SOC 47-2152 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters — Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 10 metro areas compared
At $81,210 a year, the median wage for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Wisconsin sits 27.3% above the national figure 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 Wisconsin.
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
At $81,210 a year, the median wage for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Wisconsin sits 27.3% above the national figure of $63,800. Half of workers earn between $61,430 and $103,560. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $50,020 and the ninetieth at $120,070.
The area has 10,210 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 3.5 of every thousand jobs. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Wisconsin ranks 7th by median wage. Eau Claire leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $92,720. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 173rd of 728 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $50,020 | −21.6% |
| 25th | $61,430 | −3.7% |
| Median (50th) | $81,210 | +27.3% |
| 75th | $103,560 | +62.3% |
| 90th | $120,070 | +88.2% |
| Mean | $84,720 | +32.8% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Wisconsin
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eau Claire | $92,720 | 210 | |
| 2 | Appleton | $91,750 | 890 | |
| 3 | Sheboygan | $91,530 | 150 | |
| 4 | Green Bay | $90,570 | 730 | |
| 5 | Wausau | $86,750 | 260 | |
| 6 | Oshkosh | $86,320 | 230 | |
| 7 | Madison | $85,160 | 1,590 | |
| 8 | Milwaukee | $84,700 | 2,760 | |
| 9 | La Crosse | $82,610 | 280 | |
| 10 | Janesville | $79,070 | 140 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Wisconsin run 5.9% below the national average, so the median of $81,210 goes as far as $86,302 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 35.3% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$81,210as reported by BLSLocal price level
94.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$86,302US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $81,210 a year, 27.3% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $50,020 to $120,070 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 10,210 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 7th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Eau Claire, at $92,720.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Wisconsin?
The median annual wage is $81,210, or $39.04 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 Wisconsin is 27.3% higher. 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 Wisconsin earns more than $120,070 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $50,020 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 Eau Claire, at $92,720 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 10,210 jobs in this occupation in Wisconsin. 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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