Plumber salary in Tennessee
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Plumbers in Tennessee earn a median of $58,600 a year, or $28.17 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $82,020. That's 8% less than the national median of $63,800, 41st of 51 states and DC.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $18.52/hr
- Jobs in Tennessee
- 9,270
- After cost of living
- $63,790
- Median hourly pay
- $28.17/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −8%
- Rank among states
- 41st of 51
Apprentice, journeyman and master plumber pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $38,520–$47,260$18.52–$22.72/hr | |
| Journeyman | $58,600$28.17/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $73,460–$82,020$35.32–$39.43/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Tennessee compares
- Plumbers hold about the same share of jobs in Tennessee as nationally: 2.8 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $82,020, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,520: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Tennessee
- West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$52,260
- South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$49,220
- North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$49,070
- East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area$48,590
Other trades in Tennessee
Questions
- How much do plumbers make in Tennessee?
- Plumbers in Tennessee earn a median of $58,600 a year, or $28.17 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $82,020.
- How much do plumbers make an hour in Tennessee?
- The median hourly wage is $28.17. The middle half earn between $22.72 and $35.32 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice plumbers make in Tennessee?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.52 an hour ($38,520 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.72.
- How much does a journeyman plumber make in Tennessee?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $58,600 a year ($28.17 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $73,460–$82,020.
- Where in Tennessee do plumbers earn the most?
- Among Tennessee metro areas, Nashville–Davidson––Murfreesboro––Franklin has the highest median at $60,100 a year, and Johnson City the lowest at $48,480.
- Do plumbers in Tennessee earn more than the national average?
- The Tennessee median of $58,600 is 8% less than the U.S. median of $63,800. Prices in Tennessee run 8% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $63,790 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 47. 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 (91.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures