Plumber salary in Arkansas
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Plumbers in Arkansas earn a median of $48,660 a year, or $23.39 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $68,870. Arkansas ranks 51st of 51 states and DC for plumber pay, at 24% less than the U.S. median of $63,800.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $16.06/hr
- Jobs in Arkansas
- 3,370
- After cost of living
- $55,970
- Median hourly pay
- $23.39/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −24%
- Rank among states
- 51st of 51
Apprentice, journeyman and master plumber pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $33,410–$39,150$16.06–$18.82/hr | |
| Journeyman | $48,660$23.39/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $60,580–$68,870$29.12–$33.11/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Arkansas compares
- Plumbers are less concentrated in Arkansas than nationally: 2.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.86 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $68,870, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $33,410: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Arkansas
- South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area$49,540
- East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area$47,510
- West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area$47,440
- North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area$46,600
Other trades in Arkansas
Questions
- How much do plumbers make in Arkansas?
- Plumbers in Arkansas earn a median of $48,660 a year, or $23.39 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $68,870.
- How much do plumbers make an hour in Arkansas?
- The median hourly wage is $23.39. The middle half earn between $18.82 and $29.12 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice plumbers make in Arkansas?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.06 an hour ($33,410 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.82.
- How much does a journeyman plumber make in Arkansas?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $48,660 a year ($23.39 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $60,580–$68,870.
- Where in Arkansas do plumbers earn the most?
- Among Arkansas metro areas, Memphis has the highest median at $58,690 a year, and Hot Springs the lowest at $46,820.
- Do plumbers in Arkansas earn more than the national average?
- The Arkansas median of $48,660 is 24% less than the U.S. median of $63,800. Prices in Arkansas run 13% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $55,970 would nationally.
About this data
Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 47-2152 (Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters), area code 05. BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed plumbers and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (86.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures