SOC 47-2152 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters — Virginia
Virginia · 9 metro areas compared
The median wage here is $60,470 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $63,800.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.5%
- Openings per year
- 44,000
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
7.8% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Virginia.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage here is $60,470 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $63,800. Half of workers earn between $49,350 and $71,780. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $43,970 and the ninetieth at $78,050.
The area has 13,780 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 3.4 of every thousand jobs. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Virginia ranks 38th by median wage. Virginia Beach leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $61,870. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 384th of 747 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $43,970 | −31.1% |
| 25th | $49,350 | −22.6% |
| Median (50th) | $60,470 | −5.2% |
| 75th | $71,780 | +12.5% |
| 90th | $78,050 | +22.3% |
| Mean | $60,650 | −4.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Virginia
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach | $61,870 | 5,100 | |
| 2 | Richmond | $61,480 | 2,340 | |
| 3 | Winchester | $57,760 | 160 | |
| 4 | Lynchburg | $57,210 | 330 | |
| 5 | Charlottesville | $56,510 | 240 | |
| 6 | Blacksburg | $53,340 | — | |
| 7 | Harrisonburg | $52,290 | 240 | |
| 8 | Roanoke | $51,700 | 560 | |
| 9 | Staunton | $51,250 | 110 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Virginia sit close to the national average, so $60,470 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$60,470as reported by BLSLocal price level
101.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$59,812US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $60,470 a year, 5.2% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $43,970 to $78,050 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 13,780 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 38th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Virginia Beach, at $61,870.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Virginia?
The median annual wage is $60,470, or $29.07 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $63,800, so pay in Virginia is 5.2% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Virginia earns more than $78,050 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $43,970 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Virginia Beach, at $61,870 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 13,780 jobs in this occupation in Virginia. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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