Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in California

Median $35.01 an hour for 47,660 plumbers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$35.01/hrMedian hourly wageCalifornia, May data
$72,830/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.76 – $63.0310th to 90th percentilehourly range
47,660Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Plumber pay in California: the full range

Wage percentiles, CaliforniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrCalifornia: 10th $22.76 · 25th $28.36 · median $35.01 · 75th $48.17 · 90th $63.03California$35.01$22.76$63.03United States: 10th $21.22 · 25th $24.13 · median $30.67 · 75th $40.92 · 90th $52.13United States$30.67
Hourly wage percentiles for plumbers: California vs United States, May 2025.

California ranks 17th of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 31st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.63). 47,660 plumbers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.8× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$22.76 – $28.36$47,350 – $58,980roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$28.36 – $48.17$58,980 – $100,200the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$48.17 – $63.03$100,200 – $131,100the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plumber pay by metro in California

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrSan Jose: $51.71San Jose$51.71San Francisco: $37.44San Francisco$37.44San Diego: $34.86San Diego$34.86Vallejo: $34.41Vallejo$34.41Los Angeles: $34.19Los Angeles$34.19Santa Cruz: $32.75Santa Cruz$32.75Bakersfield: $31.95Bakersfield$31.95Napa: $31.45Napa$31.45Sacramento: $31.35Sacramento$31.35Santa Rosa: $31.11Santa Rosa$31.11Salinas: $30.98Salinas$30.98Fresno: $30.96Fresno$30.96
Median hourly wage for plumbers by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
San Jose$30.42$51.71$46.84$74.813,83048% above
San Francisco$23.34$37.44$32.39$74.685,6607% above
San Diego$22.13$34.86$31.15$61.445,100about the same as
Vallejo$23.93$34.41$31.71$58.033702% below
Los Angeles$22.16$34.19$30.10$60.1415,6902% below
Santa Cruz$22.97$32.75$29.80$59.933506% below
Bakersfield$21.96$31.95$31.67$56.659609% below
Napa$23.11$31.45$27.93$56.4415010% below
Sacramento$22.42$31.35$29.38$63.033,12010% below
Santa Rosa$23.76$31.11$28.86$64.0056011% below
Salinas$22.73$30.98$28.42$48.7532012% below
Fresno$22.40$30.96$30.29$59.7597012% below
Riverside$23.51$30.73$28.88$55.454,51012% below
Modesto$22.72$30.42$29.22$55.0547013% below
San Luis Obispo$23.25$30.33$27.93$54.7532013% below
Stockton$22.42$30.24$28.77$47.5669014% below
Hanford$22.43$30.22$29.74$44.2911014% below
El Centro$22.58$30.00$31.51$46.2415014% below
Oxnard$23.05$29.95$27.10$59.481,23014% below
Redding$22.07$29.47$29.27$55.1920016% below
Yuba City$21.17$29.38$28.20$47.0410016% below
Santa Maria$26.00$29.33$26.96$53.3274016% below
Chico$22.68$29.20$28.85$47.8518017% below
Visalia$21.51$29.19$29.25$56.1846017% below
Merced$21.88$28.96$29.46$38.6516017% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Plumber wages in California over time

California, 1999-2025CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$35.01California$30.67United States
Median hourly wage for plumbers, California vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearCalifornia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$18.88$36.48$17.4137,270
2000$19.20$35.90$18.1936,020
2001$19.47$35.39$18.6143,650
2002$20.62$36.90$19.3144,590
2003$20.59$36.03$19.6944,010
2004$20.61$35.13$19.8548,670
2005$21.23$35.00$20.2748,500
2006$21.51$34.35$20.5648,770
2007$22.38$34.75$21.2047,690
2008$24.06$35.98$21.9445,860
2009$24.62$36.95$22.2738,180
2010$25.43$37.55$22.4332,770
2011$25.56$36.58$22.9629,610
2012$26.68$37.41$23.6229,780
2013$27.62$38.17$24.1331,830
2014$27.57$37.49$24.3634,870
2015$26.22$35.61$24.3437,700
2016$26.09$35.00$24.7443,040
2017$25.54$33.54$25.2847,600
2018$27.05$34.68$25.9248,040
2019$27.72$34.91$26.5247,360
2020$29.58$36.80$27.0843,540
2021$30.00$35.64$28.7940,400
2022$30.12$33.13$28.8940,260
2023$30.28$31.99$29.5942,480
2024$32.88$33.75$30.2745,460
2025$35.01$35.01$30.6747,660

In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in California changed by -1.7% over the last ten years of data and by +0.3% since 2019.

Are there more plumber jobs in California?

+0.6%Jobs since 201947,360 then, 47,660 in 2025
+26.4%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
2.6Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.9× the US share, 43rd of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of plumbers counted in California has changed by +27.9%, against +12.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +0.6%.

Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in California vs United States, 1999 = 100CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages6080100120140200020052010201520202025128California113United States
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, California vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearCalifornia jobsCalifornia indexUS index
199937,270100100
200036,02097106
200143,650117106
200244,590120106
200344,010118105
200448,670131103
200548,500130102
200648,770131106
200747,690128105
200845,860123106
200938,18010297
201032,7708887
201129,6107984
201229,7808082
201331,8308585
201434,8709490
201537,70010195
201643,040116100
201747,600128104
201848,040129106
201947,360127107
202043,540117101
202140,400108101
202240,260108104
202342,480114106
202445,460122110
202547,660128113

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Outlook for plumbers in California

+8.6%Projected growth in California2024–2034, state agency
4,870Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
52,300Jobs in 202456,800 projected for 2034
+6.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

California's labor market agency projects the number of plumbers in the state to change by +8.6% between 2024 and 2034, from 52,300 to 56,800, with about 4,870 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +6.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 47,660 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: California labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for plumbers in California

On federally funded construction in California, contractors must pay plumbers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 53 of the 58 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $97.04 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $42.37). 5 of the 58 counties still use a survey rate dated 1985 or earlier (for example Amador County at $28.38). The market median for the state is $35.01.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, CAAlameda: $97.04 (union)Alpine: $97.19 (union)Amador: $28.38 (survey)Butte: $97.19 (union)Calaveras: $97.04 (union)Colusa: $97.19 (union)Contra Costa: $97.04 (union)Del Norte: $42.37 (survey)El Dorado: $97.19 (union)Fresno: $97.04 (union)Glenn: $97.19 (union)Humboldt: $42.37 (survey)Imperial: $72.42 (union)Inyo: $72.42 (union)Kern: $72.42 (union)Kings: $97.04 (union)Lake: $42.37 (survey)Lassen: $97.19 (union)Los Angeles: $72.42 (union)Madera: $97.04 (union)Marin: $97.19 (union)Mariposa: $97.04 (union)Mendocino: $42.37 (survey)Merced: $97.04 (union)Modoc: $97.19 (union)Mono: $72.42 (union)Monterey: $97.04 (union)Napa: $97.19 (union)Nevada: $97.19 (union)Orange: $72.42 (union)Placer: $97.19 (union)Plumas: $97.19 (union)Riverside: $72.42 (union)Sacramento: $97.19 (union)San Benito: $97.04 (union)San Bernardino: $72.42 (union)San Diego: $72.42 (union)San Francisco: $97.04 (union)San Joaquin: $97.04 (union)San Luis Obispo: $72.42 (union)San Mateo: $97.04 (union)Santa Barbara: $72.42 (union)Santa Clara: $97.04 (union)Santa Cruz: $97.04 (union)Shasta: $97.19 (union)Sierra: $97.19 (union)Siskiyou: $97.19 (union)Solano: $97.19 (union)Sonoma: $97.19 (union)Stanislaus: $97.04 (union)Sutter: $97.19 (union)Tehama: $97.19 (union)Trinity: $97.19 (union)Tulare: $97.04 (union)Tuolumne: $97.04 (union)Ventura: $72.42 (union)Yolo: $97.19 (union)Yuba: $97.19 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$72.42$97.04$97.07survey 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)$20$40$60$80$100$120/hrMerced (Merced): market median $28.96, prevailing (union) $97.04, gap +$68.08Merced (Merced)+$68.08Butte (Chico): market median $29.20, prevailing (union) $97.19, gap +$67.99Butte (Chico)+$67.99Tulare (Visalia): market median $29.19, prevailing (union) $97.04, gap +$67.85Tulare (Visalia)+$67.85Sutter (Yuba City): market median $29.38, prevailing (union) $97.19, gap +$67.81Sutter (Yuba City)+$67.81Shasta (Redding): market median $29.47, prevailing (union) $97.19, gap +$67.72Shasta (Redding)+$67.72Kings (Hanford): market median $30.22, prevailing (union) $97.04, gap +$66.82Kings (Hanford)+$66.82San Joaquin (Stockton): market median $30.24, prevailing (union) $97.04, gap +$66.80San Joaquin (Stockton)+$66.80Stanislaus (Modesto): market median $30.42, prevailing (union) $97.04, gap +$66.62Stanislaus (Modesto)+$66.62Fresno (Fresno): market median $30.96, prevailing (union) $97.04, gap +$66.08Fresno (Fresno)+$66.08Sonoma (Santa Rosa): market median $31.11, prevailing (union) $97.19, gap +$66.08Sonoma (Santa Rosa)+$66.08Monterey (Salinas): market median $30.98, prevailing (union) $97.04, gap +$66.06Monterey (Salinas)+$66.06El Dorado (Sacramento): market median $31.35, prevailing (union) $97.19, gap +$65.84El Dorado (Sacramento)+$65.84Napa (Napa): market median $31.45, prevailing (union) $97.19, gap +$65.74Napa (Napa)+$65.74Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz): market median $32.75, prevailing (union) $97.04, gap +$64.29Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz)+$64.29Solano (Vallejo): market median $34.41, prevailing (union) $97.19, gap +$62.78Solano (Vallejo)+$62.78Marin (San Francisco): market median $37.44, prevailing (union) $97.19, gap +$59.75Marin (San Francisco)+$59.75San Benito (San Jose): market median $51.71, prevailing (union) $97.04, gap +$45.33San Benito (San Jose)+$45.33Imperial (El Centro): market median $30.00, prevailing (union) $72.42, gap +$42.42Imperial (El Centro)+$42.42Kern (Bakersfield): market median $31.95, prevailing (union) $72.42, gap +$40.47Kern (Bakersfield)+$40.47Los Angeles (Los Angeles): market median $34.19, prevailing (union) $72.42, gap +$38.23Los Angeles (Los Angeles)+$38.23
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plumbers, metro counties in California.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AlpineUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
ButteUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
ColusaUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
El DoradoUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
GlennUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
LassenUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
MarinUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
ModocUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
NapaUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
NevadaUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
PlacerUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
PlumasUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
SacramentoUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
ShastaUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007
SierraUnion PLUM0442-003 2026-01-01$58.45$38.74$97.19CA20260007

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the California prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in California?

895.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-09
-0.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025896kSep 2026
Construction employment in California (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. Across the 54 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 473,902 in 2015 to 577,497 in 2025, +21.9%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
San Francisco County1791,646$129,468$2,490
Alameda County4237,792$118,700$2,283
Santa Clara County5487,833$118,066$2,271
San Mateo County2522,454$111,096$2,136
Contra Costa County3423,535$104,357$2,007
Orange County1,15615,786$98,548$1,895
Sonoma County2782,094$93,066$1,790
Inyo County652$89,882$1,728
Sacramento County4946,629$89,749$1,726
San Diego County1,17313,107$87,605$1,685
Placer County2112,787$86,152$1,657
Tulare County1201,662$83,474$1,605

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in California

More on California

Questions this page answers

How much do plumbers make in California?

The median plumber in California earned $35.01 an hour ($72,830 a year) in May 2025, 14% above the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $28.36–$48.17; the top 10% earn more than $63.03.

Where does California rank for plumber pay?

California ranks 17th of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $35.01 an hour, and 31st after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).

What is the union plumber rate in California?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plumbers in 53 counties, with a typical package of $97.04 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plumbers work in California?

BLS counted 47,660 plumbers in California in May 2025, 2.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.87; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is plumber work growing in California?

The BLS employer survey count of plumbers in California went from 37,700 in 2015 to 47,660 in 2025, +26.4%, and +0.6% since 2019. California's labor market agency projects +8.6% growth for plumbers between 2024 and 2034, from 52,300 to 56,800 jobs.

How many plumber openings a year are there in California?

California projects about 4,870 openings a year for plumbers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 42,000 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California and metro areas, SOC 47-2152. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: California labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.