,370 | 3.5 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $61,440 | $29.54 | $36,160 | $87,700 | 2,830 | 3.3 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $60,970 | $29.31 | $42,830 | $98,030 | 4,110 | 4.0 |
| 38 | Virginia | $60,470 | $29.07 | $43,970 | $78,050 | 13,780 | 3.4 |
| 39 | Texas | $59,840 | $28.77 | $38,270 | $81,890 | 44,090 | 3.1 |
| 40 | Alabama | $58,670 | $28.21 | $37,720 | $76,690 | 6,950 | 3.3 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $58,600 | $28.17 | $38,520 | $82,020 | 9,270 | 2.8 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $57,970 | $27.87 | $37,990 | $82,560 | 6,050 | 3.5 |
| 43 | Georgia | $57,200 | $27.50 | $37,680 | $80,740 | 8,930 | 1.8 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $57,080 | $27.44 | $38,860 | $75,850 | 14,510 | 2.9 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $56,980 | $27.39 | $36,010 | $83,160 | 1,830 | 2.6 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $55,480 | $26.67 | $35,830 | $75,470 | 3,360 | 2.9 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $53,940 | $25.93 | $37,660 | $75,780 | 5,770 | 2.5 |
| 48 | Florida | $52,910 | $25.44 | $38,940 | $73,610 | 29,260 | 2.9 |
| 49 | Idaho | $52,380 | $25.18 | $39,430 | $82,620 | 3,090 | 3.6 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $51,620 | $24.82 | $39,230 | $74,480 | 1,760 | 3.8 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $48,660 | $23.39 | $33,410 | $68,870 | 3,370 | 2.6 |
Per 1,000 jobs
"Per 1,000 jobs" is how concentrated the trade is in that state's workforce. A state can pay well and still have few openings; the employment column and this one together say how much of a market there is.