Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in West Virginia

Median $27.39 an hour for 1,830 plumbers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$27.39/hrMedian hourly wageWest Virginia, May data
$56,980/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.31 – $39.9810th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,830Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plumber pay in West Virginia: the full range

Wage percentiles, West VirginiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60/hrWest Virginia: 10th $17.31 · 25th $21.16 · median $27.39 · 75th $35.44 · 90th $39.98West Virginia$27.39$17.31$39.98United States: 10th $21.22 · 25th $24.13 · median $30.67 · 75th $40.92 · 90th $52.13United States$30.67
Hourly wage percentiles for plumbers: West Virginia vs United States, May 2025.

West Virginia ranks 45th of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 36th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $30.60). 1,830 plumbers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.3× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$17.31 – $21.16$36,010 – $44,020roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$21.16 – $35.44$44,020 – $73,700the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$35.44 – $39.98$73,700 – $83,160the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plumber pay by metro in West Virginia

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrWashington DC: $34.55Washington DC$34.55Weirton: $30.82Weirton$30.82Wheeling: $30.80Wheeling$30.80Huntington: $29.88Huntington$29.88Charleston: $28.34Charleston$28.34Morgantown: $28.26Morgantown$28.26Winchester: $27.77Winchester$27.77Hagerstown: $26.50Hagerstown$26.50Beckley: $24.10Beckley$24.10Parkersburg: $23.84Parkersburg$23.84
Median hourly wage for plumbers by metro area in West Virginia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Washington DC$22.83$34.55$31.73$55.009,42026% above
Weirton$17.99$30.82$34.63$41.2610013% above
Wheeling$18.97$30.80$34.88$44.7015012% above
Huntington$18.76$29.88$33.80$41.754609% above
Charleston$17.94$28.34$31.95$40.292603% above
Morgantown$17.12$28.26$30.29$40.341603% above
Winchester$19.28$27.77$28.78$35.541601% above
Hagerstown$18.04$26.50$28.13$42.252503% below
Beckley$16.81$24.10$27.26$39.506012% below
Parkersburg$17.34$23.84$27.37$37.435013% below

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

Plumber wages in West Virginia over time

West Virginia, 1999-2025West VirginiaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$30.67United States$27.39West Virginia
Median hourly wage for plumbers, West Virginia vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWest Virginia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$19.32$37.33$17.412,610
2000$15.35$28.70$18.192,160
2001$16.99$30.89$18.612,900
2002$18.56$33.21$19.312,550
2003$17.00$29.74$19.692,730
2004$17.39$29.64$19.852,630
2005$17.49$28.83$20.272,010
2006$18.87$30.13$20.562,070
2007$18.23$28.31$21.202,410
2008$19.00$28.41$21.942,350
2009$19.66$29.50$22.272,270
2010$23.17$34.21$22.431,750
2011$21.76$31.14$22.961,880
2012$20.87$29.26$23.622,000
2013$19.25$26.60$24.132,090
2014$20.62$28.04$24.361,920
2015$21.65$29.41$24.342,100
2016$26.13$35.05$24.741,730
2017$27.58$36.22$25.281,560
2018$27.87$35.73$25.921,630
2019$24.70$31.10$26.521,220
2020$23.34$29.03$27.081,110
2021$23.29$27.67$28.791,450
2022$23.91$26.30$28.891,240
2023$24.17$25.54$29.591,350
2024$23.86$24.49$30.271,860
2025$27.39$27.39$30.671,830

In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in West Virginia changed by -6.9% over the last ten years of data and by -11.9% since 2019.

Are there more plumber jobs in West Virginia?

2.6Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.9× the US share, 44th of 51 states

BLS counted 1,830 plumbers in West Virginia 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 West Virginia

+12.0%Projected growth in West Virginia2024–2034, state agency
190Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
1,940Jobs in 20242,170 projected for 2034
+6.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

West Virginia's labor market agency projects the number of plumbers in the state to change by +12.0% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,940 to 2,170, with about 190 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +6.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,830 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: West Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections.

Union scale and prevailing wage for plumbers in West Virginia

On federally funded construction in West Virginia, contractors must pay plumbers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 27 of the 55 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $77.76 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $61.16). 3 of the 55 counties still use a survey rate dated 2012 or earlier (for example Hampshire County at $47.37). The market median for the state is $27.39.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WVBarbour: $61.16 (survey)Berkeley: $62.20 (union)Boone: $78.63 (union)Braxton: $61.16 (survey)Brooke: $77.76 (union)Cabell: $78.63 (union)Calhoun: $61.16 (survey)Clay: $78.63 (union)Doddridge: $75.10 (union)Fayette: $61.16 (survey)Gilmer: $61.16 (survey)Grant: $61.16 (survey)Greenbrier: $61.16 (survey)Hampshire: $47.37 (survey)Hancock: $77.76 (union)Hardy: $61.16 (survey)Harrison: $75.10 (union)Jackson: $61.16 (survey)Jefferson: $62.20 (union)Kanawha: $78.63 (union)Lewis: $61.16 (survey)Lincoln: $78.63 (union)Logan: $61.16 (survey)McDowell: $61.16 (survey)Marion: $75.10 (union)Marshall: $77.76 (union)Mason: $61.16 (survey)Mercer: $61.16 (survey)Mineral: $75.10 (union)Mingo: $61.16 (survey)Monongalia: $75.10 (union)Monroe: $61.16 (survey)Morgan: $47.37 (survey)Nicholas: $61.16 (survey)Ohio: $77.76 (union)Pendleton: $61.16 (survey)Pleasants: $78.63 (union)Pocahontas: $61.16 (survey)Preston: $77.76 (union)Putnam: $78.63 (union)Raleigh: $78.63 (union)Randolph: $61.16 (survey)Ritchie: $61.16 (survey)Roane: $61.16 (survey)Summers: $45.73 (survey)Taylor: $75.10 (union)Tucker: $75.10 (union)Tyler: $75.10 (union)Upshur: $61.16 (survey)Wayne: $78.63 (union)Webster: $61.16 (survey)Wetzel: $75.10 (union)Wirt: $78.63 (union)Wood: $78.63 (union)Wyoming: $61.16 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$61.16$75.10$77.93survey 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)$0$20$40$60$80$100/hrWirt (Parkersburg): market median $23.84, prevailing (union) $78.63, gap +$54.79Wirt (Parkersburg)+$54.79Raleigh (Beckley): market median $24.10, prevailing (union) $78.63, gap +$54.53Raleigh (Beckley)+$54.53Boone (Charleston): market median $28.34, prevailing (union) $78.63, gap +$50.29Boone (Charleston)+$50.29Preston (Morgantown): market median $28.26, prevailing (union) $77.76, gap +$49.50Preston (Morgantown)+$49.50Cabell (Huntington): market median $29.88, prevailing (union) $78.63, gap +$48.75Cabell (Huntington)+$48.75Marshall (Wheeling): market median $30.80, prevailing (union) $77.76, gap +$46.96Marshall (Wheeling)+$46.96Brooke (Weirton): market median $30.82, prevailing (union) $77.76, gap +$46.94Brooke (Weirton)+$46.94Berkeley (Hagerstown): market median $26.50, prevailing (union) $62.20, gap +$35.70Berkeley (Hagerstown)+$35.70Jefferson (Washington DC): market median $34.55, prevailing (union) $62.20, gap +$27.65Jefferson (Washington DC)+$27.65Hampshire (Winchester): market median $27.77, prevailing (survey) $47.37, gap +$19.60Hampshire (Winchester)+$19.60
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plumbers, metro counties in West Virginia.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BooneUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260049
CabellUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260035
ClayUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260049
KanawhaUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260038
LincolnUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260039
PleasantsUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260045
PutnamUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260047
RaleighUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260023
WayneUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260048
WirtUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260051
WoodUnion PLUM0565-004 2025-07-01$41.00$37.63$78.63WV20260051
BrookeUnion PLUM0083-006 2025-07-01$38.04$39.72$77.76WV20260050
HancockUnion PLUM0083-006 2025-07-01$38.04$39.72$77.76WV20260050
MarshallUnion PLUM0083-006 2025-07-01$38.04$39.72$77.76WV20260040
OhioUnion PLUM0083-006 2025-07-01$38.04$39.72$77.76WV20260044

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

Is construction work growing in West Virginia?

35.2kConstruction jobsWest Virginia, 2026-09
-5.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k1990199520002005201020152020202535kSep 2026
Construction employment in West Virginia (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 38 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 14,371 in 2015 to 15,870 in 2025, +10.4%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Putnam County27412$99,715$1,918
Kanawha County57811$79,222$1,523
Jackson County846$62,671$1,205
Cabell County33259$58,844$1,132
Raleigh County20223$56,817$1,093
Mineral County421$56,610$1,089
Berkeley County44245$56,379$1,084
Jefferson County20110$55,646$1,070
Hampshire County937$51,233$985
Harrison County18129$49,430$951
Greenbrier County1439$48,399$931
Taylor County415$48,101$925

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in West Virginia

More on West Virginia

Questions this page answers

How much do plumbers make in West Virginia?

The median plumber in West Virginia earned $27.39 an hour ($56,980 a year) in May 2025, 11% below the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $21.16–$35.44; the top 10% earn more than $39.98.

Where does West Virginia rank for plumber pay?

West Virginia ranks 45th of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $27.39 an hour, and 36th after adjusting for West Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.5, US = 100).

What is the union plumber rate in West Virginia?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plumbers in 27 counties, with a typical package of $77.76 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plumbers work in West Virginia?

BLS counted 1,830 plumbers in West Virginia in May 2025, 2.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.87; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is plumber work growing in West Virginia?

West Virginia's labor market agency projects +12.0% growth for plumbers between 2024 and 2034, from 1,940 to 2,170 jobs.

How many plumber openings a year are there in West Virginia?

West Virginia projects about 190 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, West Virginia 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: West Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.