Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper Salary: United States
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The median annual wage for Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in the United States was $42,360 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers earned between $36,940 and $47,720.
Closest proxy Our title "Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper" is reported by BLS as SOC 47-3015 Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. Closest proxy: Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. This published occupation covers only part of Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper; do not treat it as a quoted range for the complete role.
Annual wages
Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper, the United States, annual wages: 10% earned less than $33,590, half earned less than the median of $42,360, 90% earned less than $57,780 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,590 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $36,940 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $42,360 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $47,720 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $57,780 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $43,730 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages
Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper, the United States, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $16.15, half earned less than the median of $20.36, 90% earned less than $27.78 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.15 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $17.76 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $20.36 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $22.94 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $27.78 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $21.03 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Employment: BLS estimates 44,330 workers in this occupation nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 47-3015 Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, National.
What BLS wages include. Base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. They leave out overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Target metros
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th percentile | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $37,520 | $36,390 to $44,450 | 1,260 | 1.56 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $38,930 | $35,680 to $44,550 | 760 | 1.85 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $38,030 | $35,850 to $47,020 | 500 | 1.24 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $45,020 | $38,400 to $46,510 | 440 | 2.09 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $52,000 | $43,180 to $65,990 | 4,360 | 1.61 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $52,000 | $43,180 to $65,990 | 4,360 | 1.61 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $43,680 | $38,200 to $47,470 | 2,330 | 2.02 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $44,750 | $38,290 to $48,680 | 1,500 | 1.6 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $39,710 | $38,300 to $46,430 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
How does Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper pay differ by industry?
These are national industry estimates for SOC 47-3015, not local offers or separate estimates for the niche title. Industry names are exactly as BLS publishes them.
| Industry | NAICS | Median | Basis | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utilities | 22 | $45,950 | Annual | 200 |
| Utilities | 221000 | $45,950 | Annual | 200 |
| Water, Sewage and Other Systems | 221300 | $45,880 | Annual | 170 |
| Construction | 23 | $42,210 | Annual | 42,460 |
| Construction of Buildings | 236000 | $38,030 | Annual | 1,130 |
| Residential Building Construction | 236100 | $35,950 | Annual | 340 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | $38,980 | Annual | 790 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 237000 | $44,470 | Annual | 1,550 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | $44,380 | Annual | 1,220 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 237300 | $41,830 | Annual | 40 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 237900 | $45,380 | Annual | 270 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 238000 | $42,210 | Annual | 39,780 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 238100 | $45,840 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | $42,210 | Annual | 39,160 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 238300 | $37,040 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 238900 | $41,080 | Annual | 510 |
| Manufacturing | 31-33 | $41,790 | Annual | 140 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 332000 | $50,740 | Annual | 50 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 3320A1 | $50,880 | Annual | 40 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 336000 | $31,820 | Annual | 80 |
| Ship and Boat Building | 336600 | $31,820 | Annual | 80 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 54 | $57,340 | Annual | 160 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 541000 | $57,340 | Annual | 160 |
| Waste Management and Remediation Services | 562000 | $41,790 | Annual | 250 |
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | 562900 | $41,790 | Annual | 250 |
| Repair and Maintenance | 811000 | $48,200 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | $48,200 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
Industry estimates are national. Do not combine an industry median with a local percentile to invent an industry-specific local rate.
Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?
This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.
| Metro | Median | Employment | Location quotient | Trade median / all-occupations median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $65,600 | 280 | 0.47 | 0.90 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $63,210 | 90 | 1.49 | 1.22 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $52,000 | 4,360 | 1.61 | 0.85 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $52,000 | 120 | 0.94 | 0.91 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $51,940 | 100 | 1.37 | 0.95 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $51,350 | 430 | 0.63 | 0.69 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $49,660 | 320 | 0.48 | 0.97 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $47,710 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 0.92 |
| Anchorage, AK | $47,290 | 50 | 1.08 | 0.79 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $47,100 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 0.99 |
| Warner Robins, GA | $35,470 | 40 | 1.72 | 0.73 |
| Roanoke, VA | $35,360 | 60 | 1.43 | 0.75 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $35,320 | 40 | 1.01 | 0.72 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $35,190 | 230 | 0.7 | 0.75 |
| El Paso, TX | $35,080 | 120 | 1.27 | 0.89 |
| Monroe, LA | $35,010 | 70 | 2.66 | 0.92 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $34,500 | 120 | 4.9 | 0.76 |
| Gainesville, FL | $34,380 | 50 | 1.12 | 0.73 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $32,000 | 30 | 2.4 | 0.76 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $26,040 | 380 | 1.95 | 0.88 |
The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.
What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National, the published median for SOC 47-3015, Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, is $42,360 per year. The middle half of the Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National wage distribution runs from $36,940 to $47,720, a width of $10,780 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
For the national Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper comparison, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports $52,000 per year while Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX reports $43,680 per year; these are the largest-employment metros with published medians for the occupation, rather than neighboring places to a national estimate. The United States Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper figure pools markets with different work scopes and schedules, so use the area table before setting a local offer.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, read alongside Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National, are Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services at $57,340 per year (NAICS 54); Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services at $57,340 per year (NAICS 541000); Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) at $50,880 per year (NAICS 3320A1). Those Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National median was $39,270 per year in May 2024, compared with $42,360 in May 2025, a published difference of $3,090. That Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $39,270 and $42,360 Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before offering $42,360 per year for Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National, separate on-call duties, overtime, travel reimbursement, tool replacement and any truck allowance separately; prevailing wage and union requirements must be checked against the actual assignment. The Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National BLS comparison includes ordinary wages and qualifying incentive pay, but leaves overtime, discretionary bonuses, benefits and relocation outside this wage figure. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National is proxy: Closest proxy: Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters; This published occupation covers only part of Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper; do not treat it as a quoted range for the complete role. When calibrating a Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National opening, the work checks include Registered apprenticeship enrollment or logged hours; OSHA 10; ask for evidence of that scope instead of using a percentile as a substitute for qualification. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National buyer?
Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National has a published middle-half band of $36,940 to $47,720, a width of $10,780 per year, with median $42,360. An offer inside that Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX are the largest-employment comparison markets used for Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National. Comparing those Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters tables with the $42,360 Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National?
Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National uses national industry rows for SOC 47-3015, not local sector-specific wages. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services leads the selected sortable rows at $57,340 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National.
What changed between the releases for Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National?
Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National moved from $39,270 in May 2024 to $42,360 in May 2025. These Plumbing Apprentice / Plumber's Helper in National published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 47-3015. Published annual median: $39,270 (May 2024) and $42,360 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.