Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in Montana

Median $38.44 an hour for 1,860 plumbers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$38.44/hrMedian hourly wageMontana, May data
$79,960/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.20 – $48.4910th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,860Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plumber pay in Montana: the full range

Wage percentiles, MontanaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrMontana: 10th $23.20 · 25th $29.32 · median $38.44 · 75th $45.37 · 90th $48.49Montana$38.44$23.20$48.49United States: 10th $21.22 · 25th $24.13 · median $30.67 · 75th $40.92 · 90th $52.13United States$30.67
Hourly wage percentiles for plumbers: Montana vs United States, May 2025.

Montana ranks 10th of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 8th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $40.63). 1,860 plumbers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.1× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$23.20 – $29.32$48,250 – $60,990roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$29.32 – $45.37$60,990 – $94,370the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$45.37 – $48.49$94,370 – $100,860the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plumber pay by metro in Montana

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrBillings: $39.27Billings$39.27Bozeman: $39.09Bozeman$39.09Missoula: $38.34Missoula$38.34Great Falls: $37.07Great Falls$37.07
Median hourly wage for plumbers by metro area in Montana, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Billings$24.94$39.27$42.00$51.233602% above
Bozeman$26.77$39.09$38.14$46.853502% above
Missoula$23.15$38.34$39.77$47.30290about the same as
Great Falls$23.08$37.07$38.30$47.192404% below

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

Plumber wages in Montana over time

Montana, 1999-2025MontanaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$38.44Montana$30.67United States
Median hourly wage for plumbers, Montana vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMontana $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$19.33$37.35$17.41410
2000$22.74$42.51$18.19680
2001$21.18$38.50$18.61850
2002$21.88$39.16$19.311,030
2003$22.19$38.83$19.691,090
2004$23.16$39.47$19.851,140
2005$21.50$35.44$20.271,720
2006$22.11$35.31$20.561,870
2007$21.45$33.31$21.201,970
2008$23.02$34.42$21.941,780
2009$23.39$35.10$22.271,530
2010$25.58$37.77$22.431,300
2011$24.56$35.15$22.961,320
2012$24.66$34.58$23.621,610
2013$24.66$34.08$24.131,920
2014$24.65$33.52$24.362,060
2015$27.41$37.23$24.342,100
2016$28.52$38.26$24.741,810
2017$30.78$40.43$25.281,890
2018$28.77$36.89$25.921,990
2019$28.50$35.89$26.522,310
2020$27.41$34.10$27.082,090
2021$29.96$35.60$28.791,650
2022$36.00$39.60$28.892,020
2023$37.27$39.38$29.591,820
2024$37.47$38.46$30.271,810
2025$38.44$38.44$30.671,860

In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in Montana changed by +3.2% over the last ten years of data and by +7.1% since 2019.

Are there more plumber jobs in Montana?

3.6Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.2× the US share, 14th of 51 states

BLS counted 1,860 plumbers in Montana in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 9%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for plumbers in Montana

+11.6%Projected growth in Montana2024–2034, state agency
200Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
2,010Jobs in 20242,240 projected for 2034
+6.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Montana's labor market agency projects the number of plumbers in the state to change by +11.6% between 2024 and 2034, from 2,010 to 2,240, with about 200 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +6.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,860 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for plumbers in Montana

On federally funded construction in Montana, contractors must pay plumbers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 31 of the 56 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $61.47 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $36.62). 25 of the 56 counties still use a survey rate dated 2011 or earlier (for example Big Horn County at $36.62). The market median for the state is $38.44.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, MTBeaverhead: $66.37 (union)Big Horn: $36.62 (survey)Blaine: $36.62 (survey)Broadwater: $66.37 (union)Carbon: $61.47 (union)Carter: $61.47 (union)Cascade: $66.37 (union)Chouteau: $36.62 (survey)Custer: $61.47 (union)Daniels: $36.62 (survey)Dawson: $61.47 (union)Deer Lodge: $66.37 (union)Fallon: $61.47 (union)Fergus: $36.62 (survey)Flathead: $52.11 (union)Gallatin: $66.37 (union)Garfield: $61.47 (union)Glacier: $36.62 (survey)Golden Valley: $36.62 (survey)Granite: $66.37 (union)Hill: $36.62 (survey)Jefferson: $66.37 (union)Judith Basin: $36.62 (survey)Lake: $52.11 (union)Lewis and Clark: $66.37 (union)Liberty: $36.62 (survey)Lincoln: $52.11 (union)McCone: $36.62 (survey)Madison: $66.37 (union)Meagher: $66.37 (union)Mineral: $52.11 (union)Missoula: $60.08 (union)Musselshell: $36.62 (survey)Park: $66.37 (union)Petroleum: $36.64 (survey)Phillips: $61.47 (union)Pondera: $36.62 (survey)Powder River: $61.47 (union)Powell: $60.08 (union)Prairie: $36.62 (survey)Ravalli: $52.11 (union)Richland: $36.62 (survey)Roosevelt: $36.62 (survey)Rosebud: $61.47 (union)Sanders: $52.11 (union)Sheridan: $36.62 (survey)Silver Bow: $66.37 (union)Stillwater: $36.62 (survey)Sweet Grass: $36.62 (survey)Teton: $36.62 (survey)Toole: $36.62 (survey)Treasure: $36.62 (survey)Valley: $61.47 (union)Wheatland: $36.62 (survey)Wibaux: $36.62 (survey)Yellowstone: $61.47 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$61.47survey 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)$30$40$50$60$70/hrCascade (Great Falls): market median $37.07, prevailing (union) $66.37, gap +$29.30Cascade (Great Falls)+$29.30Broadwater (Montana): market median $38.44, prevailing (union) $66.37, gap +$27.93Broadwater (Montana)+$27.93Gallatin (Bozeman): market median $39.09, prevailing (union) $66.37, gap +$27.28Gallatin (Bozeman)+$27.28Carbon (Billings): market median $39.27, prevailing (union) $61.47, gap +$22.20Carbon (Billings)+$22.20Missoula (Missoula): market median $38.34, prevailing (union) $60.08, gap +$21.74Missoula (Missoula)+$21.74
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plumbers, metro counties in Montana.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BeaverheadUnion PLUM0041-008 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260025
BroadwaterUnion PLUM0041-008 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260027
CascadeUnion PLUM0041-013 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260062
Deer LodgeUnion PLUM0041-008 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260030
GallatinUnion PLUM0041-008 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260033
GraniteUnion PLUM0041-008 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260036
JeffersonUnion PLUM0041-008 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260038
Lewis and ClarkUnion PLUM0041-008 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260040
MadisonUnion PLUM0041-006 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260042
MeagherUnion PLUM0041-008 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260059
ParkUnion PLUM0041-008 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260045
Silver BowUnion PLUM0041-008 2025-07-01$46.45$19.92$66.37MT20260052
CarbonUnion PLUM0030-012 2024-09-01$41.00$20.47$61.47MT20260061
CarterUnion PLUM0030-006 2024-09-01$41.00$20.47$61.47MT20260057
CusterUnion PLUM0030-006 2024-09-01$41.00$20.47$61.47MT20260057

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

Is construction work growing in Montana?

38.7kConstruction jobsMontana, 2026-09
+0.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k10k20k30k40k50k1990199520002005201020152020202539kSep 2026
Construction employment in Montana (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 36 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 14,094 in 2015 to 21,099 in 2025, +49.7%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Broadwater County622$87,317$1,679
Cascade County52691$84,953$1,634
Gallatin County1301,126$80,774$1,553
Missoula County74796$79,681$1,532
Yellowstone County104928$77,527$1,491
Deer Lodge County430$75,712$1,456
Silver Bow County1776$74,896$1,440
Lewis and Clark County50348$68,626$1,320
Flathead County121641$65,726$1,264
Custer County422$65,711$1,264
Sanders County1225$64,738$1,245
Jefferson County1190$59,664$1,147

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Montana

More on Montana

Questions this page answers

How much do plumbers make in Montana?

The median plumber in Montana earned $38.44 an hour ($79,960 a year) in May 2025, 25% above the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $29.32–$45.37; the top 10% earn more than $48.49.

Where does Montana rank for plumber pay?

Montana ranks 10th of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $38.44 an hour, and 8th after adjusting for Montana's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.6, US = 100).

What is the union plumber rate in Montana?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plumbers in 31 counties, with a typical package of $61.47 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plumbers work in Montana?

BLS counted 1,860 plumbers in Montana in May 2025, 3.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.22; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is plumber work growing in Montana?

Montana's labor market agency projects +11.6% growth for plumbers between 2024 and 2034, from 2,010 to 2,240 jobs.

How many plumber openings a year are there in Montana?

Montana projects about 200 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, Montana 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: Montana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.