Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in Wisconsin

Median $39.04 an hour for 10,210 plumbers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$39.04/hrMedian hourly wageWisconsin, May data
$81,210/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$24.05 – $57.7210th to 90th percentilehourly range
10,210Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plumber pay in Wisconsin: the full range

Wage percentiles, WisconsinMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrWisconsin: 10th $24.05 · 25th $29.53 · median $39.04 · 75th $49.79 · 90th $57.72Wisconsin$39.04$24.05$57.72United States: 10th $21.22 · 25th $24.13 · median $30.67 · 75th $40.92 · 90th $52.13United States$30.67
Hourly wage percentiles for plumbers: Wisconsin vs United States, May 2025.

Wisconsin ranks 7th of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 7th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $41.49). 10,210 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$24.05 – $29.53$50,020 – $61,430roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$29.53 – $49.79$61,430 – $103,560the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$49.79 – $57.72$103,560 – $120,070the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plumber pay by metro in Wisconsin

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrMinneapolis: $48.86Minneapolis$48.86Eau Claire: $44.58Eau Claire$44.58Appleton: $44.11Appleton$44.11Sheboygan: $44.01Sheboygan$44.01Green Bay: $43.54Green Bay$43.54Wausau: $41.71Wausau$41.71Oshkosh: $41.50Oshkosh$41.50Madison: $40.94Madison$40.94Duluth: $40.89Duluth$40.89Milwaukee: $40.72Milwaukee$40.72La Crosse: $39.72La Crosse$39.72Janesville: $38.01Janesville$38.01
Median hourly wage for plumbers by metro area in Wisconsin, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Minneapolis$24.70$48.86$46.62$58.526,73025% above
Eau Claire$24.64$44.58$48.04$49.5921014% above
Appleton$25.44$44.11$47.74$57.6389013% above
Sheboygan$23.54$44.01$46.82$52.8615013% above
Green Bay$25.77$43.54$46.77$57.7273012% above
Wausau$24.22$41.71$44.99$49.732607% above
Oshkosh$25.64$41.50$44.67$53.322306% above
Madison$23.23$40.94$42.08$59.261,5905% above
Duluth$22.26$40.89$46.05$52.574205% above
Milwaukee$27.18$40.72$42.02$59.842,7604% above
La Crosse$23.93$39.72$43.27$50.772802% above
Janesville$22.93$38.01$40.57$51.931403% below
Kenosha$24.73$37.18$36.78$54.211505% below
Fond du Lac$22.65$37.17$40.58$59.962805% below
Racine$24.07$37.05$38.59$55.882405% below

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

Plumber wages in Wisconsin over time

Wisconsin, 1999-2025WisconsinUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$39.04Wisconsin$30.67United States
Median hourly wage for plumbers, Wisconsin vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWisconsin $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$22.59$43.65$17.417,400
2000$20.83$38.94$18.198,980
2001$21.09$38.34$18.618,980
2002$21.31$38.14$19.318,990
2003$21.97$38.44$19.699,760
2004$23.86$40.66$19.859,200
2005$25.93$42.74$20.278,700
2006$26.98$43.09$20.569,790
2007$27.91$43.34$21.209,430
2008$28.98$43.33$21.948,710
2009$29.94$44.93$22.277,690
2010$31.40$46.36$22.436,600
2011$31.27$44.76$22.966,530
2012$31.33$43.93$23.626,420
2013$32.44$44.83$24.136,750
2014$32.81$44.62$24.366,980
2015$32.80$44.55$24.346,960
2016$32.65$43.80$24.746,460
2017$32.33$42.46$25.287,300
2018$32.61$41.81$25.927,940
2019$32.44$40.85$26.528,210
2020$31.52$39.21$27.087,970
2021$34.46$40.94$28.798,920
2022$32.80$36.08$28.896,890
2023$36.86$38.95$29.596,860
2024$37.75$38.74$30.279,120
2025$39.04$39.04$30.6710,210

In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in Wisconsin changed by -12.4% over the last ten years of data and by -4.4% since 2019.

Are there more plumber jobs in Wisconsin?

+24.4%Jobs since 20198,210 then, 10,210 in 2025
+46.7%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
3.5Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.2× the US share, 22nd of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of plumbers counted in Wisconsin has changed by +38.0%, against +12.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +24.4%.

Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in Wisconsin vs United States, 1999 = 100WisconsinUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages6080100120140160200020052010201520202025138Wisconsin113United States
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Wisconsin vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearWisconsin jobsWisconsin indexUS index
19997,400100100
20008,980121106
20018,980121106
20028,990122106
20039,760132105
20049,200124103
20058,700118102
20069,790132106
20079,430127105
20088,710118106
20097,69010497
20106,6008987
20116,5308884
20126,4208782
20136,7509185
20146,9809490
20156,9609495
20166,46087100
20177,30099104
20187,940107106
20198,210111107
20207,970108101
20218,920120101
20226,89093104
20236,86093106
20249,120123110
202510,210138113

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 Wisconsin

+10.7%Projected growth in Wisconsin2024–2034, state agency
950Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
9,930Jobs in 202411,000 projected for 2034
+6.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Wisconsin's labor market agency projects the number of plumbers in the state to change by +10.7% between 2024 and 2034, from 9,930 to 11,000, with about 950 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +6.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 10,210 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for plumbers in Wisconsin

On federally funded construction in Wisconsin, contractors must pay plumbers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 72 of the 72 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $87.91 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $39.04.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WIAdams: $87.91 (union)Ashland: $87.91 (union)Barron: $87.91 (union)Bayfield: $87.91 (union)Brown: $76.63 (union)Buffalo: $87.91 (union)Burnett: $87.91 (union)Calumet: $76.63 (union)Chippewa: $76.92 (union)Clark: $87.91 (union)Columbia: $87.91 (union)Crawford: $87.91 (union)Dane: $87.91 (union)Dodge: $87.91 (union)Door: $87.91 (union)Douglas: $79.80 (union)Dunn: $87.91 (union)Eau Claire: $76.92 (union)Florence: $87.91 (union)Fond du Lac: $87.91 (union)Forest: $87.91 (union)Grant: $87.91 (union)Green: $87.91 (union)Green Lake: $87.91 (union)Iowa: $87.91 (union)Iron: $87.91 (union)Jackson: $87.91 (union)Jefferson: $87.91 (union)Juneau: $87.91 (union)Kenosha: $86.72 (union)Kewaunee: $87.91 (union)La Crosse: $76.92 (union)Lafayette: $87.91 (union)Langlade: $87.91 (union)Lincoln: $87.91 (union)Manitowoc: $87.91 (union)Marathon: $76.92 (union)Marinette: $87.91 (union)Marquette: $87.91 (union)Menominee: $87.91 (union)Milwaukee: $87.95 (union)Monroe: $87.91 (union)Oconto: $87.91 (union)Oneida: $87.91 (union)Outagamie: $76.63 (union)Ozaukee: $87.95 (union)Pepin: $87.91 (union)Pierce: $76.92 (union)Polk: $87.91 (union)Portage: $87.91 (union)Price: $87.91 (union)Racine: $86.72 (union)Richland: $87.91 (union)Rock: $87.95 (union)Rusk: $87.91 (union)St. Croix: $76.92 (union)Sauk: $87.91 (union)Sawyer: $87.91 (union)Shawano: $87.91 (union)Sheboygan: $76.63 (union)Taylor: $87.91 (union)Trempealeau: $87.91 (union)Vernon: $87.91 (union)Vilas: $87.91 (union)Walworth: $87.91 (union)Washburn: $87.91 (union)Washington: $87.95 (union)Waukesha: $87.95 (union)Waupaca: $87.91 (union)Waushara: $87.91 (union)Winnebago: $76.63 (union)Wood: $87.91 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$87.91
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)$20$40$60$80$100/hrFond du Lac (Fond du Lac): market median $37.17, prevailing (union) $87.91, gap +$50.74Fond du Lac (Fond du Lac)+$50.74Rock (Janesville): market median $38.01, prevailing (union) $87.95, gap +$49.94Rock (Janesville)+$49.94Racine (Racine): market median $37.05, prevailing (union) $86.72, gap +$49.67Racine (Racine)+$49.67Kenosha (Kenosha): market median $37.18, prevailing (union) $86.72, gap +$49.54Kenosha (Kenosha)+$49.54Vernon (La Crosse): market median $39.72, prevailing (union) $87.91, gap +$48.19Vernon (La Crosse)+$48.19Milwaukee (Milwaukee): market median $40.72, prevailing (union) $87.95, gap +$47.23Milwaukee (Milwaukee)+$47.23Columbia (Madison): market median $40.94, prevailing (union) $87.91, gap +$46.97Columbia (Madison)+$46.97Kewaunee (Green Bay): market median $43.54, prevailing (union) $87.91, gap +$44.37Kewaunee (Green Bay)+$44.37Douglas (Duluth): market median $40.89, prevailing (union) $79.80, gap +$38.91Douglas (Duluth)+$38.91Marathon (Wausau): market median $41.71, prevailing (union) $76.92, gap +$35.21Marathon (Wausau)+$35.21Winnebago (Oshkosh): market median $41.50, prevailing (union) $76.63, gap +$35.13Winnebago (Oshkosh)+$35.13Sheboygan (Sheboygan): market median $44.01, prevailing (union) $76.63, gap +$32.62Sheboygan (Sheboygan)+$32.62Calumet (Appleton): market median $44.11, prevailing (union) $76.63, gap +$32.52Calumet (Appleton)+$32.52Chippewa (Eau Claire): market median $44.58, prevailing (union) $76.92, gap +$32.34Chippewa (Eau Claire)+$32.34Pierce (Minneapolis): market median $48.86, prevailing (union) $76.92, gap +$28.06Pierce (Minneapolis)+$28.06
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plumbers, metro counties in Wisconsin.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
MilwaukeeUnion PLUM0075-001 2025-06-01$60.05$27.90$87.95WI20260001
OzaukeeUnion PLUM0075-001 2025-06-01$60.05$27.90$87.95WI20260001
RockUnion PLUM0075-003 2025-06-01$60.05$27.90$87.95WI20260012
WashingtonUnion PLUM0075-001 2025-06-01$60.05$27.90$87.95WI20260001
WaukeshaUnion PLUM0075-001 2025-06-01$60.05$27.90$87.95WI20260001
AdamsUnion PLUM0075-008 2025-06-01$60.57$27.34$87.91WI20260011
AshlandUnion PLUM0075-008 2025-06-01$60.57$27.34$87.91WI20260011
BarronUnion PLUM0075-008 2025-06-01$60.57$27.34$87.91WI20260011
BayfieldUnion PLUM0075-008 2025-06-01$60.57$27.34$87.91WI20260011
BuffaloUnion PLUM0075-008 2025-06-01$60.57$27.34$87.91WI20260011
BurnettUnion PLUM0075-008 2025-06-01$60.57$27.34$87.91WI20260011
ClarkUnion PLUM0075-008 2025-06-01$60.57$27.34$87.91WI20260011
ColumbiaUnion PLUM0075-008 2025-06-01$60.57$27.34$87.91WI20260011
CrawfordUnion PLUM0075-008 2025-06-01$60.57$27.34$87.91WI20260011
DaneUnion PLUM0075-007 2025-06-01$60.57$27.34$87.91WI20260005

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

Is construction work growing in Wisconsin?

160.1kConstruction jobsWisconsin, 2026-09
+5.0%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202650k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025160kSep 2026
Construction employment in Wisconsin (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 65 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 67,193 in 2015 to 92,281 in 2025, +37.3%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Racine County70976$119,609$2,300
Milwaukee County1493,403$105,764$2,034
Fond du Lac County40860$102,582$1,973
Outagamie County882,339$96,114$1,848
Wood County24482$92,321$1,775
Waukesha County2023,235$91,995$1,769
Dane County1323,440$89,652$1,724
Dunn County19284$89,438$1,720
Ozaukee County36282$87,660$1,686
Chippewa County22258$85,901$1,652
Pierce County10106$85,759$1,649
Brown County801,713$84,854$1,632

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Wisconsin

More on Wisconsin

Questions this page answers

How much do plumbers make in Wisconsin?

The median plumber in Wisconsin earned $39.04 an hour ($81,210 a year) in May 2025, 27% above the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $29.53–$49.79; the top 10% earn more than $57.72.

Where does Wisconsin rank for plumber pay?

Wisconsin ranks 7th of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $39.04 an hour, and 7th after adjusting for Wisconsin's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.1, US = 100).

What is the union plumber rate in Wisconsin?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plumbers in 72 counties, with a typical package of $87.91 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plumbers work in Wisconsin?

BLS counted 10,210 plumbers in Wisconsin in May 2025, 3.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.16; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is plumber work growing in Wisconsin?

The BLS employer survey count of plumbers in Wisconsin went from 6,960 in 2015 to 10,210 in 2025, +46.7%, and +24.4% since 2019. Wisconsin's labor market agency projects +10.7% growth for plumbers between 2024 and 2034, from 9,930 to 11,000 jobs.

How many plumber openings a year are there in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin projects about 950 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, Wisconsin 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: Wisconsin labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.