Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in Maryland

Median $31.44 an hour for 11,420 plumbers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$31.44/hrMedian hourly wageMaryland, May data
$65,400/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.94 – $52.1310th to 90th percentilehourly range
11,420Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plumber pay in Maryland: the full range

Wage percentiles, MarylandMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrMaryland: 10th $21.94 · 25th $26.34 · median $31.44 · 75th $45.62 · 90th $52.13Maryland$31.44$21.94$52.13United States: 10th $21.22 · 25th $24.13 · median $30.67 · 75th $40.92 · 90th $52.13United States$30.67
Hourly wage percentiles for plumbers: Maryland vs United States, May 2025.

Maryland ranks 21st of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 39th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.94). 11,420 plumbers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.4× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$21.94 – $26.34$45,630 – $54,780roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$26.34 – $45.62$54,780 – $94,890the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$45.62 – $52.13$94,890 – $108,420the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plumber pay by metro in Maryland

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrPhiladelphia: $35.99Philadelphia$35.99Washington DC: $34.55Washington DC$34.55Baltimore: $30.38Baltimore$30.38Salisbury: $29.78Salisbury$29.78Lexington Park: $27.74Lexington Park$27.74Hagerstown: $26.50Hagerstown$26.50
Median hourly wage for plumbers by metro area in Maryland, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Philadelphia$23.27$35.99$35.08$68.377,15014% above
Washington DC$22.83$34.55$31.73$55.009,42010% above
Baltimore$21.74$30.38$29.07$49.345,2203% below
Salisbury$18.98$29.78$31.15$46.663305% below
Lexington Park$20.17$27.74$27.52$46.5726012% below
Hagerstown$18.04$26.50$28.13$42.2525016% below

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

Plumber wages in Maryland over time

Maryland, 1999-2025MarylandUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$31.44Maryland$30.67United States
Median hourly wage for plumbers, Maryland vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMaryland $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.42$31.73$17.4111,480
2000$18.49$34.57$18.1910,140
2001$19.75$35.90$18.6110,000
2002$20.42$36.54$19.319,890
2003$21.26$37.20$19.699,400
2004$21.81$37.17$19.859,680
2005$20.69$34.11$20.279,760
2006$22.60$36.09$20.5610,820
2007$23.05$35.79$21.2011,340
2008$23.73$35.48$21.9411,850
2009$23.86$35.81$22.2710,720
2010$24.31$35.89$22.439,760
2011$25.51$36.51$22.969,740
2012$26.07$36.56$23.6210,960
2013$25.54$35.30$24.1310,500
2014$26.11$35.51$24.3611,170
2015$25.54$34.69$24.3410,530
2016$25.96$34.82$24.7411,130
2017$26.32$34.57$25.289,870
2018$27.49$35.24$25.929,010
2019$27.85$35.07$26.528,490
2020$27.65$34.39$27.088,600
2021$28.82$34.24$28.799,520
2022$28.74$31.62$28.899,900
2023$29.82$31.51$29.5910,880
2024$30.42$31.22$30.2711,490
2025$31.44$31.44$30.6711,420

In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in Maryland changed by -9.4% over the last ten years of data and by -10.4% since 2019.

Are there more plumber jobs in Maryland?

+34.5%Jobs since 20198,490 then, 11,420 in 2025
+8.5%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
4.1Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.4× the US share, 3rd of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of plumbers counted in Maryland has changed by -0.5%, against +12.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +34.5%.

Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in Maryland vs United States, 1999 = 100MarylandUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages6080100120200020052010201520202025113United States100Maryland
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Maryland vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearMaryland jobsMaryland indexUS index
199911,480100100
200010,14088106
200110,00087106
20029,89086106
20039,40082105
20049,68084103
20059,76085102
200610,82094106
200711,34099105
200811,850103106
200910,7209397
20109,7608587
20119,7408584
201210,9609682
201310,5009285
201411,1709790
201510,5309295
201611,13097100
20179,87086104
20189,01078106
20198,49074107
20208,60075101
20219,52083101
20229,90086104
202310,88095106
202411,490100110
202511,420100113

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 Maryland

+6.2%Projected growth in Maryland2024–2034, state agency
1,110Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
12,420Jobs in 202413,190 projected for 2034
+6.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Maryland's labor market agency projects the number of plumbers in the state to change by +6.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 12,420 to 13,190, with about 1,110 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +6.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 11,420 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for plumbers in Maryland

On federally funded construction in Maryland, contractors must pay plumbers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 24 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $73.71). The market median for the state is $31.44.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, MDAllegany: $59.06 (survey)Anne Arundel: $73.71 (survey)Baltimore: $73.71 (survey)Calvert: $75.77 (survey)Caroline: $73.71 (survey)Carroll: $69.58 (survey)Cecil: $73.71 (survey)Charles: $74.35 (survey)Dorchester: $70.77 (survey)Frederick: $73.71 (survey)Garrett: $60.06 (survey)Harford: $73.71 (survey)Howard: $66.24 (survey)Kent: $73.71 (survey)Montgomery: $74.35 (survey)Prince George's: $74.35 (survey)Queen Anne's: $73.71 (survey)St. Mary's: $74.35 (survey)Somerset: $70.77 (survey)Talbot: $73.71 (survey)Washington: $62.06 (survey)Wicomico: $70.77 (survey)Worcester: $70.77 (survey)Baltimore: $73.71 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$70.29$73.71$73.97survey 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 (survey)$20$40$60$80/hrCalvert (Lexington Park): market median $27.74, prevailing (survey) $75.77, gap +$48.03Calvert (Lexington Park)+$48.03Anne Arundel (Baltimore): market median $30.38, prevailing (survey) $73.71, gap +$43.33Anne Arundel (Baltimore)+$43.33Somerset (Salisbury): market median $29.78, prevailing (survey) $70.77, gap +$40.99Somerset (Salisbury)+$40.99Charles (Washington DC): market median $34.55, prevailing (survey) $74.35, gap +$39.80Charles (Washington DC)+$39.80Cecil (Philadelphia): market median $35.99, prevailing (survey) $73.71, gap +$37.72Cecil (Philadelphia)+$37.72Washington (Hagerstown): market median $26.50, prevailing (survey) $62.06, gap +$35.56Washington (Hagerstown)+$35.56
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plumbers, metro counties in Maryland.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
Calvertstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$51.25$24.52$75.77MD20260109
Charlesstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$51.25$23.10$74.35MD20260113
Montgomerystate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$51.25$23.10$74.35MD20260120
Prince George'sstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$51.25$23.10$74.35MD20260121
St. Mary'sstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$51.25$23.10$74.35MD20260124
Anne Arundelstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$47.78$25.93$73.71MD20260082
Baltimorestate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$47.78$25.93$73.71MD20260108
Carolinestate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$47.78$25.93$73.71MD20260110
Cecilstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$47.78$25.93$73.71MD20260112
Frederickstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$47.78$25.93$73.71MD20260115
Harfordstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$47.78$25.93$73.71MD20260117
Kentstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$47.78$25.93$73.71MD20260119
Queen Anne'sstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$47.78$25.93$73.71MD20260122
Talbotstate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$47.78$25.93$73.71MD20260125
Baltimorestate SAMD2025-001 2025-12-11$47.78$25.93$73.71MD20260107

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

Is construction work growing in Maryland?

166.0kConstruction jobsMaryland, 2026-09
-0.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k19901995200020052010201520202025166kSep 2026
Construction employment in Maryland (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 24 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 100,634 in 2015 to 107,991 in 2025, +7.3%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Prince George's County2266,937$102,863$1,978
Baltimore County2765,153$96,125$1,849
Montgomery County2254,088$93,564$1,799
Howard County1001,829$90,885$1,748
Baltimore city832,060$89,505$1,721
Charles County63745$86,962$1,672
Calvert County50375$86,607$1,666
Anne Arundel County2133,025$85,358$1,641
Frederick County961,216$77,109$1,483
Carroll County1101,165$74,656$1,436
Cecil County30227$74,288$1,429
Caroline County25306$71,814$1,381

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Maryland

More on Maryland

Questions this page answers

How much do plumbers make in Maryland?

The median plumber in Maryland earned $31.44 an hour ($65,400 a year) in May 2025, 3% above the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $26.34–$45.62; the top 10% earn more than $52.13.

Where does Maryland rank for plumber pay?

Maryland ranks 21st of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $31.44 an hour, and 39th after adjusting for Maryland's cost of living (BEA price parity 105.0, US = 100).

What is the union plumber rate in Maryland?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a plumber classification for most Maryland counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many plumbers work in Maryland?

BLS counted 11,420 plumbers in Maryland in May 2025, 4.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.38; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is plumber work growing in Maryland?

The BLS employer survey count of plumbers in Maryland went from 10,530 in 2015 to 11,420 in 2025, +8.5%, and +34.5% since 2019. Maryland's labor market agency projects +6.2% growth for plumbers between 2024 and 2034, from 12,420 to 13,190 jobs.

How many plumber openings a year are there in Maryland?

Maryland projects about 1,110 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, Maryland 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: Maryland labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.