Plumber · Oregon · SOC 47-2152
Oregon Plumber Salary — 2026 BLS + BEA RPP
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-07.
TL;DR
- Oregon pays Plumbers a BLS median of $93,110 — the more useful number is $88,835, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
- BEA RPP near 100 means nominal pay translates almost 1:1 into real take-home.
- P25-P75 spread runs $64,550 to $113,570; P10 floor $53,930, P90 ceiling $131,420.
- State ranks #2 nationally on nominal wage, #2 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
Wage breakdown — Oregon
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $53,930 | $51,454 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $64,550 | $61,586 |
| P50 (median) | $93,110 | $88,835 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $113,570 | $108,356 |
| P90 (top tier) | $131,420 | $125,386 |
| Mean | $92,480 | $88,234 |
| Employment | 6,080 Plumbers in Oregon | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Oregon index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 104.8 |
| Goods | 104.8 |
| Services | 91.0 |
| Rents | 109.2 |
Oregon's overall RPP (104.8) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Oregon (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Plumber) | $93,110 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$11,731 | 12.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$7,606 | 4.75–9.9% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,123 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $66,650 | 71.6% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $63,590 | ÷ (104.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Oregon state-tax burden means for Plumber take-home
Oregon carries one of the heavier state-tax loads in the country at this income tier (8.2% effective on the BLS median). Combined with federal and FICA, gross-to-take-home spread is 28.4%, leaving $66,650 pre-RPP and $63,590 after the 104.8 cost-of-living index — a $29,520 gap from the headline gross.
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. Oregon sits at #2 on nominal pay and #2 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. Nominal and real ranking are the same — cost of living and pay scale together.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Plumber make in Oregon?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $93,110 for Plumbers in Oregon as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $64,550 and the 75th-percentile is $113,570.
- Why is the BEA RPP for Oregon 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. Oregon's overall index of 104.8 reflects rents 109.2, services 91.0, and goods 104.8.
- How wide is the wage spread in Oregon?
- P10 to P90 spans $53,930 to $131,420. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- What are the limits of these Plumber salary numbers?
- BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Oregon?
- 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 Oregon.
- Union vs non-union plumber pay in Oregon?
- BLS does not split union from non-union compensation. In Oregon, 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 Oregon is predominantly non-union. UA Local hall job boards in Oregon are the cleanest reference for current scale and benefit values.
- Service plumber vs new construction plumber in Oregon — pay difference?
- BLS aggregates plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (47-2152) into one category. In Oregon, residential service plumbers (drain cleaning, water heater replacement, repair calls) earn near or below BLS median; commission-based service models in Oregon can produce above-median earnings for high-volume techs but with substantial variance. New-construction plumbing in Oregon 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.
Cross-comparison: see how Oregon 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.