Plumber salary in New Jersey
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Plumbers in New Jersey earn a median of $78,240 a year, or $37.61 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $136,710. New Jersey ranks 11th of 51 states and DC for plumber pay, at 23% more than the U.S. median of $63,800.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $23.42/hr
- Jobs in New Jersey
- 8,750
- After cost of living
- $71,910
- Median hourly pay
- $37.61/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +23%
- Rank among states
- 11th of 51
Apprentice, journeyman and master plumber pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $48,720–$61,810$23.42–$29.72/hr | |
| Journeyman | $78,240$37.61/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $106,830–$136,710$51.36–$65.73/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How New Jersey compares
- Plumbers are less concentrated in New Jersey than nationally: 2.0 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.68 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $136,710, is 2.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $48,720: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Other trades in New Jersey
Questions
- How much do plumbers make in New Jersey?
- Plumbers in New Jersey earn a median of $78,240 a year, or $37.61 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $136,710.
- How much do plumbers make an hour in New Jersey?
- The median hourly wage is $37.61. The middle half earn between $29.72 and $51.36 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice plumbers make in New Jersey?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.42 an hour ($48,720 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.72.
- How much does a journeyman plumber make in New Jersey?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $78,240 a year ($37.61 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $106,830–$136,710.
- Where in New Jersey do plumbers earn the most?
- Among New Jersey metro areas, New York–Newark–Jersey City has the highest median at $78,610 a year, and Atlantic City–Hammonton the lowest at $64,220.
- Do plumbers in New Jersey earn more than the national average?
- The New Jersey median of $78,240 is 23% more than the U.S. median of $63,800. Prices in New Jersey run 9% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $71,910 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 34. 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 (108.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures