Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Salary in New York, NY (2024)
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median of $79,420 per year ($38.18 per hour) based on 21,500 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +26.1% against the national median of $62,970 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters actually sit across the pay range in New York, NY, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.64 | $49,180 | |
| 25th percentile | $31.16 | $64,810 | |
| Median | $38.18 | $79,420 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $51.44 | $107,000 | |
| 90th percentile | $66.39 | $138,100 | |
| Average (mean) | $43.78 | $91,060 |
How New York, NY compares
The local median of $79,420 runs +26.1% above the US median of $62,970 for this occupation; it pays 31.4% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($60,460); within the metro it ranks 308th of 750 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY — this occupation | $79,420 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $62,970 | +26.1% |
| New York, NY — all occupations | $60,460 | +31.4% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $100,110 | -20.7% |
A location quotient of 0.78 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 4.3%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 308th of 750 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in New York, NY
To put $79,420 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 308th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $230,130 | 1,520 |
| Psychiatrists | $229,630 | 3,680 |
| Commercial Pilots | $224,840 | 1,270 |
| Radiologists | $219,900 | 1,870 |
| Financial Managers | $216,520 | 77,970 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $216,420 | 900 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $215,640 | 4,130 |
| Neurologists | $214,820 | 920 |
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | $214,630 | 570 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $212,400 | 56,180 |
Where plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $51,650 to $100,110. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $100,110 | 4,920 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $98,890 | 14,230 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $97,020 | 5,070 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $87,160 | 6,540 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83,640 | 11,320 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $81,480 | 5,590 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $79,420 | 21,500 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $73,060 | 4,150 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $72,580 | 7,570 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $71,700 | 7,090 |
See the full national picture on the Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in New York, NY?
The median annual wage is $79,420, or $38 per hour. That means half of the plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters working in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $91,060.
What do the highest and lowest paid plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in New York, NY earn?
The bottom 10% earn $49,180 or less, while the top 10% earn $138,100 or more — a spread of $88,920 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $64,810 and $107,000.
Is plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters pay in New York, NY above the local average?
Yes, it is 31.4% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $60,460. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does New York, NY pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $79,420 the metro median is 26.1% higher than the US median of $62,970 for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $51,650 to $100,110.
How many plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters work in New York, NY?
BLS counts about 21,500 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 2.30 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. A location quotient of 0.78 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 7.4%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.