Plumber · Rhode Island · SOC 47-2152
Plumbers in Rhode Island: 2026 Salary, Real Wage, and Cost-Adjusted Pay
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-07.
TL;DR
- Rhode Island pays Plumbers a BLS median of $64,630 — the more useful number is $63,322, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
- Nominal: #18/51 · Real: #30/51 — ranking shifts by 12 positions after RPP.
- Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
- P25-P75 spread runs $50,570 to $81,850; P10 floor $47,880, P90 ceiling $106,530.
Wage breakdown — Rhode Island
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $47,880 | $46,911 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $50,570 | $49,547 |
| P50 (median) | $64,630 | $63,322 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $81,850 | $80,194 |
| P90 (top tier) | $106,530 | $104,375 |
| Mean | $72,760 | $71,288 |
| Employment | 1,790 Plumbers in Rhode Island | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Rhode Island index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 102.1 |
| Goods | 98.3 |
| Services | 145.1 |
| Rents | 102.7 |
Rhode Island's overall RPP (102.1) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Rhode Island (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Plumber) | $64,630 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$5,618 | 8.7% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$2,028 | 3.75–5.99% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$4,944 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $52,040 | 80.5% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $50,987 | ÷ (102.1 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Rhode Island state-tax burden means for Plumber take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.1% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $52,040 (80.5% of gross). After the 102.1 RPP, real take-home is $50,987.
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. Rhode Island sits at #18 on nominal pay and #30 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Rhode Island falls 12 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Plumber salary in Rhode Island?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 102.1 for Rhode Island), the real-wage equivalent is $63,322 — what the $64,630 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $49,547 to $80,194.
- What does the top of the Plumber pay scale look like in Rhode Island?
- The 90th percentile lands at $106,530. 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 $81,850.
- How many Plumbers does Rhode Island employ?
- BLS OES counts 1,790 Plumbers employed in Rhode Island in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Is Rhode Island a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Plumbers?
- No — Rhode Island's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Rhode Island?
- 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 Rhode Island.
- Union vs non-union plumber pay in Rhode Island?
- BLS does not split union from non-union compensation. In Rhode Island, 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 Rhode Island is predominantly non-union. UA Local hall job boards in Rhode Island are the cleanest reference for current scale and benefit values.
- How long is the Rhode Island plumbing apprenticeship and what's the master plumber payback?
- Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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.
Cross-comparison: see how Rhode Island 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.