Plumber salary in South Bend, IN-MI
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Plumbers in the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI area earn a median of $74,190 a year, or $35.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $99,060 a year. Across all of Indiana, the median is $76,320, so South Bend pays 3% less than the state as a whole.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $22.32/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 490
- After cost of living
- $79,900
- Median hourly pay
- $35.67/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +16%
- vs Indiana median
- −3%
Apprentice, journeyman and master plumber pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $46,420–$54,230$22.32–$26.07/hr | |
| Journeyman | $74,190$35.67/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $96,850–$99,060$46.56–$47.62/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How South Bend, IN-MI compares
- South Bend ranks 10th of 15 Indiana metro areas for plumber pay.
- Plumbers are more concentrated in the South Bend area than nationally: 3.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.3 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $99,060, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,420: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Indiana metro areas
Other trades in South Bend, IN-MI
Questions
- How much do plumbers make in South Bend, IN-MI?
- Plumbers in the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI area earn a median of $74,190 a year, or $35.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $99,060 a year.
- How much do plumbers make an hour in South Bend, IN-MI?
- The median hourly wage is $35.67. The middle half earn between $26.07 and $46.56 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice plumbers make in South Bend, IN-MI?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.32 an hour ($46,420 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.07.
- How much does a journeyman plumber make in South Bend, IN-MI?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $74,190 a year ($35.67 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $96,850–$99,060.
- Do plumbers make more in South Bend or Chicago?
- Chicago pays more: the median is $74,190 in South Bend and $103,380 in Chicago, a 28% difference.
- How does South Bend pay compare with the rest of Indiana?
- The South Bend median of $74,190 is 3% less than the Indiana median of $76,320.
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 43780 (South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI). 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 (92.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures