Plumbers and Pipefitters
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Plumbers and Pipefitters in the United States earn a median salary of $63,800 per year — about $31 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 505K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +4%.
AI & Automation Risk
The core duties of this occupation are highly physical, requiring manual dexterity, strength, and real-time problem-solving in unpredictable physical environments like crawl spaces and construction sites. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like cost estimation, blueprint analysis via BIM, and scheduling, it cannot perform the essential hands-on installation and repair work.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign-Urbana, ILBEST VALUE | $95,530 | Below avg (92.7) | $103,048 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $90,230 | Below avg (87.6) | $102,965 |
| Terre Haute, IN | $90,250 | Below avg (87.8) | $102,794 |
| Rockford, IL | $94,230 | Below avg (92.2) | $102,253 |
| Kokomo, IN | $91,470 | Below avg (89.6) | $102,032 |
| Bloomington, IN | $96,980 | Below avg (95.1) | $101,994 |
| Springfield, IL | $94,370 | Below avg (92.7) | $101,752 |
| Eau Claire, WI | $92,720 | Below avg (92.8) | $99,918 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $103,380 | Above avg (103.6) | $99,792 |
| Bellingham, WA | $102,750 | Above avg (103.3) | $99,435 |
| Appleton, WI | $91,750 | Below avg (92.4) | $99,276 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $107,560 | Above avg (110.4) | $97,407 |
| Sheboygan, WI | $91,530 | Below avg (94.0) | $97,358 |
| Green Bay, WI | $90,570 | Below avg (93.1) | $97,297 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $97,130 | Average (100.1) | $97,053 |