Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in Alabama

Median $28.21 an hour for 6,950 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$28.21/hrMedian hourly wageAlabama, May data
$58,670/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.14 – $36.8710th to 90th percentilehourly range
6,950Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Plumber pay in Alabama: the full range

Wage percentiles, AlabamaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrAlabama: 10th $18.14 · 25th $22.63 · median $28.21 · 75th $31.12 · 90th $36.87Alabama$28.21$18.14$36.87United States: 10th $21.22 · 25th $24.13 · median $30.67 · 75th $40.92 · 90th $52.13United States$30.67
Hourly wage percentiles for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters: Alabama vs United States, May 2025.

Alabama ranks 40th of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 28th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.77). 6,950 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.14 – $22.63$37,720 – $47,070roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.63 – $31.12$47,070 – $64,730the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$31.12 – $36.87$64,730 – $76,690the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plumber pay by metro in Alabama

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrFlorence: $29.13Florence$29.13Birmingham: $28.89Birmingham$28.89Decatur: $28.81Decatur$28.81Tuscaloosa: $28.62Tuscaloosa$28.62Mobile: $28.56Mobile$28.56Montgomery: $27.87Montgomery$27.87Daphne: $27.44Daphne$27.44Huntsville: $27.42Huntsville$27.42Anniston: $27.33Anniston$27.33Auburn: $24.79Auburn$24.79Dothan: $23.59Dothan$23.59Columbus: $22.79Columbus$22.79
Median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters by metro area in Alabama, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Florence$17.66$29.13$39.963403% above
Birmingham$18.57$28.89$36.681,8402% above
Decatur$19.51$28.81$53.202102% above
Tuscaloosa$18.47$28.62$35.653701% above
Mobile$18.35$28.56$36.039601% above
Montgomery$17.93$27.87$35.623401% below
Daphne$17.42$27.44$36.573303% below
Huntsville$18.21$27.42$39.727903% below
Anniston$18.06$27.33$35.801303% below
Auburn$17.53$24.79$34.3620012% below
Dothan$17.30$23.59$32.2413016% below
Columbus$17.00$22.79$36.4720019% below
Gadsden$13.48$22.76$31.8610019% below

Plumber wages in Alabama over time

Alabama, 1999-2025AlabamaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$30.67United States$28.21Alabama
Median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, Alabama vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearAlabama $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.57$28.16$17.417,600
2000$16.09$30.08$18.196,660
2001$16.47$29.94$18.616,120
2002$16.93$30.30$19.315,720
2003$16.50$28.87$19.695,220
2004$16.03$27.32$19.855,410
2005$15.66$25.81$20.275,860
2006$15.95$25.47$20.566,160
2007$15.93$24.73$21.206,320
2008$17.13$25.61$21.946,150
2009$17.48$26.23$22.275,230
2010$18.57$27.42$22.434,970
2011$18.01$25.78$22.965,200
2012$18.52$25.97$23.624,910
2013$19.04$26.31$24.135,720
2014$19.37$26.34$24.365,320
2015$19.12$25.97$24.345,370
2016$19.18$25.73$24.745,010
2017$20.18$26.50$25.285,400
2018$21.58$27.67$25.926,400
2019$22.36$28.16$26.526,700
2020$22.22$27.64$27.086,220
2021$22.63$26.89$28.796,660
2022$23.17$25.49$28.896,480
2023$24.36$25.74$29.597,250
2024$25.89$26.57$30.277,880
2025$28.21$28.21$30.676,950

In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in Alabama changed by +8.6% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for plumbers in Alabama

On federally funded construction in Alabama, contractors must pay plumbers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 53 of the 67 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $48.71 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $19.33). 14 of the 67 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Bibb County at $19.33). The market median for the state is $28.21.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ALAutauga: $48.71 (union)Baldwin: $48.71 (union)Barbour: $48.71 (union)Bibb: $19.33 (survey)Blount: $19.33 (survey)Bullock: $48.71 (union)Butler: $48.71 (union)Calhoun: $19.33 (survey)Chambers: $52.05 (union)Cherokee: $52.05 (union)Chilton: $19.33 (survey)Choctaw: $48.71 (union)Clarke: $48.71 (union)Clay: $52.05 (union)Cleburne: $52.05 (union)Coffee: $48.71 (union)Colbert: $51.83 (union)Conecuh: $48.71 (union)Coosa: $52.05 (union)Covington: $48.71 (union)Crenshaw: $48.71 (union)Cullman: $48.71 (union)Dale: $48.71 (union)Dallas: $48.71 (union)DeKalb: $52.05 (union)Elmore: $48.71 (union)Escambia: $48.71 (union)Etowah: $19.33 (survey)Fayette: $48.71 (union)Franklin: $48.71 (union)Geneva: $48.71 (union)Greene: $48.71 (union)Hale: $19.33 (survey)Henry: $48.71 (union)Houston: $48.71 (union)Jackson: $52.05 (union)Jefferson: $19.33 (survey)Lamar: $48.71 (union)Lauderdale: $51.83 (union)Lawrence: $51.83 (union)Lee: $48.71 (union)Limestone: $24.82 (survey)Lowndes: $48.71 (union)Macon: $48.71 (union)Madison: $24.82 (survey)Marengo: $48.71 (union)Marion: $48.71 (union)Marshall: $52.05 (union)Mobile: $48.71 (union)Monroe: $48.71 (union)Montgomery: $48.71 (union)Morgan: $51.83 (union)Perry: $48.71 (union)Pickens: $19.33 (survey)Pike: $48.71 (union)Randolph: $52.05 (union)Russell: $48.71 (union)St. Clair: $19.33 (survey)Shelby: $19.33 (survey)Sumter: $48.71 (union)Talladega: $52.05 (union)Tallapoosa: $52.05 (union)Tuscaloosa: $19.33 (survey)Walker: $19.33 (survey)Washington: $48.71 (union)Wilcox: $48.71 (union)Winston: $48.71 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$29.60$48.71$51.83survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for plumbers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)Prevailing (survey)$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrRussell (Columbus): market median $22.79, prevailing (union) $48.71, gap +$25.92Russell (Columbus)+$25.92Geneva (Dothan): market median $23.59, prevailing (union) $48.71, gap +$25.12Geneva (Dothan)+$25.12Lee (Auburn): market median $24.79, prevailing (union) $48.71, gap +$23.92Lee (Auburn)+$23.92Lawrence (Decatur): market median $28.81, prevailing (union) $51.83, gap +$23.02Lawrence (Decatur)+$23.02Colbert (Florence): market median $29.13, prevailing (union) $51.83, gap +$22.70Colbert (Florence)+$22.70Baldwin (Daphne): market median $27.44, prevailing (union) $48.71, gap +$21.27Baldwin (Daphne)+$21.27Autauga (Montgomery): market median $27.87, prevailing (union) $48.71, gap +$20.84Autauga (Montgomery)+$20.84Mobile (Mobile): market median $28.56, prevailing (union) $48.71, gap +$20.15Mobile (Mobile)+$20.15Greene (Tuscaloosa): market median $28.62, prevailing (union) $48.71, gap +$20.09Greene (Tuscaloosa)+$20.09Limestone (Huntsville): market median $27.42, prevailing (survey) $24.82, gap −$2.60Limestone (Huntsville)−$2.60Etowah (Gadsden): market median $22.76, prevailing (survey) $19.33, gap −$3.43Etowah (Gadsden)−$3.43Calhoun (Anniston): market median $27.33, prevailing (survey) $19.33, gap −$8.00Calhoun (Anniston)−$8.00Bibb (Birmingham): market median $28.89, prevailing (survey) $19.33, gap −$9.56Bibb (Birmingham)−$9.56
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plumbers, metro counties in Alabama.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ChambersUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260079
CherokeeUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260079
ClayUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260079
CleburneUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260079
CoosaUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260079
DeKalbUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260079
JacksonUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260079
MarshallUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260076
RandolphUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260079
TalladegaUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260077
TallapoosaUnion PLUM0372-001 2025-07-01$36.10$15.95$52.05AL20260079
ColbertUnion PLUM0760-004 2025-01-01$32.50$19.33$51.83AL20260100
LauderdaleUnion PLUM0760-004 2025-01-01$32.50$19.33$51.83AL20260100
LawrenceUnion PLUM0760-004 2025-01-01$32.50$19.33$51.83AL20260088
MorganUnion PLUM0760-004 2025-01-01$32.50$19.33$51.83AL20260094

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Alabama prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Alabama?

113.4kConstruction jobsAlabama, 2026-08
+2.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202660k80k100k120k19901995200020052010201520202025113kAug 2026
Construction employment in Alabama (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just plumbers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Jefferson County3,486$82,619$1,589
Montgomery County942$80,917$1,556
Mobile County2,421$79,111$1,521
Shelby County1,098$77,131$1,483
Lauderdale County680$75,453$1,451
Morgan County687$74,931$1,441
Franklin County40$71,058$1,366
Madison County1,486$70,148$1,349
Limestone County512$69,230$1,331
Hale County122$68,934$1,326
Elmore County268$68,137$1,310
Cullman County362$64,152$1,234

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Alabama

Questions this page answers

How much do plumbers make in Alabama?

The median plumber in Alabama earned $28.21 an hour ($58,670 a year) in May 2025, 8% below the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $22.63–$31.12; the top 10% earn more than $36.87.

Where does Alabama rank for plumber pay?

Alabama ranks 40th of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $28.21 an hour, and 28th after adjusting for Alabama's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.8, US = 100).

What is the union plumber rate in Alabama?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plumbers in 53 counties, with a typical package of $48.71 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plumbers work in Alabama?

BLS counted 6,950 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in Alabama in May 2025, 3.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.10; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Alabama and metro areas, SOC 47-2152.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.