Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
47-2152 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems. Includes sprinkler fitters.
National estimates for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Industry profile for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Geographic profile for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
National estimates for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 417,620 |
1.4 % |
$ 30.46 |
$ 63,350 |
0.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 17.65 |
$ 22.40 |
$ 28.79 |
$ 37.45 |
$ 48.04 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 36,700 |
$ 46,590 |
$ 59,880 |
$ 77,890 |
$ 99,920 |
Industry profile for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Building Equipment Contractors |
310,420 |
13.83 |
$ 30.72 |
$ 63,900 |
| Utility System Construction |
14,910 |
2.76 |
$ 30.08 |
$ 62,570 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
10,640 |
0.20 |
$ 27.57 |
$ 57,340 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction |
10,120 |
1.30 |
$ 33.20 |
$ 69,060 |
| Employment Services |
6,880 |
0.20 |
$ 23.70 |
$ 49,290 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
Top paying industries for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
Geographic profile for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
40,400 |
2.44 |
0.82 |
$ 34.62 |
$ 72,000 |
| Texas |
36,920 |
3.02 |
1.02 |
$ 25.23 |
$ 52,470 |
| New York |
25,800 |
2.98 |
1.00 |
$ 37.26 |
$ 77,490 |
| Florida |
23,800 |
2.77 |
0.93 |
$ 23.13 |
$ 48,120 |
| Illinois |
15,790 |
2.81 |
0.95 |
$ 41.44 |
$ 86,200 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Rhode Island |
2,240 |
4.90 |
1.65 |
$ 31.29 |
$ 65,090 |
| Nevada |
6,160 |
4.78 |
1.61 |
$ 31.13 |
$ 64,750 |
| Louisiana |
8,490 |
4.73 |
1.60 |
$ 27.42 |
$ 57,040 |
| Hawaii |
2,330 |
4.26 |
1.44 |
$ 35.02 |
$ 72,830 |
| Wyoming |
1,090 |
4.20 |
1.42 |
$ 25.77 |
$ 53,610 |
Top paying states for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Illinois |
15,790 |
2.81 |
0.95 |
$ 41.44 |
$ 86,200 |
| Alaska |
940 |
3.19 |
1.07 |
$ 41.01 |
$ 85,300 |
| Massachusetts |
12,920 |
3.81 |
1.28 |
$ 40.43 |
$ 84,090 |
| New Jersey |
9,740 |
2.53 |
0.85 |
$ 39.78 |
$ 82,740 |
| Oregon |
4,980 |
2.73 |
0.92 |
$ 39.17 |
$ 81,470 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
25,420 |
2.93 |
0.99 |
$ 39.86 |
$ 82,900 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
12,630 |
2.21 |
0.75 |
$ 32.17 |
$ 66,910 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
11,780 |
2.78 |
0.94 |
$ 42.88 |
$ 89,190 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
10,580 |
2.95 |
0.99 |
$ 25.01 |
$ 52,010 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
9,590 |
3.71 |
1.25 |
$ 41.03 |
$ 85,340 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
9,330 |
3.22 |
1.09 |
$ 27.11 |
$ 56,380 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
7,920 |
3.74 |
1.26 |
$ 27.19 |
$ 56,560 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
7,890 |
2.69 |
0.91 |
$ 30.44 |
$ 63,310 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
6,960 |
2.62 |
0.88 |
$ 34.40 |
$ 71,540 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
5,940 |
2.42 |
0.82 |
$ 23.78 |
$ 49,460 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kokomo, IN |
470 |
12.93 |
4.36 |
$ 34.23 |
$ 71,210 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA |
970 |
11.27 |
3.80 |
$ 31.75 |
$ 66,040 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS |
1,300 |
8.95 |
3.02 |
$ 24.99 |
$ 51,970 |
| Appleton, WI |
1,010 |
8.59 |
2.90 |
$ 36.71 |
$ 76,350 |
| Lake Charles, LA |
720 |
7.97 |
2.69 |
$ 31.75 |
$ 66,050 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
620 |
7.73 |
2.61 |
$ 22.50 |
$ 46,810 |
| Baton Rouge, LA |
2,810 |
7.66 |
2.58 |
$ 30.30 |
$ 63,030 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA |
890 |
7.63 |
2.58 |
$ 40.29 |
$ 83,800 |
| St. Cloud, MN |
690 |
7.00 |
2.36 |
$ 33.60 |
$ 69,890 |
| Fond du Lac, WI |
300 |
6.90 |
2.33 |
$ 33.48 |
$ 69,640 |
United States Department of Labor
