A pipefitter in Illinois earns a median $48.05 an hour. A pipefitter in Arkansas earns $23.39. Same B31.3 process spool, same 6G root pass, same lungs breathing the same hexavalent chromium off the same stainless — and the Illinois fitter takes home more than twice as much per hour, a 105% gap. The national median for SOC 47-2152 sits at $30.67/hr ($63,800/year), per the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, the most recent release. That figure carries a distortion every fitter should understand, because the federal government does not count pipefitters separately from plumbers. Here is the full distribution, the correction for that blending, and the credentials that move a fitter from the bottom quartile to the top.
The National Picture: $30.67/hr, and Why That Number Understates You
BLS OEWS counts 465,840 wage-and-salary workers under SOC 47-2152 — a single code titled Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. (The Occupational Outlook Handbook puts total jobs near 510,600 in 2025 once self-employed workers are included.) Three trades, one median, and the work mixes are not economically comparable. Residential service plumbing carries an outsized share of the headcount; industrial process fitting, power piping, and steamfitting sit toward the top of the distribution. The published median is a weighted blend that leans toward the plumbing side because there are more plumbers. The May 2025 distribution (BLS OEWS):
- Median: $30.67/hr ($63,800/year)
- Mean: $34.70/hr — the mean sits above the median because the top of the trade pulls it up
- 10th percentile: $21.22/hr — apprentices, residential service helpers, non-union Southeast
- 25th percentile: $24.13/hr — residential and light commercial plumbing
- 75th percentile: $40.92/hr — union industrial fitters, refinery and power maintenance
- 90th percentile: $52.13/hr — certified welder-fitters, foremen, shutdown travelers
A fitter working industrial process piping should benchmark against the 75th percentile, not the median. If you are welding stainless to ASME B31.3 in a pharma clean room and earning $31/hr, you are being paid a residential service plumber's wage for a code-stamped weld. That is the most common underpayment in this trade, and it persists because workers measure themselves against the wrong number.
The Certification That Moves the Number
Welded-pipe certification is the largest wage lever available to a fitter, bigger than geography for most workers. A fitter qualified under ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section IX in the 6G position — fixed 45-degree pipe, welded all the way around without rotating — gets dispatched to work an unqualified fitter never sees, and that work sits in the upper half of the distribution above. Carbon steel to B31.1 opens power plants and boiler work; stainless and chrome-moly under B31.3 open refinery, chemical, and pharmaceutical process work. A 6G stainless ticket takes a few weeks of booth time and a test fee. Run the math on your own market: every $1/hr the ticket adds is worth $2,080 a year at full hours, and the distance from the median to the 75th percentile is $10.25/hr.
Full 50-State Pipefitter Wage Table (plus DC)
Every state plus the District of Columbia, median hourly and median annual wage as published by BLS for SOC 47-2152 (BLS OEWS, May 2025 data, released spring 2026). These are the most recent official figures; the next OEWS release, covering May 2026, is due in spring 2027.
| State | Median Hourly | Median Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $28.21 | $58,670 |
| Alaska | $45.15 | $93,920 |
| Arizona | $29.84 | $62,070 |
| Arkansas | $23.39 | $48,660 |
| California | $35.01 | $72,830 |
| Colorado | $30.40 | $63,240 |
| Connecticut | $37.16 | $77,280 |
| Delaware | $31.11 | $64,720 |
| District of Columbia | $48.57 | $101,020 |
| Florida | $25.44 | $52,910 |
| Georgia | $27.50 | $57,200 |
| Hawaii | $37.53 | $78,060 |
| Idaho | $25.18 | $52,380 |
| Illinois | $48.05 | $99,950 |
| Indiana | $36.69 | $76,320 |
| Iowa | $30.72 | $63,890 |
| Kansas | $31.36 | $65,220 |
| Kentucky | $30.84 | $64,160 |
| Louisiana | $30.62 | $63,680 |
| Maine | $30.77 | $64,000 |
| Maryland | $31.44 | $65,400 |
| Massachusetts | $45.14 | $93,880 |
| Michigan | $38.56 | $80,190 |
| Minnesota | $45.39 | $94,410 |
| Mississippi | $26.67 | $55,480 |
| Missouri | $32.11 | $66,790 |
| Montana | $38.44 | $79,960 |
| Nebraska | $29.31 | $60,970 |
| Nevada | $29.62 | $61,610 |
| New Hampshire | $32.12 | $66,810 |
| New Jersey | $37.61 | $78,240 |
| New Mexico | $29.54 | $61,440 |
| New York | $37.26 | $77,490 |
| North Carolina | $27.44 | $57,080 |
| North Dakota | $30.56 | $63,560 |
| Ohio | $30.45 | $63,330 |
| Oklahoma | $27.87 | $57,970 |
| Oregon | $46.66 | $97,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $32.73 | $68,080 |
| Rhode Island | $36.77 | $76,470 |
| South Carolina | $25.93 | $53,940 |
| South Dakota | $24.82 | $51,620 |
| Tennessee | $28.17 | $58,600 |
| Texas | $28.77 | $59,840 |
| Utah | $29.76 | $61,900 |
| Vermont | $29.89 | $62,170 |
| Virginia | $29.07 | $60,470 |
| Washington | $38.96 | $81,030 |
| West Virginia | $27.39 | $56,980 |
| Wisconsin | $39.04 | $81,210 |
| Wyoming | $30.01 | $62,410 |
| National Median | $30.67 | $63,800 |
Top 5 and Bottom 5: The $25.18/hr Spread
The District of Columbia posts the single highest median in the table at $48.57/hr, and Arkansas the lowest at $23.39 — a $25.18/hr spread. Among the 50 states alone, Illinois leads and the spread is $24.66/hr.
Top 5 — Industrial Base Plus Union Density
- District of Columbia — $48.57/hr. A small, almost entirely urban workforce (about 1,010 workers) doing federal, hospital, and high-rise mechanical work, much of it under Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rules (40 U.S.C. 3141).
- Illinois — $48.05/hr. The top-paying state. Chicago-area UA Local 597 plus the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act on public work, with refineries in Joliet and Lemont anchoring industrial demand. With 16,750 workers in the code, this is not a small-sample fluke.
- Oregon — $46.66/hr. Semiconductor fab construction around Portland is high-purity process piping, the best-paid kind of fitting there is, and it pulls the whole state median up.
- Minnesota — $45.39/hr. Strong building-trades density in the Twin Cities, plus refinery, pipeline, and power maintenance work.
- Alaska — $45.15/hr. North Slope process piping and refinery turnarounds, with UA Local 375 travelers on long rotations. Massachusetts sits one cent behind at $45.14/hr.
Notice what is missing. New York ($37.26) and New Jersey ($37.61) both land outside the top ten on the statewide median, because the statewide number blends high-scale metro steamfitting with lower-paid work upstate and in the south of each state.
Bottom 5 — Right-to-Work, Residential Mix, and 1099 Abuse
Arkansas ($23.39), South Dakota ($24.82), Idaho ($25.18), Florida ($25.44), South Carolina ($25.93). All five are right-to-work states, and the reported median falls further because the work mix skews residential and light commercial — the plumbing half of SOC 47-2152. Florida stands out: nearly 29,300 workers, the third-largest headcount in the country, and still in the bottom five.
A second problem never shows up in the wage column. Labor brokers classify fitters as 1099 independent contractors, stripping workers' compensation coverage, eliminating FLSA Section 7 overtime protection on the 60-hour turnaround weeks that define industrial work, and shifting the full 15.3% self-employment tax onto the worker instead of splitting FICA. A fitter grossing $30/hr on a 1099 can net less than a W-2 fitter a few dollars lower on paper, and carries all the injury risk personally. Misclassification is wage theft with paperwork, and it concentrates exactly where the medians are lowest.
Union vs. Non-Union: Look at the Whole Package
There is no single official national figure for union pipefitter pay. United Association scale is negotiated local by local, and BLS OEWS does not split its wage data by union status. What the state table does show is the pattern: the five highest-paying jurisdictions all have strong UA presence, and the five lowest are all right-to-work states.
The bigger difference sits outside the base wage. A UA journeyman's package adds negotiated fringes — pension, health and welfare, annuity — paid per hour worked, on top of the posted rate. A non-union industrial fitter's benefits, if any, are set by company policy. When you compare an offer, compare the total package per hour, not the base. Your local's current wage sheet is the only reliable number for your area; ask the hall for it.
That gap runs wider in pipefitting than in masonry or carpentry for a structural reason. UA locals control the certification infrastructure. A local's weld shop qualifies members under Section IX on an ongoing basis, while a non-union fitter often pays for their own test and re-test and can lose the qualification after six months off the process.
The same mechanism drives the spread in ironworker wages by state and electrician wages by state, where IBEW scale produces a similar union-to-right-to-work gradient.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment: Where the Paycheck Actually Buys Something
Nominal wages mislead. Divide each median by its state's Regional Price Parity from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024 values, released February 2026; national average = 100) and the ranking reorders:
| State | Median Hourly | BEA RPP (2024) | Adjusted Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $48.05 | 100.0 | $48.07 |
| Minnesota | $45.39 | 98.6 | $46.02 |
| Oregon | $46.66 | 103.4 | $45.14 |
| District of Columbia | $48.57 | 109.9 | $44.19 |
| Alaska | $45.15 | 102.4 | $44.11 |
| Wisconsin | $39.04 | 94.1 | $41.49 |
| California | $35.01 | 110.7 | $31.62 |
| Hawaii | $37.53 | 110.0 | $34.13 |
| Arkansas | $23.39 | 86.9 | $26.90 |
| Florida | $25.44 | 103.4 | $24.60 |
Illinois is the best real-money state for pipefitters in the country — the highest state median, at almost exactly average national prices, with a refinery and power base that keeps hours full. Minnesota jumps to second once prices are counted, and Wisconsin, Montana, and Michigan all clear $40/hr adjusted. California's $35.01 falls to $31.62, barely above the national median. Florida finishes last in the country after adjustment: bottom-five pay against above-average prices.
The Apprenticeship Path: Five Years to Journeyman
UA pipefitter apprenticeships registered under 29 CFR Part 29 typically run five years — among the longest programs in the mechanical trades — with thousands of on-the-job hours plus classroom hours each year, above the 144-hour federal guideline. The wage ladder is contractual, not discretionary, and is set as a percentage of journeyman scale. A typical progression looks like this, though each local's standards set the exact steps:
- Year 1: roughly 45-50% of journeyman scale, with health coverage from day one
- Year 2: roughly 55-60%
- Year 3: roughly 65-70%
- Year 4: roughly 75-80%
- Year 5: roughly 85%, stepping to full scale at turn-out
UA apprenticeship is tuition-free, funded through the collective bargaining agreement. An apprentice earns a wage and accrues pension credit through all five years while a peer in a four-year degree program accumulates debt. Where these programs rank state by state is covered in our apprenticeship program rankings. Non-union paths exist through ABC and MCAA contractors, but step increases there are policy rather than contract — get every one in writing.
One protective note: 29 CFR 30.3 prohibits discrimination in registered apprenticeship on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, and disability. A program holding you on fabrication cleanup past your rotation, skipping step raises, or keeping you out of the weld booth while your class moves through is violating its registered standards. Complaints run through your State Apprenticeship Agency or the DOL Office of Apprenticeship, and there is no filing fee.
What the Wage Table Cannot Show You: Exposure
Industrial pipefitting carries the heaviest chemical exposure burden of the mechanical trades. Hexavalent chromium, 29 CFR 1926.1126, sets a permissible exposure limit of 5 µg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA with an action level of 2.5 µg/m³, and welding stainless generates Cr(VI) directly in the fume. A fitter running stainless in a tank can exceed that limit by multiples. The standard requires monitoring, engineering controls, and medical surveillance at employer expense.
29 CFR 1926.353 requires mechanical ventilation for welding and cutting in confined spaces, and 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA governs confined space entry, which fitters make more often than most trades. A permit entry demands atmospheric testing, an attendant, and rescue capability that is not a coworker deciding to climb in after you. A stainless procedure handed to you with no local exhaust is a documented violation, not a working condition — and 29 U.S.C. 660(c) makes retaliation for reporting it illegal.
Outlook: Three Forces Holding the Line
- Data center mechanical build-out. Chilled-water plants, condenser piping, and hyperscale mechanical rooms are fitter work. Schedule-driven work means premium rates and heavy overtime.
- Power generation. Gas peaking capacity, nuclear uprates, and thermal storage all pull B31.1 fitters — the highest-skill segment of the trade and the thinnest labor pool.
- Openings. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects 7% employment growth for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters from 2025 to 2035, with about 42,000 openings a year, most of them from retirements and workers leaving the trade.
The next official benchmark is the May 2026 OEWS release, due in spring 2027. Expect the industrial-heavy states at the top of this table to keep pulling away from the blended national number.
For contractors pricing mechanical work: the wage is only part of the real cost. Workers' compensation rates on pipefitting classifications vary widely by state and carrier, with FICA, FUTA, SUTA, and general liability on top. Run the true crew number through our labor burden calculator before committing to a unit price on spool, and model turnaround premium hours with the overtime calculator — a crew budgeted at straight time and worked at time-and-a-half loses money by week two.
Frequently Asked Questions
What state pays pipefitters the most in 2026?
Illinois, at a $48.05/hr median ($99,950/year) in the latest BLS OEWS data (May 2025), followed by Oregon at $46.66/hr and Minnesota at $45.39/hr. The District of Columbia is higher still at $48.57/hr but is not a state. Adjusted for cost of living with BEA Regional Price Parities, Illinois stays first at an effective $48.07/hr.
Why does BLS group pipefitters with plumbers?
SOC 47-2152 is a single occupation covering all three trades, so the published $30.67/hr median blends lower-paid residential service plumbing with higher-paid industrial process fitting. Fitters doing B31.3 or B31.1 code work should benchmark against the 75th percentile of $40.92/hr instead.
How much do union pipefitters make compared to non-union?
There is no official national split: BLS does not publish OEWS wages by union status, and UA scale is set local by local. The pattern in the state data is clear, though — the five highest-paying jurisdictions all have strong UA presence and the five lowest are right-to-work states. Compare total package per hour, including pension and health fringes, and get your local's current wage sheet for the real number.
What certification raises a pipefitter's pay the most?
A welding qualification under ASME Section IX in the 6G position. It opens B31.1 power and B31.3 process work, the jobs that sit in the upper half of the wage distribution, where the 75th percentile is $40.92/hr against a $30.67/hr median.
How long is a pipefitter apprenticeship?
Typically five years under UA standards registered per 29 CFR Part 29, combining on-the-job hours with classroom hours each year. Starting pay is usually around 45-50% of journeyman scale, and union programs are tuition-free.
Your Action Item for This Week
If you fit pipe: find your state in the table, then find the right comparison. If you are welding to B31.1 or B31.3 and earning within a few dollars of the $30.67/hr median, you are being paid a residential rate for code work — the honest benchmark is the 75th percentile at $40.92/hr. Call your local's training coordinator this week and get a 6G test date on the calendar. That credential beats a move across state lines for most fitters, and the leverage it hands you in the next rate conversation is real.
If you employ fitters: check every certified welder on your roster against the state table, because your competitors are calling them. Then run true crew cost through the labor burden calculator before your next mechanical bid. Losing a 6G-qualified fitter over a $4/hr gap mid-turnaround is the most expensive savings in the trade.
Sources & Data Cited
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), SOC 47-2152, May 2025 data (national and state medians, percentiles, employment): www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472152.htm
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (2025-2035 projections): www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm
- BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (released February 2026)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1126 (hexavalent chromium), 1926.353 (welding), 1926 Subpart AA (confined spaces)
- DOL Registered Apprenticeship standards, 29 CFR Parts 29-30
- ASME B31.1, B31.3, and BPVC Section IX
- Related: Electrician Wages by State 2026 | Ironworker Wages by State 2026
