How much does a Plumber make in Massachusetts?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $83,260 for Plumbers in Massachusetts as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $59,100 and the 75th-percentile is $105,630.

Why is the BEA RPP for Massachusetts 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. Massachusetts's overall index of 107.7 reflects rents 130.1, services 166.1, and goods 100.0.

Where does Massachusetts rank for Plumber pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?

P10 to P90 spans $47,830 to $140,500. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Is Massachusetts a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Plumbers?

No — Massachusetts's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

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

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

How long is the Massachusetts plumbing apprenticeship and what's the master plumber payback?

Massachusetts typically requires 4-5 years (8,000-10,000 hours) of supervised on-the-job training plus 144+ classroom hours per year before the journeyman plumber exam. Master plumber licensure in Massachusetts requires an additional 2-5 years post-journeyman plus a separate exam, and unlocks business ownership, permit-pulling authority, and significantly higher compensation — owner-operator master plumbers in Massachusetts routinely earn 1.5-3× the BLS journeyman median once business profit is included. Apprenticeship pay starts at 40-60% of journeyman scale and ratchets up annually.

How Much Do Plumbers Make in Massachusetts? $83K (2026 BLS + BEA)

TL;DR

Massachusetts pays Plumbers a BLS median of $83,260 — the more useful number is $77,325, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #8 of 51; nominal rank is #4.
Cost adjustment is small — neither an arbitrage state nor a high-cost penalty.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $47,830 · P25 $59,100 · P75 $105,630 · P90 $140,500.

Wage breakdown — Massachusetts

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$47,830	$44,421
P25 (lower quartile)	$59,100	$54,887
P50 (median)	$83,260	$77,325
P75 (upper quartile)	$105,630	$98,101
P90 (top tier)	$140,500	$130,485
Mean	$87,390	$81,161
Employment	15,670 Plumbers in Massachusetts

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Massachusetts index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	107.7
Goods	100.0
Services	166.1
Rents	130.1

Massachusetts is a high-cost state — RPP 107.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (130.1) and services (166.1).

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Plumber)	$83,260	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$9,564	11.5% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$4,163	5% flat 2026 (4% surtax above $1M)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$6,369	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$63,163	75.9% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$58,661	÷ (107.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Mid-band state-tax burden at 5.0% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $63,163 (75.9% of gross). After the 107.7 RPP, real take-home is $58,661.

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. Massachusetts sits at #4 on nominal pay and #8 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Massachusetts falls 4 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Plumber make in Massachusetts?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $83,260 for Plumbers in Massachusetts as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $59,100 and the 75th-percentile is $105,630.
Why is the BEA RPP for Massachusetts 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. Massachusetts's overall index of 107.7 reflects rents 130.1, services 166.1, and goods 100.0.
Where does Massachusetts rank for Plumber pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?: P10 to P90 spans $47,830 to $140,500. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is Massachusetts a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Plumbers?: No — Massachusetts's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
Service plumber vs new construction plumber in Massachusetts — pay difference?: BLS aggregates plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (47-2152) into one category. In Massachusetts, residential service plumbers (drain cleaning, water heater replacement, repair calls) earn near or below BLS median; commission-based service models in Massachusetts can produce above-median earnings for high-volume techs but with substantial variance. New-construction plumbing in Massachusetts pays above median for pipefitter and steamfitter specialties on industrial and commercial projects, especially when union-rate prevailing-wage rules apply on government work.
How long is the Massachusetts plumbing apprenticeship and what's the master plumber payback?: Massachusetts typically requires 4-5 years (8,000-10,000 hours) of supervised on-the-job training plus 144+ classroom hours per year before the journeyman plumber exam. Master plumber licensure in Massachusetts requires an additional 2-5 years post-journeyman plus a separate exam, and unlocks business ownership, permit-pulling authority, and significantly higher compensation — owner-operator master plumbers in Massachusetts routinely earn 1.5-3× the BLS journeyman median once business profit is included. Apprenticeship pay starts at 40-60% of journeyman scale and ratchets up annually.

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 Massachusetts 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.