Plumber salary in Trenton, NJ
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Plumbers in the Trenton–Princeton, NJ area earn a median of $76,360 a year, or $36.71 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $127,300. That's 2% less than the New Jersey median of $78,240.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $24.25/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 280
- After cost of living
- $74,010
- Median hourly pay
- $36.71/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +20%
- vs New Jersey median
- −2%
Apprentice, journeyman and master plumber pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $50,440–$60,170$24.25–$28.93/hr | |
| Journeyman | $76,360$36.71/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $106,360–$127,300$51.14–$61.20/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Trenton, NJ compares
- Trenton ranks 3rd of 6 New Jersey metro areas for plumber pay.
- Plumbers are less concentrated in the Trenton area than nationally: 1.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.38 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $127,300, is 2.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $50,440: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other New Jersey metro areas
Other trades in Trenton, NJ
Questions
- How much do plumbers make in Trenton, NJ?
- Plumbers in the Trenton–Princeton, NJ area earn a median of $76,360 a year, or $36.71 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $127,300.
- How much do plumbers make an hour in Trenton, NJ?
- The median hourly wage is $36.71. The middle half earn between $28.93 and $51.14 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice plumbers make in Trenton, NJ?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $24.25 an hour ($50,440 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.93.
- How much does a journeyman plumber make in Trenton, NJ?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $76,360 a year ($36.71 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $106,360–$127,300.
- Do plumbers make more in Trenton or New York?
- New York pays more: the median is $76,360 in Trenton and $78,610 in New York, a 3% difference.
- How does Trenton pay compare with the rest of New Jersey?
- The Trenton median of $76,360 is 2% less than the New Jersey median of $78,240.
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 45940 (Trenton-Princeton, NJ). 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 (103.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures