Why is the BEA RPP for Wyoming 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. Wyoming's overall index of 91.6 reflects rents 75.7, services 74.1, and goods 97.1.

How wide is the wage spread in Wyoming?

P10 to P90 spans $44,750 to $81,220. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

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

Yes — the BEA RPP of 91.6 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $61,480 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $67,154. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Plumbers comparing offers across regions.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Wyoming?

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 Wyoming.

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 Wyoming?

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

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

Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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.

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

TL;DR

Plumbers in Wyoming earn a BLS median of $61,480, with real take-home of $67,154 after BEA RPP adjustment.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #25 of 51; nominal rank is #33.
Low BEA RPP (91.6) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $5,674.
P25-P75 spread runs $48,980 to $72,950; P10 floor $44,750, P90 ceiling $81,220.

Wage breakdown — Wyoming

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$44,750	$48,880
P25 (lower quartile)	$48,980	$53,500
P50 (median)	$61,480	$67,154
P75 (upper quartile)	$72,950	$79,682
P90 (top tier)	$81,220	$88,716
Mean	$62,070	$67,798
Employment	1,140 Plumbers in Wyoming

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Wyoming index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	91.6
Goods	97.1
Services	74.1
Rents	75.7

Wyoming sits below the national baseline (RPP 91.6), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 75.7.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Plumber)	$61,480	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$5,240	8.5% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	no state income tax
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$4,703	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$51,537	83.8% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$56,293	÷ (91.6 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Wyoming levies no state income tax on wages, which is worth roughly $3,074 a year for a Plumber at the BLS median compared with the national-average state burden (≈5%). After the favorable cost of living, real take-home is $56,293 — higher than the nominal after-tax figure because RPP is below 100.

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. Wyoming sits at #33 on nominal pay and #25 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Wyoming climbs 8 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the BEA RPP for Wyoming 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. Wyoming's overall index of 91.6 reflects rents 75.7, services 74.1, and goods 97.1.
How wide is the wage spread in Wyoming?: P10 to P90 spans $44,750 to $81,220. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is Wyoming a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Plumbers?: Yes — the BEA RPP of 91.6 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $61,480 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $67,154. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Plumbers comparing offers across regions.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Wyoming?: 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 Wyoming.
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 Wyoming?: BLS does not split union from non-union compensation. In Wyoming, 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 Wyoming is predominantly non-union. UA Local hall job boards in Wyoming are the cleanest reference for current scale and benefit values.
How long is the Wyoming plumbing apprenticeship and what's the master plumber payback?: Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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.