How much do plumbers make in Indiana in 2026?

The median plumber in Indiana earns $76,320 a year, which works out to about $36.69 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's a solid baseline, but the spread across the pay scale tells a more useful story: the bottom quarter of earners take home $58,010 or less (~$27.89/hr), while the top quarter clears $96,760 or more (~$46.52/hr). The gap between those two ends is nearly $39,000 annually, which means where you land on that range depends heavily on experience, employer, and the type of work you do.

Entry-level and apprentice-stage plumbers tend to cluster near or below the 25th percentile. At $58,010 a year, you're still earning a respectable wage, but you're also building the skills and hours that push you up the scale. Journeyman plumbers with a few years of steady work typically settle around the median. Once you hit lead plumber, foreman, or project supervisor territory — or move into commercial and industrial work — the 75th percentile range of $96,760 is realistic and not a ceiling. Self-employed master plumbers who run their own shops can exceed these figures, though BLS wage data doesn't fully capture that side of the trade since it focuses on employee compensation rather than business income.

The type of work matters. Residential service and repair plumbers often bill at higher hourly rates than new construction, but their hours can be less predictable. Commercial and industrial plumbers — working in factories, hospitals, or large office buildings — tend to have more consistent schedules and frequently land at the higher end of the pay range. Specialty work like medical gas systems, high-pressure piping, or fire suppression integration commands premium wages and is worth pursuing if you want to push past the median.

Geography inside Indiana plays a role too. The Indianapolis metro area, being the state's largest construction and commercial hub, generally supports stronger plumbing wages than rural markets in central or southern Indiana. Gary and the northwest corner of the state, tied closely to the Chicago metro economy, can also offer elevated pay due to proximity to larger commercial projects. Smaller cities like Fort Wayne, Evansville, and South Bend sit in the middle of the range, with wages tracking closer to the statewide median.

Licensing is a direct lever on pay. Indiana requires plumbers to be licensed at the journeyman and master levels, administered through the Indiana Plumbing Commission. Holding a valid journeyman license is typically the floor for full-time employed wages in the median range. A master plumber license opens doors to running crews, pulling permits, and taking on higher-responsibility roles that employers pay more for. If you're still working under someone else's license, getting your own is one of the fastest ways to negotiate a raise or move to a better-paying shop.

Overtime is common in plumbing, especially during peak construction seasons (spring through fall) and whenever emergency service calls come in. A plumber earning the median $36.69/hr who picks up 10 hours of overtime per week at time-and-a-half adds roughly $28,600 to their annual pay — pushing total compensation well above $100,000 for a busy year. That's not unusual for experienced plumbers who work for larger contractors or are willing to take on emergency and on-call shifts.

Some plumbers in Indiana work under collective bargaining agreements. If you're covered by a union contract, your pay and benefits are governed by that agreement, and you should check directly with your local's current contract for the applicable wage scale. Union packages often include defined benefit contributions and health coverage that have real dollar value beyond the base wage line.

The BLS OEWS data used here is from May 2025 and reflects wages paid to employees — it doesn't include self-employment income, per-diem allowances, or the value of employer-paid benefits like health insurance and retirement contributions. Your total compensation package is worth more than the wage number alone, particularly if your employer covers health premiums or contributes to a pension or 401(k).