Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in Kansas

Median $31.36 an hour for 4,590 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$31.36/hrMedian hourly wageKansas, May data
$65,220/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.81 – $52.5410th to 90th percentilehourly range
4,590Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plumber pay in Kansas: the full range

Wage percentiles, KansasMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrKansas: 10th $18.81 · 25th $23.67 · median $31.36 · 75th $40.80 · 90th $52.54Kansas$31.36$18.81$52.54United 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: Kansas vs United States, May 2025.

Kansas ranks 22nd of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 16th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $34.81). 4,590 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.81 – $23.67$39,130 – $49,230roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$23.67 – $40.80$49,230 – $84,870the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$40.80 – $52.54$84,870 – $109,290the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plumber pay by metro in Kansas

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrKansas City: $36.61Kansas City$36.61Topeka: $36.10Topeka$36.10St. Joseph: $32.83St. Joseph$32.83Joplin: $30.95Joplin$30.95Wichita: $29.30Wichita$29.30Manhattan: $29.13Manhattan$29.13Lawrence: $28.50Lawrence$28.50
Median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters by metro area in Kansas, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Kansas City$22.50$36.61$59.053,74017% above
Topeka$22.00$36.10$45.7342015% above
St. Joseph$22.91$32.83$56.052005% above
Joplin$20.29$30.95$48.861801% below
Wichita$18.41$29.30$45.021,0607% below
Manhattan$20.96$29.13$47.282007% below
Lawrence$17.71$28.50$51.261309% below

Plumber wages in Kansas over time

Kansas, 1999-2025KansasUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$31.36Kansas$30.67United States
Median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, Kansas vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearKansas $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.27$31.44$17.414,440
2000$17.28$32.31$18.194,940
2001$18.02$32.76$18.614,420
2002$19.46$34.82$19.314,000
2003$19.73$34.52$19.693,650
2004$21.90$37.32$19.854,240
2005$20.05$33.05$20.274,210
2006$21.15$33.78$20.564,100
2007$20.33$31.57$21.203,540
2008$20.66$30.89$21.943,970
2009$20.15$30.24$22.273,830
2010$21.24$31.36$22.433,840
2011$22.63$32.39$22.964,040
2012$22.56$31.63$23.624,100
2013$22.94$31.70$24.133,790
2014$24.47$33.28$24.363,770
2015$23.74$32.25$24.343,940
2016$22.35$29.98$24.743,870
2017$22.69$29.80$25.284,290
2018$24.55$31.48$25.924,570
2019$25.38$31.96$26.524,330
2020$26.49$32.95$27.083,580
2021$23.42$27.83$28.793,900
2022$24.69$27.16$28.894,090
2023$28.59$30.21$29.594,360
2024$30.20$30.99$30.274,090
2025$31.36$31.36$30.674,590

In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in Kansas changed by -2.7% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for plumbers in Kansas

On federally funded construction in Kansas, contractors must pay plumbers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 17 of the 105 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $65.84 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $38.64). 88 of the 105 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Allen County at $38.64). The market median for the state is $31.36.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, KSAllen: $38.64 (survey)Anderson: $38.64 (survey)Atchison: $38.64 (survey)Barber: $38.64 (survey)Barton: $38.64 (survey)Bourbon: $38.64 (survey)Brown: $38.64 (survey)Butler: $65.84 (union)Chase: $37.37 (survey)Chautauqua: $38.64 (survey)Cherokee: $38.64 (survey)Cheyenne: $38.64 (survey)Clark: $38.64 (survey)Clay: $38.64 (survey)Cloud: $38.64 (survey)Coffey: $38.64 (survey)Comanche: $38.64 (survey)Cowley: $38.64 (survey)Crawford: $38.64 (survey)Decatur: $38.64 (survey)Dickinson: $38.64 (survey)Doniphan: $48.65 (survey)Douglas: $65.84 (union)Edwards: $38.64 (survey)Elk: $38.64 (survey)Ellis: $38.64 (survey)Ellsworth: $38.64 (survey)Finney: $38.64 (survey)Ford: $38.64 (survey)Franklin: $78.07 (union)Geary: $46.29 (survey)Gove: $38.64 (survey)Graham: $38.64 (survey)Grant: $38.64 (survey)Gray: $38.64 (survey)Greeley: $38.64 (survey)Greenwood: $38.64 (survey)Hamilton: $38.64 (survey)Harper: $38.64 (survey)Harvey: $65.84 (union)Haskell: $38.64 (survey)Hodgeman: $38.64 (survey)Jackson: $65.84 (union)Jefferson: $65.84 (union)Jewell: $38.64 (survey)Johnson: $78.07 (union)Kearny: $38.64 (survey)Kingman: $38.64 (survey)Kiowa: $38.64 (survey)Labette: $38.64 (survey)Lane: $38.64 (survey)Leavenworth: $78.07 (union)Lincoln: $38.64 (survey)Linn: $78.07 (union)Logan: $38.64 (survey)Lyon: $37.37 (survey)McPherson: $38.64 (survey)Marion: $38.64 (survey)Marshall: $38.64 (survey)Meade: $38.64 (survey)Miami: $78.07 (union)Mitchell: $38.64 (survey)Montgomery: $38.64 (survey)Morris: $38.64 (survey)Morton: $38.64 (survey)Nemaha: $38.64 (survey)Neosho: $38.64 (survey)Ness: $38.64 (survey)Norton: $38.64 (survey)Osage: $65.84 (union)Osborne: $38.64 (survey)Ottawa: $37.37 (survey)Pawnee: $38.64 (survey)Phillips: $38.64 (survey)Pottawatomie: $65.84 (union)Pratt: $38.64 (survey)Rawlins: $38.64 (survey)Reno: $38.64 (survey)Republic: $38.64 (survey)Rice: $38.64 (survey)Riley: $65.84 (union)Rooks: $38.64 (survey)Rush: $38.64 (survey)Russell: $38.64 (survey)Saline: $37.37 (survey)Scott: $38.64 (survey)Sedgwick: $29.98 (survey)Seward: $38.64 (survey)Shawnee: $65.84 (union)Sheridan: $38.64 (survey)Sherman: $38.64 (survey)Smith: $38.64 (survey)Stafford: $38.64 (survey)Stanton: $38.64 (survey)Stevens: $38.64 (survey)Sumner: $65.84 (union)Thomas: $38.64 (survey)Trego: $38.64 (survey)Wabaunsee: $65.84 (union)Wallace: $38.64 (survey)Washington: $38.64 (survey)Wichita: $38.64 (survey)Wilson: $38.64 (survey)Woodson: $38.64 (survey)Wyandotte: $78.07 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$38.64survey 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$100/hrJohnson (Kansas City): market median $36.61, prevailing (union) $78.07, gap +$41.46Johnson (Kansas City)+$41.46Douglas (Lawrence): market median $28.50, prevailing (union) $65.84, gap +$37.34Douglas (Lawrence)+$37.34Pottawatomie (Manhattan): market median $29.13, prevailing (union) $65.84, gap +$36.71Pottawatomie (Manhattan)+$36.71Butler (Wichita): market median $29.30, prevailing (union) $65.84, gap +$36.54Butler (Wichita)+$36.54Jackson (Topeka): market median $36.10, prevailing (union) $65.84, gap +$29.74Jackson (Topeka)+$29.74Doniphan (St. Joseph): market median $32.83, prevailing (survey) $48.65, gap +$15.82Doniphan (St. Joseph)+$15.82Cherokee (Joplin): market median $30.95, prevailing (survey) $38.64, gap +$7.69Cherokee (Joplin)+$7.69
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plumbers, metro counties in Kansas.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
FranklinUnion PLUM0008-020 2023-06-01$54.28$23.79$78.07KS20260060
JohnsonUnion PLUM0008-020 2023-06-01$54.28$23.79$78.07KS20260052
LeavenworthUnion PLUM0008-020 2023-06-01$54.28$23.79$78.07KS20260053
LinnUnion PLUM0008-020 2023-06-01$54.28$23.79$78.07KS20260054
MiamiUnion PLUM0008-020 2023-06-01$54.28$23.79$78.07KS20260060
WyandotteUnion PLUM0008-020 2023-06-01$54.28$23.79$78.07KS20260060
ButlerUnion PLUM0441-013 2025-06-30$45.90$19.94$65.84KS20260046
DouglasUnion PLUM0441-017 2025-06-30$45.90$19.94$65.84KS20260048
HarveyUnion PLUM0441-013 2025-06-30$45.90$19.94$65.84KS20260050
JacksonUnion PLUM0441-017 2025-06-30$45.90$19.94$65.84KS20260061
JeffersonUnion PLUM0441-017 2025-06-30$45.90$19.94$65.84KS20260051
OsageUnion PLUM0441-017 2025-06-30$45.90$19.94$65.84KS20260061
PottawatomieUnion PLUM0441-017 2025-06-30$45.90$19.94$65.84KS20260055
RileyUnion PLUM0441-017 2025-06-30$45.90$19.94$65.84KS20260056
ShawneeUnion PLUM0441-017 2025-06-30$45.90$19.94$65.84KS20260058

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

Is construction work growing in Kansas?

79.3kConstruction jobsKansas, 2026-08
+4.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k1990199520002005201020152020202579kAug 2026
Construction employment in Kansas (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
Johnson County4,453$103,480$1,990
Wyandotte County1,208$99,535$1,914
Shawnee County816$79,248$1,524
Riley County372$73,115$1,406
Sedgwick County3,015$71,451$1,374
Saline County374$65,690$1,263
Leavenworth County258$63,454$1,220
Montgomery County81$61,404$1,181
Pottawatomie County80$59,619$1,147
Finney County125$58,942$1,133
Douglas County237$58,596$1,127
Ford County57$57,505$1,106

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Kansas

Questions this page answers

How much do plumbers make in Kansas?

The median plumber in Kansas earned $31.36 an hour ($65,220 a year) in May 2025, 2% above the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $23.67–$40.80; the top 10% earn more than $52.54.

Where does Kansas rank for plumber pay?

Kansas ranks 22nd of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $31.36 an hour, and 16th after adjusting for Kansas's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.1, US = 100).

What is the union plumber rate in Kansas?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plumbers in 17 counties, with a typical package of $65.84 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plumbers work in Kansas?

BLS counted 4,590 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in Kansas in May 2025, 3.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.06; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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