Plumber salary in West Virginia
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Plumbers in West Virginia earn a median of $56,980 a year, or $27.39 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $83,160. That's 11% less than the national median of $63,800, 45th of 51 states and DC.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $17.31/hr
- Jobs in West Virginia
- 1,830
- After cost of living
- $63,670
- Median hourly pay
- $27.39/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −11%
- Rank among states
- 45th of 51
Apprentice, journeyman and master plumber pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $36,010–$44,020$17.31–$21.16/hr | |
| Journeyman | $56,980$27.39/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $73,700–$83,160$35.44–$39.98/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How West Virginia compares
- Plumbers are less concentrated in West Virginia than nationally: 2.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.87 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $83,160, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,010: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural West Virginia
- Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area$61,050
- Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area$48,250
Other trades in West Virginia
Questions
- How much do plumbers make in West Virginia?
- Plumbers in West Virginia earn a median of $56,980 a year, or $27.39 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $83,160.
- How much do plumbers make an hour in West Virginia?
- The median hourly wage is $27.39. The middle half earn between $21.16 and $35.44 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice plumbers make in West Virginia?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.31 an hour ($36,010 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.16.
- How much does a journeyman plumber make in West Virginia?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $56,980 a year ($27.39 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $73,700–$83,160.
- Where in West Virginia do plumbers earn the most?
- Among West Virginia metro areas, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria has the highest median at $71,860 a year, and Parkersburg–Vienna the lowest at $49,580.
- Do plumbers in West Virginia earn more than the national average?
- The West Virginia median of $56,980 is 11% less than the U.S. median of $63,800. Prices in West Virginia run 11% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $63,670 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 54. 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 (89.5, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures