Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2010

47-2152 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems. Includes sprinklerfitters.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
358,790 1.2 % $24.21 $50,360 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.26 $16.88 $22.43 $30.22 $38.42
Annual Wage (2) $27,580 $35,110 $46,660 $62,860 $79,920

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Building Equipment Contractors 251,860 15.25 $24.37 $50,690
Nonresidential Building Construction 15,020 2.26 $25.42 $52,880
Utility System Construction 13,540 3.51 $23.30 $48,460
Local Government (OES Designation) 12,680 0.23 $22.90 $47,630
Ship and Boat Building 5,690 4.54 $20.65 $42,940

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Building Equipment Contractors 251,860 15.25 $24.37 $50,690
Natural Gas Distribution 5,600 5.18 $25.90 $53,870
Ship and Boat Building 5,690 4.54 $20.65 $42,940
Utility System Construction 13,540 3.51 $23.30 $48,460
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 1,410 3.01 $20.63 $42,900

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Mining 1,690 0.64 $32.60 $67,820
Foundries 100 0.09 $31.64 $65,820
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing 1,300 0.32 $31.19 $64,870
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 1,140 0.29 $30.56 $63,560
Spectator Sports 30 0.03 $29.99 $62,380

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 32,770 2.34 0.83 $27.08 $56,330
Texas 29,590 2.93 1.04 $20.41 $42,460
New York 21,850 2.62 0.93 $28.92 $60,160
Florida 20,100 2.83 1.00 $18.90 $39,310
Illinois 17,200 3.11 1.10 $31.83 $66,200




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 1,980 6.41 2.27 $35.28 $73,380
Wyoming 1,430 5.30 1.88 $21.49 $44,700
Louisiana 8,850 4.83 1.71 $20.85 $43,360
Nebraska 4,020 4.46 1.58 $25.11 $52,230
Hawaii 2,330 4.08 1.45 $26.85 $55,850




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 1,980 6.41 2.27 $35.28 $73,380
Illinois 17,200 3.11 1.10 $31.83 $66,200
New Jersey 7,850 2.08 0.74 $30.60 $63,650
Wisconsin 6,600 2.53 0.90 $30.07 $62,550
Nevada 3,550 3.19 1.13 $29.44 $61,240

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 11,060 2.22 0.79 $31.16 $64,810
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division 9,860 2.78 0.99 $33.65 $69,990
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 8,840 3.54 1.25 $22.53 $46,870
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 7,120 3.11 1.10 $23.76 $49,420
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 6,630 1.74 0.62 $28.26 $58,790
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 5,280 2.40 0.85 $21.68 $45,090
St. Louis, MO-IL 5,260 4.19 1.48 $28.39 $59,060
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 4,890 4.07 1.44 $30.87 $64,210
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 4,880 2.94 1.04 $30.84 $64,150
Baltimore-Towson, MD 4,620 3.73 1.32 $25.40 $52,830




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 720 9.15 3.24 $27.42 $57,020
Fond du Lac, WI 360 8.83 3.13 $30.21 $62,830
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 1,310 8.42 2.98 $22.33 $46,450
Fairbanks, AK 280 8.03 2.85 $28.95 $60,220
Lewiston, ID-WA 190 7.97 2.83 $18.91 $39,320
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 710 7.84 2.78 $18.42 $38,310
Mobile, AL 1,230 7.35 2.61 $18.48 $38,430
Farmington, NM 350 7.21 2.55 $23.96 $49,840
Corpus Christi, TX 1,230 7.08 2.51 $18.24 $37,950
Jacksonville, NC 300 6.96 2.47 $17.10 $35,570