Plumber salary in Michigan
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Plumbers in Michigan earn a median of $80,190 a year, or $38.56 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $103,430. Michigan ranks 9th of 51 states and DC for plumber pay, at 26% more than the U.S. median of $63,800.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $22.38/hr
- Jobs in Michigan
- 14,120
- After cost of living
- $83,340
- Median hourly pay
- $38.56/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +26%
- Rank among states
- 9th of 51
Apprentice, journeyman and master plumber pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $46,560–$58,090$22.38–$27.93/hr | |
| Journeyman | $80,190$38.56/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $95,390–$103,430$45.86–$49.73/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Michigan compares
- Plumbers hold about the same share of jobs in Michigan as nationally: 3.2 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $103,430, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,560: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Michigan
- Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area$61,100
- Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area$59,960
- Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area$59,890
- Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area$56,470
Other trades in Michigan
Questions
- How much do plumbers make in Michigan?
- Plumbers in Michigan earn a median of $80,190 a year, or $38.56 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $103,430.
- How much do plumbers make an hour in Michigan?
- The median hourly wage is $38.56. The middle half earn between $27.93 and $45.86 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice plumbers make in Michigan?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.38 an hour ($46,560 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $27.93.
- How much does a journeyman plumber make in Michigan?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $80,190 a year ($38.56 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $95,390–$103,430.
- Where in Michigan do plumbers earn the most?
- Among Michigan metro areas, Kalamazoo–Portage has the highest median at $90,730 a year, and Niles the lowest at $59,810.
- Do plumbers in Michigan earn more than the national average?
- The Michigan median of $80,190 is 26% more than the U.S. median of $63,800. Prices in Michigan run 4% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $83,340 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 26. 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 (96.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures