Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter Salary in California
Median annual pay in California
$72,830
$35.01/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in California
$65,779
Regional Price Parity: 110.720 (U.S. = 100)
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Difference from the U.S. median ($63,800): +$9,030 (+14.2%)
California ranks 17th of 51 states by median pay, and 31st of 51 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,350 | $22.76 |
| 25th percentile | $58,980 | $28.36 |
| Median | $72,830 | $35.01 |
| 75th percentile | $100,200 | $48.17 |
| 90th percentile | $131,100 | $63.03 |
Employment
- Employment in California
- 47,660
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in California
- $72,830
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $63,800
- Difference
- +$9,030 (+14.2%)
Cost of living
$72,830 ÷ 110.720 × 100 = $65,779
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | ||
| 15th | $76,470 | $74,765 12th |
| Indiana | ||
| 16th | $76,320 | $81,775 10th |
| California This page | ||
| 17th | $72,830 | $65,779 31st |
| Pennsylvania | ||
| 18th | $68,080 | $69,774 23rd |
| New Hampshire | ||
| 19th | $66,810 | $64,139 33rd |
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Boilermaker salary in the U.S.
$76,410/year U.S.
- Pipelayer salary in the U.S.
$49,000/year U.S.
- Septic Tank Servicer and Sewer Pipe Cleaner salary in the U.S.
$49,880/year U.S.
- Stationary Engineer and Boiler Operator salary in the U.S.
$78,620/year U.S.
- Construction Laborer salary in the U.S.
$47,120/year U.S.
- Electrician salary in California
$76,160/year California
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +6.8%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- High school diploma or equivalent
BLS publishes employment projections only for the U.S. as a whole. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Specialties included in this occupation
- Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
BLS publishes one wage figure for all Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters; it does not publish separate data for these specialties.
O*NET 31.0
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Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter salary in nearby places
- Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter salary in Arizona
$62,070/year Arizona
- Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter salary in Nevada
$61,610/year Nevada
- Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter salary in Oregon
$97,050/year Oregon
- Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter salary in the U.S.
$63,800/year U.S.
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations and specialties: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
- Neighboring states: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024.
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