TradeSalary

Plumber salary in Fayetteville, NC

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Plumbers in the Fayetteville, NC area earn a median of $51,740 a year, or $24.87 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $74,540. Statewide, plumbers earn a median of $57,080; Fayetteville is 9% below it.

Median yearly pay$51,740
Bottom 10% under$37,440Top 10% over$74,540
Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
$18.00/hr
Jobs in this area
390
After cost of living
$56,250
Median hourly pay
$24.87/hr
vs U.S. median
−19%
vs North Carolina median
−9%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 22180, Fayetteville, NC). Excludes self-employed plumbers. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Apprentice, journeyman and master plumber pay

StageYearly payHourly pay
Apprentice$37,440–$45,090$18.00–$21.68/hr
Journeyman$51,740$24.87/hr
Master / top earners$62,220–$74,540$29.92–$35.84/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Fayetteville, NC compares

  • Fayetteville ranks 12th of 16 North Carolina metro areas for plumber pay.
  • Plumbers hold about the same share of jobs in the Fayetteville area as nationally: 3.0 of every 1,000 jobs.
  • The 90th-percentile wage, $74,540, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,440: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Fayetteville, NC

Questions

How much do plumbers make in Fayetteville, NC?
Plumbers in the Fayetteville, NC area earn a median of $51,740 a year, or $24.87 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $74,540.
How much do plumbers make an hour in Fayetteville, NC?
The median hourly wage is $24.87. The middle half earn between $21.68 and $29.92 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice plumbers make in Fayetteville, NC?
BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.00 an hour ($37,440 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.68.
How much does a journeyman plumber make in Fayetteville, NC?
BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $51,740 a year ($24.87 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $62,220–$74,540.
Do plumbers make more in Fayetteville or Virginia Beach?
Virginia Beach pays more: the median is $51,740 in Fayetteville and $61,870 in Virginia Beach, a 16% difference.
How does Fayetteville pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?
The Fayetteville median of $51,740 is 9% less than the North Carolina median of $57,080.

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 22180 (Fayetteville, NC). 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 (92.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures