plumber salary in Louisville, KY
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters in Louisville earn a median $35.91 per hour and $74,680 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2025. Compare local wage ranges, pay history, and job offers below.
$35.91/hr
Median hourly pay
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Data updated October 2026
Median marker. Shaded band: middle 50% of wages.
plumber hourly wage range in Louisville
Median marker. Shaded band: middle 50% of wages.
| Percentile | Hourly pay |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.20/hr |
| 25th percentile | $24.84/hr |
| Median | $35.91/hr |
| 75th percentile | $42.51/hr |
| 90th percentile | $45.64/hr |
The median is the middle wage. Half earn less. Half earn more.
$34.41/hr
Mean hourly pay
$71,560
Mean annual pay
2,780
Jobs in Louisville
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters pay trend in Louisville, 2015 to 2025
Published median hourly pay from 2015 to 2025.
+59.1% since May 2015
Dashed markers are years BLS didn’t publish this combination. Shown as gaps, never interpolated.
Living costs, take-home pay, and benefits
Adjusted pay
Cost-of-living adjusted pay
$38.58/hr
The BLS OEWS May 2025 median for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in Louisville is $35.91/hr. The BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 index for the Louisville area is 93.1 (US average = 100). Divided, the pay equals $38.58/hr. That is what the pay buys against the national average cost level.
In May 2026 dollars (BLS CPI-U), the 2015 median was $31.81/hr; the 2025 median is $37.44/hr (up 17.7% after inflation).
See all 50 cities ranked by adjusted pay
BLS OEWS May 2025, adjusted with BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Official BLS figures are unchanged above.
Compare hourly pay
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters in Louisville, KY.
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Data updated October 2026
Take-home pay for Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters in Louisville
The BLS OEWS May 2025 median, $35.91 per hour, becomes a paycheck. Estimated after federal income tax, state income tax, and FICA.
Enter an hourly pay above to see the take-home estimate.
Total compensation for Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters in Louisville
Employers pay about $16.16 more per hour in benefits on top of the $35.91 median wage (health insurance, retirement, paid leave, and legally required costs), based on the national BLS average for this occupation group.
Estimated total compensation
≈ $52.07/hr
wages $35.91 + benefits ≈ $16.16/hr
Where the benefits go (est. $/hr)
- Wages$35.91/hr
- Legally required≈ $4.71/hr
- Insurance≈ $4.24/hr
- Retirement & savings≈ $2.65/hr
- Paid leave≈ $2.36/hr
- Supplemental pay≈ $2.20/hr
Estimate from BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026, private industry workers: the national average benefit load for construction, extraction, farming, fishing, and forestry occupations, applied to the median wage for this city. Actual benefits vary by employer, union status, and firm size.
Workplace injury rates for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters
In 2024, 47 pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters died from work injuries for a fatal injury rate of 6.9 per 100,000 full-time workers, 2.1× the national average. These are national rates for the occupation, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Fatal work injury rate, 2024
6.9 /100k FTE
2.1× the national average (national average: 3.3 per 100,000)
BLS publishes this rate for the broader group “Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters”, which includes closely related occupations, not just plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters.
Nonfatal injuries & illnesses, 2023 to 2024 (annualized)
144.5 /10k FTE
cases involving days away from work, per 10,000 full-time workers (private industry), 1.7× the national average (national average: 86.6). BLS publishes occupation-level figures every two years; this is the latest release.
Fatal injury rate by trade, ranked
- 01Roofers48.7/100k
- 02Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers20.9/100k
- 03Maintenance & Repair Workers10.8/100k
- 04Carpenters7.5/100k
- 05Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters6.9/100k
- 06Welders6.9/100k
- 07HVAC Technicians6.7/100k
- 08Painters (Construction & Maintenance)6.6/100k
- 09Automotive Service Technicians6.3/100k
- 10Electricians5.3/100k
Fatal injury rates from the 2024 BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, by occupation, private and public sector. 2024 is the latest published year; BLS releases 2025 data in December 2026. Rates are national, not city-specific. BLS rates are hours-based and use survey employment denominators subject to sampling error.
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How to become a plumber in Kentucky
In FY2024, Kentucky had 733 active plumber apprentices (#22 of 54 jurisdictions) out of 45,960 nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship database. The standard way in is a registered apprenticeship: paid on-the-job training combined with classroom instruction.
Active plumber apprentices in Kentucky (statewide, FY2024)
733
45,960 nationwide · Kentucky ranks #22 of 54 jurisdictions
Jurisdictions with the most active plumber apprentices, FY2024, top 10
- 01California4,506
- 02Indiana3,540
- 03Texas3,446
- 04Illinois2,551
- 05Arkansas2,208
- 06Ohio2,152
- 07Pennsylvania1,993
- 08Michigan1,861
- 09Florida1,840
- 10Iowa1,483
Active plumber apprentices, FY2014-FY2024 (national)
From 26,410 in FY2014 to 45,960 in FY2024: +74.0%. Annual snapshots of active apprentices, not new entrants.
Plumber apprenticeship training
A registered plumber apprenticeship combines paid work with classroom instruction. Employers, unions, and trade associations run programs registered with the U.S. Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency.
- Paid work
Learn the trade on the job. Apprentice wages rise as skills develop.
- Classroom training
Study alongside supervised work. Programs typically last several years.
- License requirements
In licensed trades such as electrical and plumbing, apprenticeship hours usually count toward the state license. Requirements depend on the trade and state.
Search open programs at Apprenticeship.gov, the Department of Labor’s apprenticeship site.
Apprenticeship data sources and occupation titles
Active apprentice counts from the DOL Registered Apprenticeship, FY2024 database (RAPIDS): distinct apprentices by apprentice state (DOL defines this as the apprentice’s location; records from state apprenticeship agencies use the program’s state). Figures are statewide and are the same on every city page in the state. Occupation was not reported for 34.0% of active apprentices, so trade-level counts understate the true pipeline. DOL occupation titles counted: “PLUMBER”, “Plumber”, “Residential Plumber”, “PIPE FITTER (Construction)”, “PIPEFITTER II”, “Pipefitter”, “Pipefitter (Board of Water Supply)”, “PIPEFITTER (WATER SYSTEM)”, “PIPE FITTER (Ship & Boat)”, “Steamfitter”, “SPRINKLER FITTER (Existing Title: Pipe Fitter)”. U.S. Department of Labor dataset.
Union vs nonunion pay for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters
Full-time union members in this occupation group have median weekly earnings of $1,561, versus $1,004 for nonunion workers: a 55.5% union wage premium, or about $557 more per week. The Bureau of Labor Statistics cautions that these comparisons do not account for age, firm size, industry, or geography. These are the official national figures.
Union wage premium, 2025 (est. from national medians)
+55.5%
$1,561/week union vs $1,004/week nonunion (across all workers: +19.6%)
Median weekly earnings, full-time workers, 2025
Union wage premium by trade, ranked
- 01Electricians+55.5%
- 02Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters+55.5%
- 03Carpenters+55.5%
- 04Painters (Construction & Maintenance)+55.5%
- 05Roofers+55.5%
- 06Structural Iron and Steel Workers+55.5%
- 07Sheet Metal Workers+55.5%
- 08Brickmasons and Blockmasons+55.5%
- 09Glaziers+55.5%
- 10Heavy Equipment Operators+55.5%
- 11Insulation Workers+55.5%
- 12Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers+52.0%
- 13HVAC Technicians+37.8%
- 14Automotive Service Technicians+37.8%
- 15Maintenance & Repair Workers+37.8%
- 16Welders+22.9%
Median usual weekly earnings from the 2025 BLS Current Population Survey, union membership annual release (Table 4): full-time wage and salary workers, sole or principal job. BLS publishes union-earnings figures for the broader group “Construction and extraction occupations”; these premiums are national. All self-employed workers are excluded. 2025 is an 11-month average (October not collected during the federal shutdown).
Jobs, hiring, and industry pay
How plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters pay in Louisville compares to the national median
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters in Louisville earn +17.1% more than the US median.
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters job outlook, 2024 to 2034
+4.0%
Projected employment growth for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters from 2024 to 2034. About as fast as the average This is a projection, not a guarantee.
Hiring demand
Job openings for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters
520
Projected plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters openings per year in Kentucky, 2024 to 2034.
Nationally, BLS projects about 42,000 plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters openings per year from 2025 to 2035. Most come from replacement, not new jobs: about 38,500 a year as workers retire or switch occupations, versus 3,500 a year from growth.
National: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-2035. State: Projections Central, 2024-2034.
Monthly demand signal
Construction hiring trend
8.36M
Construction workers employed in August 2026, up 1.5% from a year earlier.
Buildings (236)
up 1.5%
vs year earlier
Heavy and civil (237)
up 2.3%
vs year earlier
Specialty trades (238)
up 1.3%
vs year earlier
Production and nonsupervisory workers in construction averaged $39.36/hr in August 2026, up 5.0% from a year earlier. Supervisory pay is not included.
These are national construction-industry figures, not plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters-specific. They describe demand, not pay for this trade.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, seasonally adjusted, through August 2026. The latest month is preliminary and subject to revision.
Pay by industry
Where plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters earn the most
Top 8 of 88 published industries by national median hourly pay. These are national figures, not Louisville pay.
Industry pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Industries with suppressed BLS figures are not listed.
Related trades
Related trades to compare
Entry difficulty: Job Zone 3: medium preparation needed.
O*NET lists these occupations as related to plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters, ranked by national median pay. Each link shows the same Louisville page for that trade.
- Electricians$30.38/hr US median
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers$30.18/hr US median
- Sheet Metal Workers$29.71/hr US median
- HVAC Technicians$29.33/hr US median
- Carpenters$29.12/hr US median
- Maintenance & Repair Workers$23.84/hr US median
Related occupations and Job Zones: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor.
Job concentration: Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters account for 1.35 times the national share of jobs in Louisville.
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters pay by city and trade: full rankings
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters pay by city: highest to lowest median
Median hourly pay in all 50 cities. The top 10 are highlighted.
Trade pay in Louisville: all 17 trades ranked
Median hourly pay for all 17 trades in Louisville, KY.
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters: compare two cities
Pick any two cities to compare plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters pay side by side: nominal medians, the middle-50% spread, and cost-of-living adjusted figures.
Louisville
KY · Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters
$35.91/hr
Median hourly pay
p25 $24.84p75 $42.51
- Jobs in the city
- 2,780
- Cost-of-living adjustednew
- $38.58/hr
Adjusted with BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (index 93.1; US avg = 100). Nominal BLS figures unchanged above.
New York
NY · Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters
$37.79/hr
Median hourly pay
p25 $29.76p75 $51.91
- Jobs in the city
- 21,040
- Cost-of-living adjustednew
- $33.57/hr
Adjusted with BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (index 112.6; US avg = 100). Nominal BLS figures unchanged above.
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Openings
Find plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters jobs in Louisville
Job boards carry current openings with posted pay. Use the BLS figures above to judge whether an offer is fair.
Worker pay reports: plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in Louisville
Checking for worker-submitted rates…
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Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters pay questions
Where does Trade Salaries get its pay data?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release: an employer survey covering millions of workers. Worker-submitted figures come from tradespeople who anonymously shared their pay on this site.
What is the difference between median and mean pay?
The median is the middle of the pay scale: half of plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in Louisville earn more, half earn less. The mean is the arithmetic average, which a few very high earners can pull upward. When comparing job offers, the median is the more useful number.
What do pay percentiles (p10, p25, p75, p90) mean?
They mark points on the pay scale. Ten percent of workers earn less than p10. A quarter earn less than p25 and a quarter earn more than p75. Ten percent earn more than p90. The p25 to p75 range covers the middle half of workers.
Has plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters pay in Louisville changed since last year?
The median hourly pay for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in Louisville is up 12.5% compared with May 2024, according to BLS OEWS. That is the official year-over-year change. The BLS publishes new wage data once a year, so this is the latest official comparison available. Worker-submitted rates, when posted, can reflect more recent conditions.
What is a location quotient?
It compares a trade's share of local jobs with its share of US jobs. The location quotient for plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters in Louisville is 1.35. Above 1.0 means a larger share of local jobs; below 1.0 means a smaller share. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
How are hourly and annual pay figures related?
BLS annual figures assume full-time, year-round work: 40 hours a week times 52 weeks, or 2,080 hours. The annual number is the hourly rate multiplied by 2,080. Overtime, bonuses, and unpaid time off are not included, so actual take-home pay varies with hours worked.
How current is the pay data?
The official figures are from BLS OEWS May 2025, the latest full release. The BLS publishes new wage data once a year, usually the following spring. Worker-submitted rates update continuously as people add them, and reflect current conditions more quickly than the annual survey.
How do I submit my pay anonymously?
Use the Add your rate form. It takes about 30 seconds and asks for no name, email, or account. Your trade, city, experience, and pay are all you enter. Submissions are reviewed before they appear publicly on the matching rate pages.
How do I become a plumber in Kentucky?
Through a registered apprenticeship: paid on-the-job training plus classroom instruction, typically lasting several years, with wages that rise as you learn. Kentucky had 733 active plumber apprentices in FY2024, #22 of 54 jurisdictions (DOL). Search open programs at Apprenticeship.gov.
Do union plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters earn more?
Yes. In 2025, full-time union members in construction and extraction occupations earned a median of $1,561 a week versus $1,004 for nonunion workers, a +55.5% premium. These are national BLS figures; union contracts often add better benefits and overtime rules the wage figures don't capture.
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters pay in other cities
How does Louisville compare nationally? See the 2026 state of trade pay report: fastest-growing wages, biggest city pay premiums, and union gaps, computed from official BLS data.