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How Much Does a Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter Helper Make?

A pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helper in the US earns a median salary of $42,360 a year, or $20.36 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $43,730, and the middle half earn between $36,940 and $47,720.

Median a year $42,360
Median an hour $20.36
Median a month $3,530
Average a year $43,730

Pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helper pay range

What pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helpers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $33,590 $16.15
25th $36,940 $17.76
Median (50th) $42,360 $20.36
75th $47,720 $22.94
90th (top 10%) $57,780 $27.78

The median is 17% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 44,330 people work as pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helpers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$815
Every two weeks
$1,629
Twice a month
$1,765
A month
$3,530

At the median salary, before tax.

Pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helper salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Washington pays pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helpers the most, at $58,480 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Washington $58,480 $56,140 600 After tax
New York $53,390 $52,000 4,840 After tax
Hawaii $50,680 $52,000 180 After tax
California $49,080 $47,130 2,500 After tax
Arizona $47,790 $47,990 460 After tax
Alaska $47,370 $47,290 100 After tax
Maine $47,310 $48,410 – After tax
Maryland $47,030 $46,170 970 After tax
Idaho $46,280 $40,120 – After tax
Oregon $46,200 $44,800 210 After tax
Wyoming $46,130 $45,250 40 After tax
Massachusetts $46,000 $44,340 – After tax
Colorado $45,970 $45,030 240 After tax
New Jersey $45,580 $44,360 760 After tax
Ohio $45,520 $45,760 1,090 After tax
District of Columbia $44,470 $45,440 – After tax
Nebraska $44,100 $44,550 70 After tax
New Hampshire $43,690 $46,030 70 After tax
Pennsylvania $43,310 $42,150 920 After tax
Nevada $43,250 $41,100 350 After tax
Indiana $43,120 $42,240 390 After tax
Utah $43,010 $43,380 390 After tax
Michigan $42,960 $42,810 270 After tax
Tennessee $42,940 $44,550 1,100 After tax
Texas $42,770 $41,950 7,210 After tax
Kentucky $42,470 $43,330 960 After tax
Oklahoma $42,390 $40,080 740 After tax
North Carolina $42,240 $43,710 3,070 After tax
Wisconsin $42,200 $41,670 450 After tax
Iowa $41,600 $37,870 350 After tax
Montana $41,550 $41,420 110 After tax
Illinois $41,520 $38,300 – After tax
Connecticut $41,420 $38,930 160 After tax
New Mexico $40,870 $40,100 400 After tax
South Carolina $40,860 $39,450 1,090 After tax
Virginia $40,700 $38,190 1,640 After tax
Kansas $40,680 $40,540 320 After tax
Florida $39,720 $37,560 4,500 After tax
Louisiana $39,100 $37,380 2,010 After tax
Georgia $39,070 $37,730 2,100 After tax
Arkansas $38,870 $37,670 330 After tax
Delaware $38,260 $36,070 140 After tax
Vermont $38,060 $37,440 140 After tax
Alabama $37,470 $37,440 770 After tax
Mississippi $36,590 $37,440 400 After tax
South Dakota $36,540 $36,500 210 After tax
Missouri $36,470 $34,630 280 After tax
West Virginia $35,280 $35,930 130 After tax
Puerto Rico $26,730 $25,560 460

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other construction and extraction jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters” (SOC 47-3015). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helper make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helper is $20.36, and the average is $21.03. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $16.15 an hour and the top 10% over $27.78.

How much does a pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helper make a month?

At the median salary of $42,360, a pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helper earns about $3,530 a month before tax, or $1,629 every two weeks.

Which state pays pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helpers the most?

Washington has the highest average pay for a pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helper, at $58,480 a year. Next are New York and Hawaii. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helper?

The lowest-paid 10% of pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helpers earn less than $33,590 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $36,940. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid pipelayer, plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter helpers make?

The top 10% earn more than $57,780 a year, and the top 25% more than $47,720.