Plumber salary in Montana
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Plumbers in Montana earn a median of $79,960 a year, or $38.44 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $100,860 a year. Nationally the median is $63,800, so Montana pays 25% more than the U.S. overall and ranks 10th of 51.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $23.20/hr
- Jobs in Montana
- 1,860
- After cost of living
- $84,480
- Median hourly pay
- $38.44/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +25%
- Rank among states
- 10th of 51
Apprentice, journeyman and master plumber pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $48,250–$60,990$23.20–$29.32/hr | |
| Journeyman | $79,960$38.44/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $94,370–$100,860$45.37–$48.49/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Montana compares
- Plumbers are more concentrated in Montana than nationally: 3.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $100,860, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $48,250: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Montana
- East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area$91,390
- Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area$79,890
- West Montana nonmetropolitan area$78,000
Other trades in Montana
Questions
- How much do plumbers make in Montana?
- Plumbers in Montana earn a median of $79,960 a year, or $38.44 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $100,860 a year.
- How much do plumbers make an hour in Montana?
- The median hourly wage is $38.44. The middle half earn between $29.32 and $45.37 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice plumbers make in Montana?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.20 an hour ($48,250 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.32.
- How much does a journeyman plumber make in Montana?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $79,960 a year ($38.44 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $94,370–$100,860.
- Where in Montana do plumbers earn the most?
- Among Montana metro areas, Billings has the highest median at $81,690 a year, and Great Falls the lowest at $77,100.
- Do plumbers in Montana earn more than the national average?
- The Montana median of $79,960 is 25% more than the U.S. median of $63,800. Prices in Montana run 5% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $84,480 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 30. 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 (94.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures