How Much Can a Plumber Make in an Hour?

Salaries

• The PayScale Report shows that as of December 2010, plumbers make a base hourly rate of $20.87 to $33.34, with overtime wages of $31.31 to $48.48. Annual bonuses of $500 to $2,500 and profit sharing of $500 to $7,861 can boost total pay to $47,612 to $78,226 per year.
  
  

Experience

• Experienced plumbers are more skilled at diagnosing and solving problems, making them more valuable to employers. They generally receive more pay with each passing year. Those with one to four years make $14.84 to $25.00 per hour, and at five to nine years, they earn $21.40 to $35.46. At 10 to 19 years, they get $23.48 to $33.87, and at 20 years or more, they receive $23.63 to $34.34.
  
  

Industry

• The hiring industry can affect compensation with plumbing contractors showing the widest range of hourly rates at $12.72 to $36.82. Heating and cooling systems services pay the highest wages at $19.22 to $37.91, followed by the construction industry, where pay is at $22.19 to $35.82. Finally, those who specialize in fire protection sprinklers receive $21.80 to $34.39.
  
  

States

• The state with the widest and highest range of plumber pay is Pennsylvania, with wages at $21.40 to $43.51 per hour. The state with the second highest salaries is New York at $24.43 to $35.05. Out west, California pays $24.12 to $34.98 per hour, while Texas offers $18.10 to $27.53. Finally, in the Midwest, those in Michigan earn $26.14 to $32.96, and those in Ohio get $23.86 to $32.97.
  
  

City

• The city with the highest pay is New York, with a range of $24.53 per hour to $50.11. It is followed by Las Vegas, Nevada, at $33.57 to $44.99, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at $13.76 to $43.51. Out west, Denver, Colorado, contains employers that pay $19 to $32.43, while plumbers in Dallas, Texas, make $18 to $30.52. (REFERENCE 6)