What is the median plumber salary in San Francisco, CA?

The median plumber wage in San Francisco, CA is $77,880 a year, or about $37.44 an hour (BLS OEWS May 2025).

What is the pay range for plumbers in San Francisco, CA?

In San Francisco, CA, plumbers earn from $62,650 (25th percentile) to $121,770 (75th percentile) a year, with a median of $77,880 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Does San Francisco, CA pay more than the California average for plumbers?

The San Francisco, CA median of $77,880 runs about $5,050 a year above the California statewide median of $72,830 (BLS OEWS).

How much do union plumbers make in San Francisco, CA?

UA Local 38 journeyman plumbers earn about $131,040 a year ($63.00/hr wage rate), or about $115.00/hr counting benefits. That is $53,160 above the San Francisco, CA median for all plumbers (BLS OEWS May 2025). The union figure is approximate, taken from the local's 2024 agreement; check the current agreement before you negotiate.

How much do plumbers make an hour in San Francisco, CA?

The median plumber in San Francisco, CA earns about $37.44/hr, based on the $77,880/yr median (BLS OEWS May 2025, at 2,080 hours a year). Overtime and union scale can run higher.

How much do plumbers make a month in San Francisco, CA?

That is about $6,490/mo before taxes, from the $77,880/yr median (BLS OEWS May 2025).

How much do plumbers make in San Francisco, CA in 2026?

Government wage survey, BLS OEWS May 2025. Updated June 2026.

In 2026, plumbers in San Francisco, CA earn a median of $77,880 per year ($37.44/hr), according to BLS OEWS (May 2025). That is about $5,050 above the California statewide median. Last updated June 2026.

Median pay (50th pct)

$77,880/yr

Half of San Francisco, CA plumbers earn between $62,650 and $121,770 per year.

$62,650/yr$77,880/yr$121,770/yr

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

Plumber pay in San Francisco, CA: key numbers
Median pay	$77,880/yr ($37.44/hr)
Pay range (25th–75th percentile)	$62,650 – $121,770/yr
Vs California statewide median	+$5,050/yr
Plumbers employed in this metro	5,660
Job concentration vs national	0.80×
Source	BLS OEWS May 2025
Last updated	June 2026

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Plumber pay in San Francisco, CA vs California

The median plumber wage in San Francisco, CA is $77,880/yr (BLS OEWS May 2025). The California statewide median is $72,830/yr (BLS OEWS May 2025) , so this metro runs about $5,050/yr above the state figure. See the full California page

5,660 plumbers employed in this metro (BLS May 2025).
Job concentration: 0.80× the national average for this trade (less concentrated here).

Union vs non-union plumber pay in San Francisco, CA

UA Local 38 is based in San Francisco. Its journeyman plumbers earn about $131,040/yr ($63.00/hr wage rate), or about $115.00/hr once benefits are counted. That is $53,160/yr above the $77,880 median for all plumbers in the metro, and above the top-quartile line of $121,770.

The union figure is approximate, from the local's 2024 agreement, and is a contract rate for journeymen only. The BLS median covers every plumber in the metro: union and non-union, apprentices through masters. Check the current agreement before you use it to negotiate.

About this data

Metro wages come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS metropolitan program (May 2025), the authoritative public source for occupational pay, reported here for the San Francisco, CA metro area. The union scale comes from the local's published agreement and is labeled approximate. We don't hold member submissions at metro level yet; each figure is labeled with its source.

Plumber pay in San Francisco, CA: FAQ

What is the median plumber salary in San Francisco, CA?: The median plumber wage in San Francisco, CA is $77,880 a year, or about $37.44 an hour (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the pay range for plumbers in San Francisco, CA?: In San Francisco, CA, plumbers earn from $62,650 (25th percentile) to $121,770 (75th percentile) a year, with a median of $77,880 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Does San Francisco, CA pay more than the California average for plumbers?: The San Francisco, CA median of $77,880 runs about $5,050 a year above the California statewide median of $72,830 (BLS OEWS).
How much do union plumbers make in San Francisco, CA?: UA Local 38 journeyman plumbers earn about $131,040 a year ($63.00/hr wage rate), or about $115.00/hr counting benefits. That is $53,160 above the San Francisco, CA median for all plumbers (BLS OEWS May 2025). The union figure is approximate, taken from the local's 2024 agreement; check the current agreement before you negotiate.
How much do plumbers make an hour in San Francisco, CA?: The median plumber in San Francisco, CA earns about $37.44/hr, based on the $77,880/yr median (BLS OEWS May 2025, at 2,080 hours a year). Overtime and union scale can run higher.
How much do plumbers make a month in San Francisco, CA?: That is about $6,490/mo before taxes, from the $77,880/yr median (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Sources

Wage data: BLS OEWS: California
Union scales: IBEW · UA
How we build these numbers
Next data refresh: when BLS publishes its next annual OEWS release (typically the following spring).

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