Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in California

Median $35.01 an hour for 47,660 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$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 2026-09-28

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, pipefitters and steamfitters: 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, pipefitters and steamfitters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$22.76 – $28.36$47,350 – $58,980roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$28.36 – $48.17$58,980 – $100,200the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$48.17 – $63.03$100,200 – $131,100the 75th–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, pipefitters and steamfitters by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
San Jose$30.42$51.71$74.813,83048% above
San Francisco$23.34$37.44$74.685,6607% above
San Diego$22.13$34.86$61.445,100about the same as
Vallejo$23.93$34.41$58.033702% below
Los Angeles$22.16$34.19$60.1415,6902% below
Santa Cruz$22.97$32.75$59.933506% below
Bakersfield$21.96$31.95$56.659609% below
Napa$23.11$31.45$56.4415010% below
Sacramento$22.42$31.35$63.033,12010% below
Santa Rosa$23.76$31.11$64.0056011% below
Salinas$22.73$30.98$48.7532012% below
Fresno$22.40$30.96$59.7597012% below
Riverside$23.51$30.73$55.454,51012% below
Modesto$22.72$30.42$55.0547013% below
San Luis Obispo$23.25$30.33$54.7532013% below
Stockton$22.42$30.24$47.5669014% below
Hanford$22.43$30.22$44.2911014% below
El Centro$22.58$30.00$46.2415014% below
Oxnard$23.05$29.95$59.481,23014% below
Redding$22.07$29.47$55.1920016% below
Yuba City$21.17$29.38$47.0410016% below
Santa Maria$26.00$29.33$53.3274016% below
Chico$22.68$29.20$47.8518017% below
Visalia$21.51$29.19$56.1846017% below
Merced$21.88$28.96$38.6516017% below

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, pipefitters and steamfitters, 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.

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 2026-09-28. 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?

898.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-08
-1.4%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025899kAug 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.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
San Francisco County1,646$129,468$2,490
Alameda County7,792$118,700$2,283
Santa Clara County7,833$118,066$2,271
San Mateo County2,454$111,096$2,136
Contra Costa County3,535$104,357$2,007
Orange County15,786$98,548$1,895
Sonoma County2,094$93,066$1,790
Inyo County52$89,882$1,728
Sacramento County6,629$89,749$1,726
San Diego County13,107$87,605$1,685
Placer County2,787$86,152$1,657
Tulare County1,662$83,474$1,605

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in 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, pipefitters and steamfitters in California in May 2025, 2.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.87; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California 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.