Plumber hourly rate
A plumber's median wage is $30.67 an hour (BLS OEWS May 2025, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters). What a plumbing company bills per hour is higher, because the van, the stock of fittings, the after-hours calls and the licensing all ride on that hour.
- Lower quarter earns under
- $24.13
- Median hourly wage
- $30.67
- Upper quarter earns over
- $40.92
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, SOC 47-2152, national, 465,840 employed.
BLS groups plumbers with pipefitters and steamfitters, so the figure includes commercial pipe trades as well as the plumber who comes to your house.
Turning a plumber's wage into a shop rate
Enter the hourly wage, then your payroll costs, overhead and profit as percentages to see the rate each billed hour has to carry. The fields start empty because no survey publishes those three for plumbing shops.
Enter your payroll costs, overhead and profit to see the billed rate your numbers need.
Master plumber hourly rate
The survey doesn't split journeymen from masters, so there's no sourced master plumber rate. A master license lets a plumber pull permits and run a shop; the upper end of the wage band is where most license holders who work for someone else sit.
Plumber hourly rate near me
State medians from the same release show how much location moves the wage. A quote near you also depends on access, the fixture and whether it's an emergency visit.
Highest state medians
- District of Columbia$48.57
- Illinois$48.05
- Oregon$46.66
- Minnesota$45.39
- Alaska$45.15
Lowest state medians
- Arkansas$23.39
- South Dakota$24.82
- Idaho$25.18
- Florida$25.44
- South Carolina$25.93
What to ask about a plumbing quote
Plumbing quotes often bundle a trip charge; ask what it covers and whether the first hour is included.
Plumbers can build an estimate now too; plumbing is in beta, so you add your own lines.
Build this free in 2 minutes →Other trades: Electrician hourly rate · Handyman rates · all trade rates