Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

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:

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
Natural Gas Distribution 6,000 5.47 $ 35.22 $ 73,260
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 960 3.17 $ 37.72 $ 78,450
Utility System Construction 14,910 2.76 $ 30.08 $ 62,570
Ship and Boat Building 3,790 2.62 $ 26.98 $ 56,120

Top paying industries for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 380 0.37 $ 43.97 $ 91,450
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 1,070 0.28 $ 43.87 $ 91,240
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 120 0.04 $ 43.12 $ 89,700
Other Pipeline Transportation 60 0.75 $ 42.51 $ 88,410
Technical and Trade Schools 120 0.09 $ 42.42 $ 88,240


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.



Map of employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters by state, May 2021


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


Map of location quotient of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters by state, May 2021


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


Map of annual mean wages of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters by state, May 2021


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



Map of employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters by area, May 2021


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


Map of location quotient of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters by area, May 2021


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


Map of annual mean wages of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters by area, May 2021


Top paying metropolitan areas for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2,440 2.28 0.77 $ 45.47 $ 94,580
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,600 2.50 0.84 $ 43.03 $ 89,500
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 11,780 2.78 0.94 $ 42.88 $ 89,190
Fairbanks, AK 190 5.41 1.82 $ 42.17 $ 87,710
Anchorage, AK 500 3.07 1.04 $ 41.42 $ 86,140
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 5,880 3.07 1.03 $ 41.37 $ 86,040
Champaign-Urbana, IL 490 4.96 1.67 $ 41.15 $ 85,580
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 9,590 3.71 1.25 $ 41.03 $ 85,340
Napa, CA 130 1.84 0.62 $ 40.81 $ 84,890
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 3,870 3.44 1.16 $ 40.80 $ 84,860

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,010 2.69 0.91 $ 23.68 $ 49,260
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 840 4.43 1.49 $ 21.85 $ 45,450
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 810 4.43 1.49 $ 25.48 $ 52,990
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 780 2.47 0.83 $ 29.88 $ 62,150
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 770 3.16 1.07 $ 19.65 $ 40,870

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 300 5.14 1.74 $ 35.93 $ 74,730
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 590 5.06 1.71 $ 28.55 $ 59,390
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 330 4.99 1.68 $ 25.97 $ 54,020
East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 290 4.72 1.59 $ 34.10 $ 70,930
Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 270 4.60 1.55 $ 21.37 $ 44,440

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 230 1.56 0.52 $ 40.12 $ 83,450
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 260 2.66 0.90 $ 39.39 $ 81,930
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 300 5.14 1.74 $ 35.93 $ 74,730
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 410 3.27 1.10 $ 35.23 $ 73,270
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 270 3.09 1.04 $ 34.40 $ 71,550


About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022