Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in Iowa

Median $30.72 an hour for 5,730 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$30.72/hrMedian hourly wageIowa, May data
$63,890/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.88 – $46.8710th to 90th percentilehourly range
5,730Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plumber pay in Iowa: the full range

Wage percentiles, IowaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrIowa: 10th $21.88 · 25th $24.95 · median $30.72 · 75th $41.02 · 90th $46.87Iowa$30.72$21.88$46.87United 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: Iowa vs United States, May 2025.

Iowa ranks 26th of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 15th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $34.99). 5,730 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$21.88 – $24.95$45,510 – $51,890roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$24.95 – $41.02$51,890 – $85,320the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$41.02 – $46.87$85,320 – $97,500the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plumber pay by metro in Iowa

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrCedar Rapids: $40.01Cedar Rapids$40.01Davenport: $36.69Davenport$36.69Des Moines: $36.08Des Moines$36.08Ames: $30.68Ames$30.68Omaha: $30.48Omaha$30.48Waterloo: $29.91Waterloo$29.91Dubuque: $29.51Dubuque$29.51Iowa City: $29.49Iowa City$29.49Sioux City: $29.28Sioux City$29.28
Median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters by metro area in Iowa, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Cedar Rapids$22.99$40.01$45.4878030% above
Davenport$22.39$36.69$48.5268019% above
Des Moines$22.94$36.08$47.872,15017% above
Ames$20.03$30.68$46.87160about the same as
Omaha$22.46$30.48$47.382,4301% below
Waterloo$22.10$29.91$44.522203% below
Dubuque$19.00$29.51$48.991204% below
Iowa City$21.72$29.49$47.081904% below
Sioux City$21.92$29.28$46.832405% below

Plumber wages in Iowa over time

Iowa, 1999-2025IowaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$30.72Iowa$30.67United States
Median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, Iowa vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIowa $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.13$31.17$17.413,330
2000$16.60$31.04$18.193,990
2001$16.87$30.67$18.614,150
2002$17.31$30.98$19.314,290
2003$17.50$30.62$19.694,260
2004$17.69$30.15$19.854,930
2005$20.94$34.52$20.274,860
2006$20.00$31.94$20.565,490
2007$20.18$31.33$21.205,270
2008$20.42$30.53$21.945,380
2009$20.57$30.87$22.274,570
2010$21.58$31.86$22.434,140
2011$22.37$32.02$22.964,200
2012$21.90$30.71$23.624,020
2013$21.54$29.77$24.134,490
2014$21.56$29.32$24.364,720
2015$22.54$30.62$24.344,540
2016$22.88$30.69$24.744,340
2017$23.97$31.48$25.284,530
2018$24.74$31.72$25.924,270
2019$27.57$34.72$26.524,460
2020$25.50$31.72$27.084,590
2021$29.09$34.56$28.795,490
2022$29.44$32.39$28.895,780
2023$29.85$31.54$29.596,640
2024$29.44$30.21$30.276,350
2025$30.72$30.72$30.675,730

In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in Iowa changed by +0.3% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for plumbers in Iowa

On federally funded construction in Iowa, contractors must pay plumbers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 39 of the 97 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $66.45 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $35.27). 58 of the 97 counties still use a survey rate dated 2016 or earlier (for example Adair County at $34.78). The market median for the state is $30.72.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, IAAdair: $34.78 (survey)Adams: $34.78 (survey)Allamakee: $35.27 (survey)Appanoose: $46.97 (survey)Audubon: $34.78 (survey)Benton: $67.08 (union)Black Hawk: $34.02 (survey)Boone: $34.78 (survey)Bremer: $33.51 (survey)Buchanan: $35.27 (survey)Buena Vista: $66.45 (union)Butler: $35.27 (survey)Calhoun: $66.45 (union)Carroll: $34.78 (survey)Cass: $34.78 (survey)Cedar: $46.97 (survey)Cerro Gordo: $34.08 (survey)Cherokee: $66.45 (union)Chickasaw: $35.27 (survey)Clarke: $34.78 (survey)Clay: $66.45 (union)Clayton: $35.27 (survey)Clinton: $73.15 (union)Crawford: $68.45 (union)Dallas: $68.45 (union)Davis: $46.97 (survey)Decatur: $34.78 (survey)Delaware: $35.27 (survey)Des Moines: $46.97 (survey)Dickinson: $66.45 (union)Dubuque: $65.33 (union)Emmet: $66.45 (union)Fayette: $35.27 (survey)Floyd: $35.27 (survey)Franklin: $35.27 (survey)Fremont: $34.78 (survey)Greene: $34.78 (survey)Grundy: $33.51 (survey)Guthrie: —Hamilton: $66.45 (union)Hancock: $66.45 (union)Hardin: $35.27 (survey)Harrison: $68.45 (union)Henry: $46.97 (survey)Howard: $35.27 (survey)Humboldt: $66.45 (union)Ida: $66.45 (union)Iowa: $46.97 (survey)Jackson: $46.97 (survey)Jasper: $46.97 (survey)Jefferson: $46.97 (survey)Johnson: $67.08 (union)Jones: $67.08 (union)Keokuk: $46.97 (survey)Kossuth: $66.45 (union)Lee: $46.97 (survey)Linn: $67.08 (union)Louisa: $46.97 (survey)Lucas: $34.78 (survey)Lyon: $66.45 (union)Madison: —Mahaska: $46.97 (survey)Marion: $46.97 (survey)Marshall: $46.97 (survey)Mills: $68.45 (union)Mitchell: $35.27 (survey)Monona: $34.78 (survey)Monroe: $46.97 (survey)Montgomery: $34.78 (survey)Muscatine: $42.14 (survey)O'Brien: $66.45 (union)Osceola: $66.45 (union)Page: $34.78 (survey)Palo Alto: $66.45 (union)Plymouth: $66.45 (union)Pocahontas: $66.45 (union)Polk: $68.45 (union)Pottawattamie: $68.45 (union)Poweshiek: $46.97 (survey)Ringgold: $34.78 (survey)Sac: $66.45 (union)Scott: $73.15 (union)Shelby: $34.78 (survey)Sioux: $66.45 (union)Story: $68.45 (union)Tama: $46.97 (survey)Taylor: $34.78 (survey)Union: $34.78 (survey)Van Buren: $46.97 (survey)Wapello: $68.45 (union)Warren: $68.45 (union)Washington: $40.66 (survey)Wayne: $34.78 (survey)Webster: $66.45 (union)Winnebago: $66.45 (union)Winneshiek: $35.27 (survey)Woodbury: $68.45 (union)Worth: $35.27 (survey)Wright: $66.45 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$34.78$44.07$57.99$66.45n/asurvey 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)$20$40$60$80/hrWoodbury (Sioux City): market median $29.28, prevailing (union) $68.45, gap +$39.17Woodbury (Sioux City)+$39.17Harrison (Omaha): market median $30.48, prevailing (union) $68.45, gap +$37.97Harrison (Omaha)+$37.97Story (Ames): market median $30.68, prevailing (union) $68.45, gap +$37.77Story (Ames)+$37.77Johnson (Iowa City): market median $29.49, prevailing (union) $67.08, gap +$37.59Johnson (Iowa City)+$37.59Scott (Davenport): market median $36.69, prevailing (union) $73.15, gap +$36.46Scott (Davenport)+$36.46Dubuque (Dubuque): market median $29.51, prevailing (union) $65.33, gap +$35.82Dubuque (Dubuque)+$35.82Dallas (Des Moines): market median $36.08, prevailing (union) $68.45, gap +$32.37Dallas (Des Moines)+$32.37Benton (Cedar Rapids): market median $40.01, prevailing (union) $67.08, gap +$27.07Benton (Cedar Rapids)+$27.07Black Hawk (Waterloo): market median $29.91, prevailing (survey) $34.02, gap +$4.11Black Hawk (Waterloo)+$4.11
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plumbers, metro counties in Iowa.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ClintonUnion PLUM0025-006 2025-05-01$46.10$27.05$73.15IA20260038
ScottUnion PLUM0025-006 2025-05-01$46.10$27.05$73.15IA20260073
CrawfordUnion PLUM0033-001 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260039
DallasUnion PLUM0033-004 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260064
HarrisonUnion PLUM0033-028 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260067
MillsUnion PLUM0033-028 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260070
PolkUnion PLUM0033-004 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260071
PottawattamieUnion PLUM0033-028 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260072
StoryUnion PLUM0033-004 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260074
WapelloUnion PLUM0033-004 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260055
WarrenUnion PLUM0033-004 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260075
WoodburyUnion PLUM0033-028 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260077
BentonUnion PLUM0125-004 2025-06-30$45.51$21.57$67.08IA20260078
JohnsonUnion PLUM0125-004 2025-06-30$45.51$21.57$67.08IA20260068
JonesUnion PLUM0125-004 2025-06-30$45.51$21.57$67.08IA20260078

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

Is construction work growing in Iowa?

93.8kConstruction jobsIowa, 2026-08
+3.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202594kAug 2026
Construction employment in Iowa (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
Polk County4,936$93,825$1,804
Woodbury County705$90,444$1,739
Linn County2,122$87,280$1,678
Benton County94$84,377$1,623
Scott County1,151$83,930$1,614
Pottawattamie County397$80,299$1,544
Wapello County279$79,163$1,522
Boone County190$78,983$1,519
Black Hawk County521$77,457$1,490
Carroll County149$75,167$1,446
Johnson County443$71,992$1,384
Dubuque County354$71,482$1,375

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Iowa

Questions this page answers

How much do plumbers make in Iowa?

The median plumber in Iowa earned $30.72 an hour ($63,890 a year) in May 2025, about the same as the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $24.95–$41.02; the top 10% earn more than $46.87.

Where does Iowa rank for plumber pay?

Iowa ranks 26th of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $30.72 an hour, and 15th after adjusting for Iowa's cost of living (BEA price parity 87.8, US = 100).

What is the union plumber rate in Iowa?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plumbers in 39 counties, with a typical package of $66.45 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plumbers work in Iowa?

BLS counted 5,730 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in Iowa in May 2025, 3.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.23; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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