Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in Nebraska

Median $29.31 an hour for 4,110 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$29.31/hrMedian hourly wageNebraska, May data
$60,970/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$20.59 – $47.1310th to 90th percentilehourly range
4,110Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plumber pay in Nebraska: the full range

Wage percentiles, NebraskaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNebraska: 10th $20.59 · 25th $23.21 · median $29.31 · 75th $39.38 · 90th $47.13Nebraska$29.31$20.59$47.13United States: 10th $21.22 · 25th $24.13 · median $30.67 · 75th $40.92 · 90th $52.13United States$30.67
Hourly wage percentiles for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters: Nebraska vs United States, May 2025.

Nebraska ranks 37th of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 25th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.53). 4,110 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$20.59 – $23.21$42,830 – $48,280roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$23.21 – $39.38$48,280 – $81,900the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$39.38 – $47.13$81,900 – $98,030the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plumber pay by metro in Nebraska

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrOmaha: $30.48Omaha$30.48Sioux City: $29.28Sioux City$29.28Lincoln: $29.17Lincoln$29.17Grand Island: $26.85Grand Island$26.85
Median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters by metro area in Nebraska, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Omaha$22.46$30.48$47.382,4304% above
Sioux City$21.92$29.28$46.83240about the same as
Lincoln$19.53$29.17$42.15650about the same as
Grand Island$18.98$26.85$38.911508% below

Plumber wages in Nebraska over time

Nebraska, 1999-2025NebraskaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$30.67United States$29.31Nebraska
Median hourly wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, Nebraska vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNebraska $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$18.47$35.69$17.412,750
2000$16.83$31.47$18.192,740
2001$16.87$30.67$18.612,520
2002$17.92$32.07$19.312,260
2003$17.62$30.83$19.692,430
2004$20.89$35.60$19.852,190
2005$21.27$35.06$20.272,360
2006$22.70$36.25$20.562,410
2007$22.96$35.65$21.202,320
2008$24.76$37.02$21.942,930
2009$25.44$38.18$22.273,620
2010$25.95$38.31$22.434,020
2011$25.68$36.75$22.963,580
2012$24.05$33.72$23.623,220
2013$23.97$33.13$24.133,100
2014$23.45$31.89$24.362,780
2015$25.36$34.45$24.342,880
2016$24.53$32.90$24.743,340
2017$24.75$32.51$25.283,900
2018$26.35$33.78$25.923,860
2019$28.71$36.15$26.523,440
2020$30.57$38.03$27.082,920
2021$24.16$28.70$28.793,450
2022$27.36$30.10$28.893,220
2023$29.24$30.89$29.593,460
2024$30.23$31.03$30.274,240
2025$29.31$29.31$30.674,110

In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in Nebraska changed by -14.9% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for plumbers in Nebraska

On federally funded construction in Nebraska, contractors must pay plumbers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 88 of the 93 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $61.16 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $30.34). 5 of the 93 counties still use a survey rate dated 2011 or earlier (for example Lancaster County at $28.93). The market median for the state is $29.31.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NEAdams: $61.16 (union)Antelope: $61.16 (union)Arthur: $61.16 (union)Banner: $61.16 (union)Blaine: $61.16 (union)Boone: $61.16 (union)Box Butte: $61.16 (union)Boyd: $61.16 (union)Brown: $61.16 (union)Buffalo: $61.16 (union)Burt: $61.16 (union)Butler: $67.35 (union)Cass: $61.16 (union)Cedar: $61.16 (union)Chase: $61.16 (union)Cherry: $61.16 (union)Cheyenne: $61.16 (union)Clay: $61.16 (union)Colfax: $61.16 (union)Cuming: $61.16 (union)Custer: $61.16 (union)Dakota: $66.45 (union)Dawes: $61.16 (union)Dawson: $61.16 (union)Deuel: $61.16 (union)Dixon: $66.45 (union)Dodge: $61.16 (union)Douglas: $61.16 (union)Dundy: $61.16 (union)Fillmore: $67.35 (union)Franklin: $61.16 (union)Frontier: $61.16 (union)Furnas: $61.16 (union)Gage: $67.35 (union)Garden: $61.16 (union)Garfield: $61.16 (union)Gosper: $61.16 (union)Grant: $61.16 (union)Greeley: $61.16 (union)Hall: $61.16 (union)Hamilton: $61.16 (union)Harlan: $61.16 (union)Hayes: $61.16 (union)Hitchcock: $61.16 (union)Holt: $61.16 (union)Hooker: $61.16 (union)Howard: $61.16 (union)Jefferson: $67.35 (union)Johnson: $67.35 (union)Kearney: $61.16 (union)Keith: $61.16 (union)Keya Paha: $61.16 (union)Kimball: $61.16 (union)Knox: $61.16 (union)Lancaster: $28.93 (survey)Lincoln: $61.16 (union)Logan: $61.16 (union)Loup: $61.16 (union)McPherson: $61.16 (union)Madison: $61.16 (union)Merrick: $61.16 (union)Morrill: $61.16 (union)Nance: $61.16 (union)Nemaha: $67.35 (union)Nuckolls: $61.16 (union)Otoe: $35.42 (survey)Pawnee: $35.42 (survey)Perkins: $61.16 (union)Phelps: $61.16 (union)Pierce: $61.16 (union)Platte: $61.16 (union)Polk: $67.35 (union)Red Willow: $61.16 (union)Richardson: $67.35 (union)Rock: $61.16 (union)Saline: $67.35 (union)Sarpy: $61.16 (union)Saunders: $30.34 (survey)Scotts Bluff: $61.16 (union)Seward: $28.92 (survey)Sheridan: $61.16 (union)Sherman: $61.16 (union)Sioux: $61.16 (union)Stanton: $61.16 (union)Thayer: $67.35 (union)Thomas: $61.16 (union)Thurston: $61.16 (union)Valley: $61.16 (union)Washington: $61.16 (union)Wayne: $61.16 (union)Webster: $61.16 (union)Wheeler: $61.16 (union)York: $61.16 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$61.16survey 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/hrDakota (Sioux City): market median $29.28, prevailing (union) $66.45, gap +$37.17Dakota (Sioux City)+$37.17Hall (Grand Island): market median $26.85, prevailing (union) $61.16, gap +$34.31Hall (Grand Island)+$34.31Cass (Omaha): market median $30.48, prevailing (union) $61.16, gap +$30.68Cass (Omaha)+$30.68Lancaster (Lincoln): market median $29.17, prevailing (survey) $28.93, gap −$0.24Lancaster (Lincoln)−$0.24
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plumbers, metro counties in Nebraska.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ButlerUnion PLUM0464-009 2025-06-01$46.25$21.10$67.35NE20260081
FillmoreUnion PLUM0464-009 2025-06-01$46.25$21.10$67.35NE20260081
GageUnion PLUM0464-009 2025-06-01$46.25$21.10$67.35NE20260081
JeffersonUnion PLUM0464-009 2025-06-01$46.25$21.10$67.35NE20260081
JohnsonUnion PLUM0464-009 2025-06-01$46.25$21.10$67.35NE20260081
NemahaUnion PLUM0464-009 2025-06-01$46.25$21.10$67.35NE20260081
PolkUnion PLUM0464-009 2025-06-01$46.25$21.10$67.35NE20260081
RichardsonUnion PLUM0464-009 2025-06-01$46.25$21.10$67.35NE20260081
SalineUnion PLUM0464-009 2025-06-01$46.25$21.10$67.35NE20260081
ThayerUnion PLUM0464-009 2025-06-01$46.25$21.10$67.35NE20260081
DakotaUnion PLUM0033-009 2024-06-01$43.20$23.25$66.45NE20260063
DixonUnion PLUM0033-009 2024-06-01$43.20$23.25$66.45NE20260063
AdamsUnion PLUM0016-009 2025-05-25$44.26$16.90$61.16NE20260064
AntelopeUnion PLUM0016-003 2025-05-25$44.26$16.90$61.16NE20260078
ArthurUnion PLUM0016-010 2025-05-25$44.26$16.90$61.16NE20260079

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

Is construction work growing in Nebraska?

71.2kConstruction jobsNebraska, 2026-08
+6.6%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k20k40k60k80k1990199520002005201020152020202571kAug 2026
Construction employment in Nebraska (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
Douglas County3,857$81,935$1,576
Sarpy County2,548$81,435$1,566
Hall County313$73,187$1,407
Washington County41$70,753$1,361
Lancaster County1,580$66,194$1,273
Dodge County231$65,485$1,259
Buffalo County296$63,508$1,221
Cedar County39$62,668$1,205
Pierce County22$62,147$1,195
Madison County149$61,808$1,189
Adams County224$60,890$1,171
Lincoln County268$60,014$1,154

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Nebraska

Questions this page answers

How much do plumbers make in Nebraska?

The median plumber in Nebraska earned $29.31 an hour ($60,970 a year) in May 2025, 4% below the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $23.21–$39.38; the top 10% earn more than $47.13.

Where does Nebraska rank for plumber pay?

Nebraska ranks 37th of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $29.31 an hour, and 25th after adjusting for Nebraska's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.1, US = 100).

What is the union plumber rate in Nebraska?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plumbers in 88 counties, with a typical package of $61.16 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plumbers work in Nebraska?

BLS counted 4,110 plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in Nebraska in May 2025, 4.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.34; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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