Plumber salary in New Jersey
Median $37.61 an hour for 8,750 plumbers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Plumber pay in New Jersey: the full range
New Jersey ranks 11th of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 18th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $34.57). 8,750 plumbers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.8× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $23.42 – $29.72 | $48,720 – $61,810 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $29.72 – $51.36 | $61,810 – $106,830 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $51.36 – $65.73 | $106,830 – $136,710 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Plumber pay by metro in New Jersey
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | $23.02 | $37.79 | $33.56 | $69.94 | 21,040 | about the same as |
| Vineland | $22.82 | $37.05 | $38.59 | $63.97 | 270 | 1% below |
| Trenton | $24.25 | $36.71 | $35.57 | $61.20 | 280 | 2% below |
| Philadelphia | $23.27 | $35.99 | $35.08 | $68.37 | 7,150 | 4% below |
| Allentown | $22.34 | $31.22 | $31.22 | $66.36 | 730 | 17% below |
| Atlantic City | $21.65 | $30.87 | $31.21 | $53.74 | 530 | 18% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Plumber wages in New Jersey over time
Table
| Year | New Jersey $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $19.79 | $38.24 | $17.41 | 8,630 |
| 2000 | $22.09 | $41.30 | $18.19 | 9,610 |
| 2001 | $22.91 | $41.65 | $18.61 | 9,390 |
| 2002 | $23.76 | $42.52 | $19.31 | 11,340 |
| 2003 | $24.07 | $42.12 | $19.69 | 12,110 |
| 2004 | $25.78 | $43.94 | $19.85 | 9,830 |
| 2005 | $26.22 | $43.22 | $20.27 | 10,440 |
| 2006 | $25.61 | $40.90 | $20.56 | 11,530 |
| 2007 | $26.14 | $40.59 | $21.20 | 10,030 |
| 2008 | $26.59 | $39.76 | $21.94 | 9,630 |
| 2009 | $27.39 | $41.10 | $22.27 | 8,780 |
| 2010 | $27.81 | $41.06 | $22.43 | 7,850 |
| 2011 | $28.33 | $40.55 | $22.96 | 8,200 |
| 2012 | $28.96 | $40.61 | $23.62 | 8,180 |
| 2013 | $29.35 | $40.56 | $24.13 | 8,490 |
| 2014 | $29.72 | $40.42 | $24.36 | 8,400 |
| 2015 | $30.02 | $40.78 | $24.34 | 7,360 |
| 2016 | $29.66 | $39.79 | $24.74 | 8,150 |
| 2017 | $29.90 | $39.27 | $25.28 | 9,070 |
| 2018 | $30.63 | $39.27 | $25.92 | 9,330 |
| 2019 | $32.61 | $41.07 | $26.52 | 8,780 |
| 2020 | $32.85 | $40.86 | $27.08 | 8,290 |
| 2021 | $36.98 | $43.94 | $28.79 | 9,740 |
| 2022 | $36.32 | $39.95 | $28.89 | 8,760 |
| 2023 | $37.72 | $39.85 | $29.59 | 9,560 |
| 2024 | $37.10 | $38.08 | $30.27 | 9,840 |
| 2025 | $37.61 | $37.61 | $30.67 | 8,750 |
In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in New Jersey changed by -7.8% over the last ten years of data and by -8.4% since 2019.
Are there more plumber jobs in New Jersey?
Since 1999, the number of plumbers counted in New Jersey has changed by +1.4%, against +12.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by -0.3%.
Table
| Year | New Jersey jobs | New Jersey index | US index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 8,630 | 100 | 100 |
| 2000 | 9,610 | 111 | 106 |
| 2001 | 9,390 | 109 | 106 |
| 2002 | 11,340 | 131 | 106 |
| 2003 | 12,110 | 140 | 105 |
| 2004 | 9,830 | 114 | 103 |
| 2005 | 10,440 | 121 | 102 |
| 2006 | 11,530 | 134 | 106 |
| 2007 | 10,030 | 116 | 105 |
| 2008 | 9,630 | 112 | 106 |
| 2009 | 8,780 | 102 | 97 |
| 2010 | 7,850 | 91 | 87 |
| 2011 | 8,200 | 95 | 84 |
| 2012 | 8,180 | 95 | 82 |
| 2013 | 8,490 | 98 | 85 |
| 2014 | 8,400 | 97 | 90 |
| 2015 | 7,360 | 85 | 95 |
| 2016 | 8,150 | 94 | 100 |
| 2017 | 9,070 | 105 | 104 |
| 2018 | 9,330 | 108 | 106 |
| 2019 | 8,780 | 102 | 107 |
| 2020 | 8,290 | 96 | 101 |
| 2021 | 9,740 | 113 | 101 |
| 2022 | 8,760 | 102 | 104 |
| 2023 | 9,560 | 111 | 106 |
| 2024 | 9,840 | 114 | 110 |
| 2025 | 8,750 | 101 | 113 |
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 New Jersey
New Jersey's labor market agency projects the number of plumbers in the state to change by +7.0% between 2024 and 2034, from 10,770 to 11,520, with about 980 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +6.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 8,750 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: New Jersey labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for plumbers in New Jersey
On federally funded construction in New Jersey, contractors must pay plumbers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 21 of the 21 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $107.06 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $37.61.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen | Union PLUM0024-001 2025-05-01 | $62.09 | $45.05 | $107.14 | NJ20260026 |
| Essex | Union PLUM0024-014 2025-05-01 | $62.09 | $45.05 | $107.14 | NJ20260031 |
| Hudson | Union PLUM0024-001 2025-05-01 | $62.09 | $45.05 | $107.14 | NJ20260033 |
| Morris | Union PLUM0024-001 2025-05-01 | $62.09 | $45.05 | $107.14 | NJ20260038 |
| Passaic | Union PLUM0024-001 2025-05-01 | $62.09 | $45.05 | $107.14 | NJ20260040 |
| Sussex | Union PLUM0024-001 2025-05-01 | $62.09 | $45.05 | $107.14 | NJ20260043 |
| Union | Union PLUM0024-014 2025-05-01 | $62.09 | $45.05 | $107.14 | NJ20260044 |
| Warren | Union PLUM0024-001 2025-05-01 | $62.09 | $45.05 | $107.14 | NJ20260045 |
| Atlantic | Union PLUM0322-009 2025-05-01 | $56.30 | $50.76 | $107.06 | NJ20260025 |
| Camden | Union PLUM0322-009 2025-05-01 | $56.30 | $50.76 | $107.06 | NJ20260028 |
| Cape May | Union PLUM0322-009 2025-05-01 | $56.30 | $50.76 | $107.06 | NJ20260029 |
| Cumberland | Union PLUM0322-009 2025-05-01 | $56.30 | $50.76 | $107.06 | NJ20260030 |
| Gloucester | Union PLUM0322-009 2025-05-01 | $56.30 | $50.76 | $107.06 | NJ20260032 |
| Salem | Union PLUM0322-009 2025-05-01 | $56.30 | $50.76 | $107.06 | NJ20260041 |
| Hunterdon | Union PLUM0009-019 2025-07-01 | $59.57 | $46.45 | $106.02 | NJ20260034 |
| Somerset | Union PLUM0009-020 2025-07-01 | $59.57 | $46.45 | $106.02 | NJ20260042 |
| Burlington | Union PLUM0009-015 2025-07-01 | $46.23 | $29.23 | $75.46 | NJ20260027 |
| Mercer | Union PLUM0009-016 2025-07-01 | $46.23 | $29.23 | $75.46 | NJ20260035 |
| Middlesex | Union PLUM0009-021 2025-07-01 | $46.23 | $29.23 | $75.46 | NJ20260036 |
| Monmouth | Union PLUM0009-017 2025-07-01 | $46.23 | $29.23 | $75.46 | NJ20260037 |
| Ocean | Union PLUM0009-018 2025-07-01 | $46.23 | $29.23 | $75.46 | NJ20260039 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the New Jersey prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in New Jersey?
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 21 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 89,656 in 2015 to 102,779 in 2025, +14.6%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson County | 84 | 924 | $110,130 | $2,118 |
| Gloucester County | 131 | 1,460 | $96,534 | $1,856 |
| Middlesex County | 252 | 2,806 | $95,567 | $1,838 |
| Somerset County | 116 | 1,143 | $95,362 | $1,834 |
| Union County | 195 | 1,760 | $95,332 | $1,833 |
| Cumberland County | 45 | 934 | $92,743 | $1,784 |
| Essex County | 185 | 1,545 | $92,442 | $1,778 |
| Morris County | 238 | 2,412 | $92,107 | $1,771 |
| Monmouth County | 324 | 3,960 | $91,453 | $1,759 |
| Passaic County | 219 | 1,327 | $88,845 | $1,709 |
| Bergen County | 396 | 2,944 | $87,600 | $1,685 |
| Camden County | 193 | 2,136 | $87,076 | $1,675 |
| Warren County | 45 | 185 | $82,215 | $1,581 |
| Sussex County | 77 | 456 | $81,799 | $1,573 |
| Mercer County | 82 | 619 | $81,457 | $1,566 |
| Hunterdon County | 60 | 544 | $80,747 | $1,553 |
| Burlington County | 138 | 1,220 | $78,478 | $1,509 |
| Atlantic County | 109 | 952 | $77,864 | $1,497 |
| Ocean County | 319 | 2,084 | $74,172 | $1,426 |
| Salem County | 17 | 329 | $73,935 | $1,422 |
| Cape May County | 79 | 542 | $62,879 | $1,209 |
Keep comparing
Plumber pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in New Jersey
More on New Jersey
Questions this page answers
How much do plumbers make in New Jersey?
The median plumber in New Jersey earned $37.61 an hour ($78,240 a year) in May 2025, 23% above the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $29.72–$51.36; the top 10% earn more than $65.73.
Where does New Jersey rank for plumber pay?
New Jersey ranks 11th of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $37.61 an hour, and 18th after adjusting for New Jersey's cost of living (BEA price parity 108.8, US = 100).
What is the union plumber rate in New Jersey?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plumbers in 21 counties, with a typical package of $107.06 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many plumbers work in New Jersey?
BLS counted 8,750 plumbers in New Jersey in May 2025, 2.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.68; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is plumber work growing in New Jersey?
The BLS employer survey count of plumbers in New Jersey went from 7,360 in 2015 to 8,750 in 2025, +18.9%, and -0.3% since 2019. New Jersey's labor market agency projects +7.0% growth for plumbers between 2024 and 2034, from 10,770 to 11,520 jobs.
How many plumber openings a year are there in New Jersey?
New Jersey projects about 980 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, New Jersey 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: New Jersey labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.