Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
Plumber
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair the pipes that carry water, gas, and waste in buildings and industrial plants. Licensing after documented hours is standard in most states.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a plumber makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$63,800
$30.67 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $50,190
- 75th percentile
- $85,110
- 90th percentile
- $108,420
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 100%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +6.8%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 42,000
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
A paid apprenticeship of four to five years through the UA (union) or a contractor association is the main route; a high school diploma or GED and a driver's license are the prerequisites. Helper and drain-technician jobs are common first steps and often count toward apprenticeship hours.
The work, as O*NET defines it: 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.
The next step
Registered plumbing apprenticeship, then the state journeyman exam
- Typical cost
- Union apprenticeships are typically free to a few hundred dollars a year
- Time to complete
- 4 to 5 years, paid from day one
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $48.57 | $101,020 | $74,630 to $114,400 | 1,010 |
| Illinois | $48.05 | $99,950 | $72,070 to $120,050 | 16,750 |
| Oregon | $46.66 | $97,050 | $74,920 to $126,400 | 5,370 |
| Minnesota | $45.39 | $94,410 | $61,150 to $108,750 | 10,720 |
| Alaska | $45.15 | $93,920 | $73,640 to $102,820 | 1,200 |
| Massachusetts | $45.14 | $93,880 | $61,860 to $108,430 | 13,460 |
| Wisconsin | $39.04 | $81,210 | $61,430 to $103,560 | 10,210 |
| Washington | $38.96 | $81,030 | $60,030 to $107,420 | 12,470 |
| Michigan | $38.56 | $80,190 | $58,090 to $95,390 | 14,120 |
| Montana | $38.44 | $79,960 | $60,990 to $94,370 | 1,860 |
| New Jersey | $37.61 | $78,240 | $61,810 to $106,830 | 8,750 |
| Hawaii | $37.53 | $78,060 | $61,570 to $97,950 | 2,500 |
| New York | $37.26 | $77,490 | $59,960 to $101,230 | 23,210 |
| Connecticut | $37.16 | $77,280 | $57,570 to $94,440 | 5,410 |
| Rhode Island | $36.77 | $76,470 | $58,740 to $107,350 | 1,820 |
| Indiana | $36.69 | $76,320 | $58,010 to $96,760 | 11,280 |
| California | $35.01 | $72,830 | $58,980 to $100,200 | 47,660 |
| Pennsylvania | $32.73 | $68,080 | $57,880 to $91,820 | 13,620 |
| New Hampshire | $32.12 | $66,810 | $52,610 to $77,080 | 1,950 |
| Missouri | $32.11 | $66,790 | $50,640 to $100,240 | 8,310 |
| Maryland | $31.44 | $65,400 | $54,780 to $94,890 | 11,420 |
| Kansas | $31.36 | $65,220 | $49,230 to $84,870 | 4,590 |
| Delaware | $31.11 | $64,720 | $51,860 to $77,830 | 1,590 |
| Kentucky | $30.84 | $64,160 | $50,000 to $84,840 | 6,360 |
| Maine | $30.77 | $64,000 | $61,300 to $75,720 | 2,710 |
| Iowa | $30.72 | $63,890 | $51,890 to $85,320 | 5,730 |
| Louisiana | $30.62 | $63,680 | $50,750 to $74,870 | 8,360 |
| North Dakota | $30.56 | $63,560 | $49,760 to $76,860 | 1,620 |
| Ohio | $30.45 | $63,330 | $50,040 to $84,260 | 16,390 |
| Colorado | $30.40 | $63,240 | $52,370 to $78,740 | 10,080 |
| Wyoming | $30.01 | $62,410 | $48,370 to $72,800 | 1,140 |
| Vermont | $29.89 | $62,170 | $56,140 to $82,240 | 980 |
| Arizona | $29.84 | $62,070 | $49,590 to $79,610 | 11,810 |
| Utah | $29.76 | $61,900 | $49,120 to $77,440 | 7,030 |
| Nevada | $29.62 | $61,610 | $48,540 to $89,550 | 5,370 |
| New Mexico | $29.54 | $61,440 | $45,190 to $78,210 | 2,830 |
| Nebraska | $29.31 | $60,970 | $48,280 to $81,900 | 4,110 |
| Virginia | $29.07 | $60,470 | $49,350 to $71,780 | 13,780 |
| Texas | $28.77 | $59,840 | $47,380 to $74,100 | 44,090 |
| Alabama | $28.21 | $58,670 | $47,070 to $64,730 | 6,950 |
| Tennessee | $28.17 | $58,600 | $47,260 to $73,460 | 9,270 |
| Oklahoma | $27.87 | $57,970 | $45,300 to $74,240 | 6,050 |
| Georgia | $27.50 | $57,200 | $45,130 to $68,640 | 8,930 |
| North Carolina | $27.44 | $57,080 | $46,550 to $63,290 | 14,510 |
| West Virginia | $27.39 | $56,980 | $44,020 to $73,700 | 1,830 |
| Mississippi | $26.67 | $55,480 | $41,010 to $63,040 | 3,360 |
| South Carolina | $25.93 | $53,940 | $46,400 to $64,000 | 5,770 |
| Florida | $25.44 | $52,910 | $47,220 to $62,820 | 29,260 |
| Idaho | $25.18 | $52,380 | $46,200 to $69,640 | 3,090 |
| South Dakota | $24.82 | $51,620 | $46,140 to $62,050 | 1,760 |
| Arkansas | $23.39 | $48,660 | $39,150 to $60,580 | 3,370 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a plumber?
No. BLS lists "high school diploma or equivalent" as the typical education for entry, and 100% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is registered plumbing apprenticeship, then the state journeyman exam.
How much does a plumber make?
The median pay was $63,800 a year ($30.67 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $50,190 and $85,110, and the top 10 percent earned more than $108,420.
How long does it take to become a plumber?
4 to 5 years, paid from day one. The typical cost is union apprenticeships are typically free to a few hundred dollars a year.
Is plumber work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035 with about 42,000 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 47-2152.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile