Plumber salary in Wisconsin
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Plumbers in Wisconsin earn a median of $81,210 a year, or $39.04 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $120,070. Wisconsin ranks 7th of 51 states and DC for plumber pay, at 27% more than the U.S. median of $63,800.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $24.05/hr
- Jobs in Wisconsin
- 10,210
- After cost of living
- $86,310
- Median hourly pay
- $39.04/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +27%
- Rank among states
- 7th of 51
Apprentice, journeyman and master plumber pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $50,020–$61,430$24.05–$29.53/hr | |
| Journeyman | $81,210$39.04/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $103,560–$120,070$49.79–$57.72/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Wisconsin compares
- Plumbers are more concentrated in Wisconsin than nationally: 3.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $120,070, is 2.4 times the 10th-percentile wage, $50,020: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Wisconsin
- South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area$77,120
- Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area$77,120
- Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area$76,700
- Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area$74,840
Other trades in Wisconsin
Questions
- How much do plumbers make in Wisconsin?
- Plumbers in Wisconsin earn a median of $81,210 a year, or $39.04 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $120,070.
- How much do plumbers make an hour in Wisconsin?
- The median hourly wage is $39.04. The middle half earn between $29.53 and $49.79 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice plumbers make in Wisconsin?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $24.05 an hour ($50,020 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.53.
- How much does a journeyman plumber make in Wisconsin?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $81,210 a year ($39.04 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $103,560–$120,070.
- Where in Wisconsin do plumbers earn the most?
- Among Wisconsin metro areas, Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington has the highest median at $101,630 a year, and Racine–Mount Pleasant the lowest at $77,070.
- Do plumbers in Wisconsin earn more than the national average?
- The Wisconsin median of $81,210 is 27% more than the U.S. median of $63,800. Prices in Wisconsin run 6% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $86,310 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 55. 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 (94.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures