How much does a Plumber make in New York?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $78,460 for Plumbers in New York as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $60,160 and the 75th-percentile is $101,060.

What does the top of the Plumber pay scale look like in New York?

The 90th percentile lands at $128,540. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $101,060.

How many Plumbers does New York employ?

BLS OES counts 22,630 Plumbers employed in New York in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for New York?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within New York.

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 New York?

BLS does not split union from non-union compensation. In New York, 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 New York is predominantly non-union. UA Local hall job boards in New York are the cleanest reference for current scale and benefit values.

Service plumber vs new construction plumber in New York — pay difference?

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

New York Plumber Salary: BLS $78K Median, Real $73K (2026)

TL;DR

BLS reports New York Plumber median pay at $78,460. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $72,755.
P25-P75 spread runs $60,160 to $101,060; P10 floor $46,040, P90 ceiling $128,540.
BEA RPP near 100 means nominal pay translates almost 1:1 into real take-home.
Plumber ranking: #10 on the BLS table, #12 once cost of living is in.

Wage breakdown — New York

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$46,040	$42,692
P25 (lower quartile)	$60,160	$55,785
P50 (median)	$78,460	$72,755
P75 (upper quartile)	$101,060	$93,711
P90 (top tier)	$128,540	$119,193
Mean	$84,510	$78,365
Employment	22,630 Plumbers in New York

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	New York index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	107.8
Goods	105.1
Services	135.4
Rents	122.0

New York is a high-cost state — RPP 107.8 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (122.0) and services (135.4).

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Plumber)	$78,460	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$8,508	10.8% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$3,710	4–10.9% (graduated; +NYC residents 3.078–3.876%)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$6,002	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$60,239	76.8% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$55,859	÷ (107.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the New York state-tax burden means for Plumber take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.7% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $60,239 (76.8% of gross). After the 107.8 RPP, real take-home is $55,859. Local-tax overlay: New York City residents add 3.078–3.876% city tax (Yonkers ~16.75% surtax on state liability). NYC numbers are not in the table — subtract roughly $2,746/year for a 5-borough resident at this income.

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. New York sits at #10 on nominal pay and #12 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, New York falls 2 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Plumber make in New York?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $78,460 for Plumbers in New York as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $60,160 and the 75th-percentile is $101,060.
What does the top of the Plumber pay scale look like in New York?: The 90th percentile lands at $128,540. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $101,060.
How many Plumbers does New York employ?: BLS OES counts 22,630 Plumbers employed in New York in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for New York?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within New York.
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 New York?: BLS does not split union from non-union compensation. In New York, 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 New York is predominantly non-union. UA Local hall job boards in New York are the cleanest reference for current scale and benefit values.
Service plumber vs new construction plumber in New York — pay difference?: BLS aggregates plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (47-2152) into one category. In New York, residential service plumbers (drain cleaning, water heater replacement, repair calls) earn near or below BLS median; commission-based service models in New York can produce above-median earnings for high-volume techs but with substantial variance. New-construction plumbing in New York 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 New York 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.