California
Plumber & Pipefitter pay in California
What plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earn in California: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 25 metro areas, plus job counts and 62 listed training programs.
- $82,320Average pay (state)
- $47,350Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $72,830Median pay (state)
- $131,100Top 10% earn over
47,660 jobs in California · 62 listed programs. Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025).
BLS wage data
Plumber & Pipefitter pay in California
Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $47,350 | $58,980 | $72,830 | $100,200 | $131,100 | $82,320 | 47,660 |
| United States | $44,150 | $50,190 | $63,800 | $85,110 | $108,420 | $72,170 | 465,840 |
Metro areas
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $63,270 | $76,040 | $107,560 | $155,600 | $155,600 | $114,280 | 3,830 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $48,540 | $62,650 | $77,880 | $121,770 | $155,330 | $92,380 | 5,660 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $46,030 | $61,390 | $72,510 | $94,480 | $127,790 | $78,580 | 5,100 |
| Vallejo, CA | $49,770 | $61,030 | $71,560 | $90,250 | $120,700 | $78,360 | 370 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $46,090 | $58,560 | $71,110 | $101,300 | $125,080 | $80,230 | 15,690 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $47,770 | $60,550 | $68,130 | $95,720 | $124,660 | $77,730 | 350 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $45,670 | $54,560 | $66,450 | $93,810 | $117,840 | $76,110 | 960 |
| Napa, CA | $48,070 | $60,360 | $65,420 | $82,360 | $117,390 | $76,020 | 150 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $46,620 | $56,320 | $65,210 | $85,340 | $131,100 | $76,440 | 3,120 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $49,430 | $59,280 | $64,700 | $82,890 | $133,120 | $78,080 | 560 |
| Salinas, CA | $47,270 | $58,670 | $64,440 | $82,030 | $101,400 | $72,700 | 320 |
| Fresno, CA | $46,590 | $51,300 | $64,400 | $93,310 | $124,280 | $76,020 | 970 |
Find training
Looking for a school or apprenticeship?
This page covers pay and job outlook. Our sister site RegisteredTradeSchools.com keeps the training directory for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters: registered apprenticeship sponsors, how to apply, and school routes.
Programs
Top training programs in California
We matched 62 programs in California: 21 school programs (IPEDS 2023-24) and 41 registered apprenticeship sponsors (DOL). The 10 below are schools with published tuition first; the full directory is on RegisteredTradeSchools.com (links above).
| Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American River College Plumbing Technology/Plumber | Sacramento, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 68 | $1,288–$12,472 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 46.0503 |
| American River College Plumbing Technology/Plumber | Sacramento, CA | Associate degree | 0 | $1,288–$12,472 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 46.0503 |
| Bakersfield College Plumbing Technology/Plumber | Bakersfield, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $1,450–$11,530 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 46.0503 |
| Capstone College Plumbing Technology/Plumber | Pasadena, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $17,950 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 46.0503 |
| City College of San Francisco Plumbing Technology/Plumber | San Francisco, CA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 4 | $1,696–$16,096 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 46.0503 |
| College of San Mateo Plumbing Technology/Plumber | San Mateo, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $1,332–$11,680 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 46.0503 |
| College of the Canyons Plumbing Technology/Plumber | Santa Clarita, CA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 0 | $1,170–$10,938 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 46.0503 |
| Diablo Valley College Plumbing Technology/Plumber | Pleasant Hill, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $1,128–$9,216 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 46.0503 |
| Diablo Valley College Plumbing Technology/Plumber | Pleasant Hill, CA | Associate degree | 0 | $1,128–$9,216 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 46.0503 |
| Diablo Valley College Plumbing Technology/Plumber | Pleasant Hill, CA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 2 | $1,128–$9,216 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 46.0503 |
Sources
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (news release USDL-26-0725; data tables). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03.
- Occupation: O*NET OnLine, 47-2152.00 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, retrieved 2026-11-03 (CC BY 4.0).
- Apprenticeship sponsors: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 (Partner Finder).
- Schools & graduates: U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code (completions file; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
- Tuition: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID (source).
Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades team; last refreshed 2026-11-03.