Plumber.
Baltimore.
$71,000
median salary, 13% above the national average
$55,000 to $92,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Plumber in Baltimore earns a median of $71,000 in 2026. That is 13% above the national average. The range runs from $55,000 to $92,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Licensed master plumbers earn 25 to 35% more than journeymen, with commercial and industrial specialization pushing pay to the top of the range. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Plumber in Baltimore, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $63,200 for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152) in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan area, based on 5,220 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$45,220
25th percentile
$54,880
Median
$63,200
75th percentile
$82,710
90th percentile
$102,640
Workers surveyed
5,220
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152) rather than Plumber specifically. The Baltimore range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 47-2152Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $64,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$46,000
to $57,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$60,000
to $75,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$78,000
to $92,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$89,000
to $110,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$71,000
Equity
$10,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $88,000
How Baltimore compares.
Baltimore, MD
$71,000
Cost of living: 8% above average
National Average
$63,000
Baltimore is $8,000 above
Plumber salary by city.
Salary by role in Baltimore.
What you should know.
The Plumber landscape in Baltimore is not what most salary sites will tell you. Baltimore's economy is anchored by Johns Hopkins University and Hospital, one of the largest employers in the state. The city has strong cybersecurity, defense, and biotech sectors, benefiting from proximity to NSA, Fort Meade, and NIH. The port of Baltimore also drives significant logistics and trade employment. Licensed master plumbers earn 25 to 35% more than journeymen, with commercial and industrial specialization pushing pay to the top of the range. Plumbers who handle gas line work, backflow prevention, or medical gas systems command premium rates. Union membership in major metro areas provides the strongest wage floors.
Apprentice plumbers start at $32,000 to $40,000 during their four to five year apprenticeship. Journeymen earn $46,000 to $65,000, while master plumbers reach $65,000 to $85,000. Plumbing contractors who run their own businesses can earn $90,000 to $150,000 or more. In Baltimore, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Union plumbers receive health insurance, pension contributions, and annuity funds worth $15,000 to $25,000 annually on top of wages. Overtime during emergency calls can add $8,000 to $15,000 per year, especially for on-call residential specialists. And on the tax side: maryland's top income tax rate is 5.75%, and Baltimore City adds a local income tax of 3.2%. The combined burden is among the higher ones, but federal and defense salaries compensate. When someone quotes you $71,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: A security clearance is extremely valuable in the Baltimore corridor. Cleared professionals earn 20 to 30% more, and the NSA and defense contractor presence drives constant demand. The range for Plumbers in Baltimore runs from $55,000 to $92,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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- A Sales Representative in Baltimore earns $73,000 (3% more)
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Common questions.
Plumber salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Baltimore.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Plumber Salary in Baltimore, MD." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/plumber/baltimore
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