TradeSalary

Plumber salary in Lancaster, PA

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Plumbers in the Lancaster, PA area earn a median of $61,950 a year, or $29.78 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $98,740 a year. That's 9% less than the Pennsylvania median of $68,080.

Median yearly pay$61,950
Bottom 10% under$46,220Top 10% over$98,740
Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
$22.22/hr
Jobs in this area
820
After cost of living
$63,050
Median hourly pay
$29.78/hr
vs U.S. median
−3%
vs Pennsylvania median
−9%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 29540, Lancaster, PA). 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$46,220–$49,460$22.22–$23.78/hr
Journeyman$61,950$29.78/hr
Master / top earners$74,670–$98,740$35.90–$47.47/hr

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

How Lancaster, PA compares

  • Lancaster ranks 9th of 16 Pennsylvania metro areas for plumber pay.
  • Plumbers hold about the same share of jobs in the Lancaster area as nationally: 3.2 of every 1,000 jobs.
  • The 90th-percentile wage, $98,740, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,220: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Pennsylvania metro areas

Other trades in Lancaster, PA

Questions

How much do plumbers make in Lancaster, PA?
Plumbers in the Lancaster, PA area earn a median of $61,950 a year, or $29.78 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $98,740 a year.
How much do plumbers make an hour in Lancaster, PA?
The median hourly wage is $29.78. The middle half earn between $23.78 and $35.90 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice plumbers make in Lancaster, PA?
BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.22 an hour ($46,220 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.78.
How much does a journeyman plumber make in Lancaster, PA?
BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $61,950 a year ($29.78 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $74,670–$98,740.
Do plumbers make more in Lancaster or Philadelphia?
Philadelphia pays more: the median is $61,950 in Lancaster and $74,860 in Philadelphia, a 17% difference.
How does Lancaster pay compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
The Lancaster median of $61,950 is 9% less than the Pennsylvania median of $68,080.

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 29540 (Lancaster, PA). 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 (98.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures