How much does a Plumber make in Iowa?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $61,230 for Plumbers in Iowa as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $48,510 and the 75th-percentile is $80,450.

Why is the BEA RPP for Iowa different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Iowa's overall index of 88.8 reflects rents 66.0, services 87.3, and goods 96.6.

Where does Iowa rank for Plumber pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Iowa ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

How wide is the wage spread in Iowa?

P10 to P90 spans $41,840 to $92,690. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

Union vs non-union plumber pay in Iowa?

BLS does not split union from non-union compensation. In Iowa, UA (United Association)-represented plumbers and pipefitters typically earn 20-40% above non-union median once health, pension, and annuity contributions are included. The premium is concentrated in industrial, commercial, and government project work; residential service plumbing in Iowa is predominantly non-union. UA Local hall job boards in Iowa are the cleanest reference for current scale and benefit values.

Service plumber vs new construction plumber in Iowa — pay difference?

BLS aggregates plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (47-2152) into one category. In Iowa, residential service plumbers (drain cleaning, water heater replacement, repair calls) earn near or below BLS median; commission-based service models in Iowa can produce above-median earnings for high-volume techs but with substantial variance. New-construction plumbing in Iowa pays above median for pipefitter and steamfitter specialties on industrial and commercial projects, especially when union-rate prevailing-wage rules apply on government work.

2026 Plumber Salary — Iowa ($61K BLS, RPP-Adjusted Real Wage)

TL;DR

BLS reports Iowa Plumber median pay at $61,230. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $68,977.
P25-P75 spread runs $48,510 to $80,450; P10 floor $41,840, P90 ceiling $92,690.
Low BEA RPP (88.8) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $7,747.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #21 of 51; nominal rank is #34.

Wage breakdown — Iowa

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$41,840	$47,134
P25 (lower quartile)	$48,510	$54,647
P50 (median)	$61,230	$68,977
P75 (upper quartile)	$80,450	$90,628
P90 (top tier)	$92,690	$104,417
Mean	$64,860	$73,066
Employment	6,350 Plumbers in Iowa

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Iowa index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	88.8
Goods	96.6
Services	87.3
Rents	66.0

Iowa sits below the national baseline (RPP 88.8), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 66.0.

After-tax take-home — Iowa (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Plumber)	$61,230	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$5,210	8.5% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$1,728	3.8% flat (2026, SF 2417 fully phased)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$4,684	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$49,608	81.0% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$55,884	÷ (88.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Iowa state-tax burden means for Plumber take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 2.8% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $49,608 (81.0% of gross). After the 88.8 RPP, real take-home is $55,884.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $62,970 for Plumbers with mean pay of $69,940 and total employment of 455,940. Iowa sits at #34 on nominal pay and #21 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Iowa climbs 13 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Plumber make in Iowa?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $61,230 for Plumbers in Iowa as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $48,510 and the 75th-percentile is $80,450.
Why is the BEA RPP for Iowa different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Iowa's overall index of 88.8 reflects rents 66.0, services 87.3, and goods 96.6.
Where does Iowa rank for Plumber pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Iowa ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
How wide is the wage spread in Iowa?: P10 to P90 spans $41,840 to $92,690. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Union vs non-union plumber pay in Iowa?: BLS does not split union from non-union compensation. In Iowa, UA (United Association)-represented plumbers and pipefitters typically earn 20-40% above non-union median once health, pension, and annuity contributions are included. The premium is concentrated in industrial, commercial, and government project work; residential service plumbing in Iowa is predominantly non-union. UA Local hall job boards in Iowa are the cleanest reference for current scale and benefit values.
Service plumber vs new construction plumber in Iowa — pay difference?: BLS aggregates plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (47-2152) into one category. In Iowa, residential service plumbers (drain cleaning, water heater replacement, repair calls) earn near or below BLS median; commission-based service models in Iowa can produce above-median earnings for high-volume techs but with substantial variance. New-construction plumbing in Iowa pays above median for pipefitter and steamfitter specialties on industrial and commercial projects, especially when union-rate prevailing-wage rules apply on government work.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 47-2152, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-07.

Cross-comparison: see how Iowa Plumber pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.