How much do apprentice plumbers make in 2026?
Apprentice plumbers are counted in the BLS helpers of pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters series: OEWS May 2025 puts the SOC 47-3015 national median at $42,360 a year ($20.36 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $33,590 and the top 10% at $57,780. The distinctive feature of apprentice pay is that it is not really a market wage at all — in registered programmes it is a defined percentage of the journeyman scale, typically starting around 40 to 50% in the first period and stepping up every six to twelve months as classroom hours and on-the-job hours are completed, reaching 85 to 95% shortly before licensure. That structure is why the band above looks the way it does: the low end is first-year apprentices and helpers, and the top end is fourth- and fifth-year apprentices approaching journeyman rate. The other point worth stating is that this classification is temporary by design. A licensed journeyman plumber sits on a separate, substantially higher wage series, and the entire purpose of the apprenticeship is to arrive there in four to five years with no tuition debt and a licence. Employment is projected to grow 4.9% through 2034 with roughly 4,900 openings a year. → Full apprentice plumber career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $42,360 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Apprentice Plumbers earn a national median $42,360/yr ($20.36/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-3015); the P10 to P90 range is $33,590 to $57,780.
- The BLS plumbing helpers series shows a $42,360 median inside a $33,590 to $57,780 band, and that band largely reflects apprenticeship year rather than different jobs.
- In registered programmes the apprentice rate is a scheduled percentage of journeyman scale — commonly 40 to 50% at entry, stepping up to 85 to 95% by the final period.
- The classification is temporary by design: the point is to reach licensed journeyman status on a much higher wage series within four to five years, earning throughout.
US Apprentice Plumber Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do apprentice plumbers earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 47-3015; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-3015, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does an apprentice plumber earn at each career stage?
Apprentice pay steps up on a defined schedule as hours and classroom periods are completed. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 47-3015.
By State
Which states pay apprentice plumbers the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations. For apprentices the more important state variable is licensing: because the apprentice rate is a percentage of journeyman scale, states with strong plumbing licensure and high journeyman wages produce higher apprentice pay at every period.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($48,710), the highest-paying state shown. See all 51 state salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay apprentice plumbers the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Metro apprentices generally earn more for the same reason: their percentage is applied to a higher local journeyman rate, and union agreements in large markets set both the scale and the progression schedule.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise an apprentice plumber’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does apprentice plumber pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Apprentice Plumbers sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify apprentice plumber wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does an apprentice plumber actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Apprentice Plumber Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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