Plumber career
BLS occupation: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152). Updated September 27, 2026.
Pay
Plumbers in the U.S. earn a median of $63,800 a year, or $30.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data.
What plumbers do
- Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
- Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
- Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
- Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
- Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
- Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.
- Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair, according to specifications.
- Review blueprints, building codes, or specifications to determine work details or procedures.
The most important tasks, as rated by workers in the occupation. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Job outlook
BLS projects plumber jobs will grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% for all U.S. jobs, with about 42,000 openings a year as people join, retire, and change careers.
- Jobs in 2025
- 510,600
- Projected for 2035
- 545,200
- Openings a year
- 42,000
- Self-employed
- 8%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035. Job counts include self-employed workers.
Training
- Typical education to start
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Experience in a related job
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
Source: BLS Employment Projections. Licensing rules vary by state; confirm with your state's licensing board.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
- San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa ClaraCA$107,560
- Chicago–Naperville–ElginIL-IN$103,380
- BellinghamWA$102,750
- Minneapolis–St. Paul–BloomingtonMN-WI$101,630
- Portland–Vancouver–HillsboroOR-WA$101,010
- Kennewick–RichlandWA$97,130
- BloomingtonIN$96,980
- Boston–Cambridge–NewtonMA-NH$96,760
- Fairbanks–CollegeAK$96,670
- Champaign–UrbanaIL$95,530
Other trades
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Excludes self-employed plumbers.