Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitterss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $72,170 ≈ $35/hr
National median salary $63,800
Total employment 465,840 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.5%
Faster than average
Annual openings 44,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 504,500 → 527,200 (+22,700)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Oregon$98,450
- Illinois$93,400
- New Jersey$92,590
- District of Columbia$91,200
- Alaska$90,460
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$50,640
- South Dakota$55,530
- South Carolina$55,890
- Florida$56,030
- Mississippi$56,690
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $98,450 | $97,050 | $47 | +36.4% | 5,370 |
| 2 | Illinois | $93,400 | $99,950 | $45 | +29.4% | 16,750 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $92,590 | $78,240 | $45 | +28.3% | 8,750 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $91,200 | $101,020 | $44 | +26.4% | 1,010 |
| 5 | Alaska | $90,460 | $93,920 | $43 | +25.3% | 1,200 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $90,410 | $93,880 | $43 | +25.3% | 13,460 |
| 7 | Washington | $88,800 | $81,030 | $43 | +23% | 12,470 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $86,700 | $94,410 | $42 | +20.1% | 10,720 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $84,720 | $81,210 | $41 | +17.4% | 10,210 |
| 10 | New York | $83,790 | $77,490 | $40 | +16.1% | 23,210 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $82,810 | $78,060 | $40 | +14.7% | 2,500 |
| 12 | California | $82,320 | $72,830 | $40 | +14.1% | 47,660 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $81,610 | $76,470 | $39 | +13.1% | 1,820 |
| 14 | Montana | $78,190 | $79,960 | $38 | +8.3% | 1,860 |
| 15 | Michigan | $77,250 | $80,190 | $37 | +7% | 14,120 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $77,050 | $68,080 | $37 | +6.8% | 13,620 |
| 17 | Indiana | $75,660 | $76,320 | $36 | +4.8% | 11,280 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $75,400 | $77,280 | $36 | +4.5% | 5,410 |
| 19 | Missouri | $75,010 | $66,790 | $36 | +3.9% | 8,310 |
| 20 | Maryland | $73,510 | $65,400 | $35 | +1.9% | 11,420 |
| 21 | Nevada | $71,510 | $61,610 | $34 | -0.9% | 5,370 |
| 22 | Kansas | $71,410 | $65,220 | $34 | -1.1% | 4,590 |
| 23 | Iowa | $70,030 | $63,890 | $34 | -3% | 5,730 |
| 24 | Ohio | $69,700 | $63,330 | $34 | -3.4% | 16,390 |
| 25 | Colorado | $69,090 | $63,240 | $33 | -4.3% | 10,080 |
| 26 | Vermont | $68,980 | $62,170 | $33 | -4.4% | 980 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $68,870 | $64,160 | $33 | -4.6% | 6,360 |
| 28 | Delaware | $68,110 | $64,720 | $33 | -5.6% | 1,590 |
| 29 | Arizona | $67,940 | $62,070 | $33 | -5.9% | 11,810 |
| 30 | Maine | $66,570 | $64,000 | $32 | -7.8% | 2,710 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $66,230 | $66,810 | $32 | -8.2% | 1,950 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $66,160 | $63,560 | $32 | -8.3% | 1,620 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $65,710 | $60,970 | $32 | -9% | 4,110 |
| 34 | Utah | $64,210 | $61,900 | $31 | -11% | 7,030 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $62,620 | $63,680 | $30 | -13.2% | 8,360 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $61,890 | $62,410 | $30 | -14.2% | 1,140 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $61,790 | $61,440 | $30 | -14.4% | 2,830 |
| 38 | Texas | $60,780 | $59,840 | $29 | -15.8% | 44,090 |
| 39 | Virginia | $60,650 | $60,470 | $29 | -16% | 13,780 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $60,500 | $58,600 | $29 | -16.2% | 9,270 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $58,970 | $57,970 | $28 | -18.3% | 6,050 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $58,780 | $56,980 | $28 | -18.6% | 1,830 |
| 43 | Idaho | $58,450 | $52,380 | $28 | -19% | 3,090 |
| 44 | Georgia | $58,220 | $57,200 | $28 | -19.3% | 8,930 |
| 45 | Alabama | $57,750 | $58,670 | $28 | -20% | 6,950 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $56,720 | $57,080 | $27 | -21.4% | 14,510 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $56,690 | $55,480 | $27 | -21.4% | 3,360 |
| 48 | Florida | $56,030 | $52,910 | $27 | -22.4% | 29,260 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $55,890 | $53,940 | $27 | -22.6% | 5,770 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $55,530 | $51,620 | $27 | -23.1% | 1,760 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $50,640 | $48,660 | $24 | -29.8% | 3,370 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 518 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $107,560 | $114,280 | 3,830 |
| 2 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $103,380 | $96,430 | 12,750 |
| 3 | Bellingham, WA | $102,750 | $102,860 | 540 |
| 4 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $101,630 | $92,030 | 6,730 |
| 5 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $101,010 | $100,710 | 4,600 |
| 6 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $97,130 | $94,650 | 840 |
| 7 | Bloomington, IN | $96,980 | $83,770 | 320 |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $96,760 | $92,810 | 9,200 |
| 9 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $96,670 | $92,330 | 200 |
| 10 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $95,530 | $89,200 | 390 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitterss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hydroelectric Power Generation | $128,380 | $121,900 | 50 |
| 2 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $115,310 | $106,130 | 1,370 |
| 3 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | $113,710 | $104,750 | 190 |
| 4 | Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $108,090 | $96,960 | 350 |
| 5 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $108,090 | $96,960 | 350 |
| 6 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $106,550 | $108,260 | 680 |
| 7 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $106,550 | $108,260 | 680 |
| 8 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | $105,800 | $98,150 | 100 |
| 9 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $101,300 | $110,890 | 210 |
| 10 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $101,300 | $110,890 | 210 |
| 11 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $99,000 | $98,790 | 70 |
| 12 | Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $98,940 | $102,520 | — |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make in the U.S.?
The median plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters salary in the United States is $63,800 per year (mean $72,170), and about 80% earn between $44,150 and $108,420.
How much do plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters make per hour?
Roughly $35 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $72,170 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters the most?
Oregon has the highest average pay for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters at $98,450 per year (median $97,050).
What is the job outlook for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters?
Employment is projected to change +4.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 44,000 openings per year.