Trades · 70 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Plumber (2025)

The median Plumber salary is $107,560 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Chicago, IL offers the best purchasing power at $96,347 adjusted.

The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Plumber, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Plumber relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$69,663

National Median

$107,560

Highest City

$49,190

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$107,560	$63,270, $155,600	195.8	$54,934	3,830
2	Chicago, IL	$103,380	$53,960, $127,200	107.3	$96,347	12,750
3	Minneapolis, MN	$101,630	$51,370, $121,720	106.2	$95,697	6,730
4	Portland, OR	$101,010	$57,640, $147,100	130.1	$77,640	4,600
5	Boston, MA	$96,760	$52,270, $143,950	152.1	$63,616	9,200
6	Seattle, WA	$95,230	$51,930, $153,500	149.4	$63,742	6,350
7	Anchorage, AK	$93,600	$53,730, $116,790	127	$73,701	640
8	Detroit, MI	$86,370	$48,250, $107,780	95.1	$90,820	5,520
9	Madison, WI	$85,160	$48,310, $123,270	103.8	$82,042	1,590
10	Milwaukee, WI	$84,700	$56,520, $124,470	97.4	$86,961	2,760
11	Providence, RI	$79,820	$49,590, $110,770	119.4	$66,851	3,000
12	Bridgeport, CT	$79,700	$46,940, $119,250	137.5	$57,964	1,000
13	New York, NY	$78,610	$47,870, $145,480	187.2	$41,993	21,040
14	San Francisco, CA	$77,880	$48,540, $155,330	179.6	$43,363	5,660
15	Albany, NY	$77,460	$47,050, $116,550	100.7	$76,922	1,470
16	Hartford, CT	$77,190	$43,260, $102,180	112.6	$68,552	1,850
17	Reno, NV	$77,020	$44,200, $111,540	106.5	$72,319	1,170
18	St. Louis, MO	$77,000	$47,040, $121,230	90	$85,556	4,060
19	Indianapolis, IN	$76,980	$46,740, $102,370	90.1	$85,438	4,010
20	Kansas City, MO	$76,150	$46,800, $122,820	95.4	$79,822	3,740
21	Des Moines, IA	$75,040	$47,720, $99,570	93.3	$80,429	2,150
22	Philadelphia, PA	$74,860	$48,400, $142,210	118.4	$63,226	7,150
23	Louisville, KY	$74,680	$48,250, $94,920	90.2	$82,794	2,780
24	Rochester, NY	$73,580	$43,570, $100,140	92.9	$79,203	1,460
25	Spokane, WA	$72,800	$47,830, $105,980	97.4	$74,743	810
26	San Diego, CA	$72,510	$46,030, $127,790	160.2	$45,262	5,100
27	Buffalo, NY	$72,230	$40,300, $104,040	92.5	$78,086	1,430
28	Washington, DC	$71,860	$47,480, $114,400	152.8	$47,029	9,420
29	Los Angeles, CA	$71,110	$46,090, $125,080	166	$42,837	15,690
30	Pittsburgh, PA	$70,100	$46,910, $107,870	92.3	$75,948	2,910
31	Bakersfield, CA	$66,450	$45,670, $117,840	100.6	$66,054	960
32	Sacramento, CA	$65,210	$46,620, $131,100	124.7	$52,294	3,120
33	Cincinnati, OH	$65,160	$46,830, $101,800	91.2	$71,447	3,640
34	Salt Lake City, UT	$64,800	$47,870, $88,310	101.4	$63,905	3,190
35	Fresno, CA	$64,400	$46,590, $124,280	105.5	$61,043	970
36	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$63,920	$48,910, $115,340	122.4	$52,222	4,510
37	Denver, CO	$63,900	$48,640, $102,770	112.8	$56,649	5,750
38	Albuquerque, NM	$63,900	$37,280, $87,920	94	$67,979	1,440
39	Phoenix, AZ	$63,750	$46,530, $100,710	100.7	$63,307	9,270
40	Omaha, NE	$63,400	$46,710, $98,540	91.8	$69,063	2,430
41	Columbus, OH	$63,260	$40,820, $103,000	93.1	$67,948	3,060
42	Baltimore, MD	$63,200	$45,220, $102,640	114.2	$55,342	5,220
43	Austin, TX	$62,810	$40,810, $80,920	103	$60,981	5,260
44	New Orleans, LA	$62,450	$39,220, $79,690	95.9	$65,120	1,510
45	Lexington, KY	$61,870	$45,280, $96,190	91.3	$67,766	810
46	Richmond, VA	$61,480	$44,420, $77,490	102.1	$60,215	2,340
47	Houston, TX	$61,300	$39,920, $85,680	96.5	$63,523	10,980
48	Dallas, TX	$61,250	$39,350, $82,230	104.1	$58,838	11,980
49	Wichita, KS	$60,940	$38,290, $93,630	84	$72,548	1,060
50	Raleigh, NC	$60,540	$42,940, $77,610	99.8	$60,661	2,810
51	Colorado Springs, CO	$60,510	$46,070, $87,730	104.5	$57,904	1,060
52	Nashville, TN	$60,100	$42,650, $83,670	100.3	$59,920	2,760
53	Birmingham, AL	$60,090	$38,620, $76,290	90.4	$66,471	1,840
54	Knoxville, TN	$59,860	$38,940, $79,560	90.3	$66,290	1,700
55	Las Vegas, NV	$59,700	$42,210, $119,300	109	$54,771	3,800
56	Tulsa, OK	$59,440	$37,990, $80,420	86.8	$68,479	1,950
57	Oklahoma City, OK	$59,150	$38,760, $83,260	86.5	$68,382	2,400
58	Tucson, AZ	$59,070	$43,840, $74,250	95.4	$61,918	1,170
59	Jacksonville, FL	$58,920	$40,020, $75,310	95.1	$61,956	2,380
60	Charlotte, NC	$58,690	$42,320, $76,010	96.7	$60,693	3,840
61	Memphis, TN	$58,690	$37,530, $82,020	84	$69,869	1,920
62	Atlanta, GA	$58,380	$37,900, $81,580	99.2	$58,851	5,470
63	San Antonio, TX	$58,180	$37,240, $78,530	91.5	$63,585	3,190
64	Miami, FL	$57,760	$40,360, $75,010	123.1	$46,921	5,930
65	Greensboro, NC	$57,510	$39,550, $73,860	91.3	$62,990	1,110
66	Boise, ID	$56,940	$39,450, $82,770	102.1	$55,769	1,760
67	Orlando, FL	$55,380	$39,900, $72,950	103.1	$53,715	4,040
68	Tampa, FL	$52,000	$41,610, $66,830	99.6	$52,209	4,180
69	Greenville, SC	$50,890	$36,690, $79,890	90.1	$56,482	960
70	Little Rock, AR	$49,190	$35,100, $68,540	88.2	$55,771	890

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Plumber paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Chicago, IL	$96,347	$103,380	107.3
2	Minneapolis, MN	$95,697	$101,630	106.2
3	Detroit, MI	$90,820	$86,370	95.1
4	Milwaukee, WI	$86,961	$84,700	97.4
5	St. Louis, MO	$85,556	$77,000	90
6	Indianapolis, IN	$85,438	$76,980	90.1
7	Louisville, KY	$82,794	$74,680	90.2
8	Madison, WI	$82,042	$85,160	103.8
9	Des Moines, IA	$80,429	$75,040	93.3
10	Kansas City, MO	$79,822	$76,150	95.4
11	Rochester, NY	$79,203	$73,580	92.9
12	Buffalo, NY	$78,086	$72,230	92.5
13	Portland, OR	$77,640	$101,010	130.1
14	Albany, NY	$76,922	$77,460	100.7
15	Pittsburgh, PA	$75,948	$70,100	92.3
16	Spokane, WA	$74,743	$72,800	97.4
17	Anchorage, AK	$73,701	$93,600	127
18	Wichita, KS	$72,548	$60,940	84
19	Reno, NV	$72,319	$77,020	106.5
20	Cincinnati, OH	$71,447	$65,160	91.2
21	Memphis, TN	$69,869	$58,690	84
22	Omaha, NE	$69,063	$63,400	91.8
23	Hartford, CT	$68,552	$77,190	112.6
24	Tulsa, OK	$68,479	$59,440	86.8
25	Oklahoma City, OK	$68,382	$59,150	86.5
26	Albuquerque, NM	$67,979	$63,900	94
27	Columbus, OH	$67,948	$63,260	93.1
28	Lexington, KY	$67,766	$61,870	91.3
29	Providence, RI	$66,851	$79,820	119.4
30	Birmingham, AL	$66,471	$60,090	90.4
31	Knoxville, TN	$66,290	$59,860	90.3
32	Bakersfield, CA	$66,054	$66,450	100.6
33	New Orleans, LA	$65,120	$62,450	95.9
34	Salt Lake City, UT	$63,905	$64,800	101.4
35	Seattle, WA	$63,742	$95,230	149.4
36	Boston, MA	$63,616	$96,760	152.1
37	San Antonio, TX	$63,585	$58,180	91.5
38	Houston, TX	$63,523	$61,300	96.5
39	Phoenix, AZ	$63,307	$63,750	100.7
40	Philadelphia, PA	$63,226	$74,860	118.4
41	Greensboro, NC	$62,990	$57,510	91.3
42	Jacksonville, FL	$61,956	$58,920	95.1
43	Tucson, AZ	$61,918	$59,070	95.4
44	Fresno, CA	$61,043	$64,400	105.5
45	Austin, TX	$60,981	$62,810	103
46	Charlotte, NC	$60,693	$58,690	96.7
47	Raleigh, NC	$60,661	$60,540	99.8
48	Richmond, VA	$60,215	$61,480	102.1
49	Nashville, TN	$59,920	$60,100	100.3
50	Atlanta, GA	$58,851	$58,380	99.2
51	Dallas, TX	$58,838	$61,250	104.1
52	Bridgeport, CT	$57,964	$79,700	137.5
53	Colorado Springs, CO	$57,904	$60,510	104.5
54	Denver, CO	$56,649	$63,900	112.8
55	Greenville, SC	$56,482	$50,890	90.1
56	Little Rock, AR	$55,771	$49,190	88.2
57	Boise, ID	$55,769	$56,940	102.1
58	Baltimore, MD	$55,342	$63,200	114.2
59	San Jose, CA	$54,934	$107,560	195.8
60	Las Vegas, NV	$54,771	$59,700	109
61	Orlando, FL	$53,715	$55,380	103.1
62	Sacramento, CA	$52,294	$65,210	124.7
63	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$52,222	$63,920	122.4
64	Tampa, FL	$52,209	$52,000	99.6
65	Washington, DC	$47,029	$71,860	152.8
66	Miami, FL	$46,921	$57,760	123.1
67	San Diego, CA	$45,262	$72,510	160.2
68	San Francisco, CA	$43,363	$77,880	179.6
69	Los Angeles, CA	$42,837	$71,110	166
70	New York, NY	$41,993	$78,610	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Plumber salary at $107,560. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Chicago, IL offers the most purchasing power at $96,347 adjusted.

The national median Plumber salary is $69,663 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $49,190 to $107,560 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.