Plumber.
Washington DC.
$79,000
median salary, 25% above the national average
$61,000 to $103,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates Plumber pay in Washington DC at $79,000, within a range of $61,000 to $103,000. That is 25% above the national average. Washington DC's job market is shaped by the federal government, defense contractors, and a growing commercial tech sector. 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 Washington DC, 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 $71,860 for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152) in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, based on 9,420 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$47,480
25th percentile
$55,780
Median
$71,860
75th percentile
$94,050
90th percentile
$114,400
Workers surveyed
9,420
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 Washington DC 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 $71,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$51,000
to $63,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$67,000
to $83,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$87,000
to $103,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$99,000
to $122,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $20,000 to the total package.
Base
$79,000
Equity
$11,000
Bonus
$7,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $99,000
How Washington DC compares.
Washington DC, DC
$79,000
Cost of living: 25% above average
National Average
$63,000
Washington DC is $16,000 above
Plumber salary by city.
Salary by role in Washington DC.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Plumber offer in Washington DC, understand the terrain. Washington DC's job market is shaped by the federal government, defense contractors, and a growing commercial tech sector. Cybersecurity, cloud computing, and consulting firms drive demand for cleared professionals. The region's stability, combined with high government pay scales, creates a salary floor that pulls private sector compensation upward. 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 Washington DC, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 25% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
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: dC income tax rates reach 10.75% for high earners. Maryland and Virginia residents working in DC face their own state taxes. Choose your residence jurisdiction carefully to optimize net pay. When someone quotes you $79,000, 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 your strongest negotiation asset. Cleared professionals in DC command 20 to 30% premiums, and transferring your clearance to a new employer saves them significant time and cost. The range for Plumbers in Washington DC runs from $61,000 to $103,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- A School Counselor in Washington DC earns $78,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Washington DC is CTO at $379,000
Common questions.
Plumber salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Washington DC.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Plumbers in Washington DC.
Related tools.
Do you work as a plumber in Washington DC?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Plumber Salary in Washington DC, DC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/plumber/washington-dc
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools