The average salary for a Plumber in Chicago is 68,500 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 5,708 $ gross per month and 32.93 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 35,000 $ to 115,556 $. The analysis is based on 28 salary reports from workers and employers in Chicago. Part-time salaries are proportionally converted to 40 weekly hours so the values are comparable.
| Date | Job title | Weekly hours | Reported gross/year | Normalized to 40h/year | Gross/month 40h | Gross/hour 40h | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/14/2026 | Self-employed Plumbing Business Owner | 45.0 h | 130,000 $ | 115,556 $ | 9,630 $ | 55.56 $ | I own and operate a small plumbing company with several subcontractors. I'm responsible for business development, project oversight, and frequently work long hours to keep operations running. |
| 03/29/2026 | Senior Plumbing Estimator | 40.0 h | 88,000 $ | 88,000 $ | 7,333 $ | 42.31 $ | I'm a senior estimator for a large mechanical contractor. I transitioned from fieldwork into estimating and manage bids for big projects; experience and demand have increased my pay. |
| 01/18/2026 | Independent Contractor (Residential Remodels) | 40.0 h | 105,000 $ | 105,000 $ | 8,750 $ | 50.48 $ | I run a two-person contracting operation doing high-end residential remodels. I take on estimating, invoicing, and the majority of work; business has been strong the past couple years. |
| 10/03/2025 | Lead Commercial Plumber | 42.0 h | 98,000 $ | 93,333 $ | 7,778 $ | 44.87 $ | I lead commercial installs and coordinate subcontractors at a mid-to-large firm. I've been in leadership roles for several years and handle client relations as well. |
| 06/12/2025 | Service Technician (Part-time) | 28.0 h | 32,000 $ | 45,714 $ | 3,810 $ | 21.98 $ | I'm a part-time service technician doing evenings and weekend calls for a small company while I finish certifications. I bill hourly but only work limited shifts. |
| 02/07/2025 | Master Plumber / Project Manager | 44.0 h | 124,000 $ | 112,727 $ | 9,394 $ | 54.20 $ | I hold a master license and manage large commercial projects for a bigger contractor. My role combines technical oversight and project management, and I've been in this hybrid role for four years. |
| 09/20/2024 | Apprentice Plumber | 34.0 h | 36,000 $ | 42,353 $ | 3,529 $ | 20.36 $ | I work as an apprentice at a union shop, attending classes part of the week. This is my third year in the program and the union scale raised apprentice pay a couple of years ago. |
| 07/01/2024 | Journeyman Plumber (Commercial Retrofit) | 40.0 h | 68,000 $ | 68,000 $ | 5,667 $ | 32.69 $ | I do commercial retrofit projects for a medium contractor. I'm full-time with nine years experience; wages have increased in recent contracts due to higher material costs. |
| 03/15/2024 | Self-employed Emergency Service Plumber | 45.0 h | 112,000 $ | 99,556 $ | 8,296 $ | 47.86 $ | I operate an emergency plumbing service as a sole proprietor. Heavy demand and after-hours emergency calls drive earnings; I work long and irregular hours. |
| 11/02/2023 | Plumbing Supervisor | 44.0 h | 92,000 $ | 83,636 $ | 6,970 $ | 40.21 $ | I'm a supervisor overseeing multiple crews at a large contracting firm. I work long hours coordinating projects and managing foremen; I've been in management for five years. |
| 08/19/2023 | Lead Service Plumber | 40.0 h | 69,000 $ | 69,000 $ | 5,750 $ | 33.17 $ | I lead a small service crew for a commercial/residential service company. I'm full-time, handle scheduling and customer estimates, and have about 11 years of experience. |
| 04/06/2023 | Commercial Plumber (Union) | 40.0 h | 83,000 $ | 83,000 $ | 6,917 $ | 39.90 $ | I'm a union commercial plumber working on new construction projects. I'm full-time and have 14 years in the trade; overtime and prevailing wages bumped up my earnings recently. |
| 11/10/2022 | Maintenance Plumber (Healthcare Facility) | 40.0 h | 78,000 $ | 78,000 $ | 6,500 $ | 37.50 $ | I maintain plumbing systems in a healthcare facility for a medium employer. I'm full-time with 10 years' experience; responsibilities are higher because of regulatory requirements. |
| 07/30/2022 | Self-employed Plumbing Contractor | 45.0 h | 95,000 $ | 84,444 $ | 7,037 $ | 40.60 $ | I run my own small contracting business doing residential remodels and repairs. I work long hours, manage the books, and subcontract help when needed; business has grown post-pandemic. |
| 02/14/2022 | Master Plumber | 40.0 h | 87,000 $ | 87,000 $ | 7,250 $ | 41.83 $ | I'm a certified master plumber running installations and handling code compliance for a large commercial contractor. I have over 15 years' experience and lead teams on big projects. |
| 11/29/2021 | Apprentice Plumber | 34.0 h | 32,000 $ | 37,647 $ | 3,137 $ | 18.10 $ | I'm an apprentice working full-time-ish hours (many weeks are under 40) for a medium contractor while attending evening classes. This is my second year in the program. |
| 08/11/2021 | Service Plumber (Small Business) | 40.0 h | 54,000 $ | 54,000 $ | 4,500 $ | 25.96 $ | I do service calls for a small local company. I'm full-time with seven years' experience—busy schedule but good variety of work. |
| 03/22/2021 | Plumbing Foreman | 42.0 h | 72,000 $ | 68,571 $ | 5,714 $ | 32.97 $ | I'm a foreman managing crews on commercial installs at a mid-sized contractor. I work long hours overseeing projects and have about 12 years in the trade. |
| 12/02/2020 | Journeyman Plumber (Overnight On-call) | 35.0 h | 47,000 $ | 53,714 $ | 4,476 $ | 25.82 $ | I work full-time nights as a journeyman doing on-call emergency repairs for an apartment management company. Hours are regular but include being on call overnight. |
| 06/10/2020 | Lead Plumber | 40.0 h | 65,000 $ | 65,000 $ | 5,417 $ | 31.25 $ | I supervise small crews on residential and light commercial jobs at a small business. I'm full-time and have about nine years of experience; I handle scheduling as well. |
| 11/05/2019 | Commercial Plumber | 40.0 h | 60,000 $ | 60,000 $ | 5,000 $ | 28.85 $ | I've been a commercial plumber for a medium contracting firm for six years. I work full-time on larger building systems and have some overtime during projects. |
| 03/18/2019 | Service Plumber (Union) | 40.0 h | 58,000 $ | 58,000 $ | 4,833 $ | 27.88 $ | I work in a union local providing service calls across the city. I'm a full-time journeyman with eight years of total experience; union benefits are decent and wages rose in the past year. |
| 09/27/2018 | Journeyman Plumber | 40.0 h | 51,000 $ | 51,000 $ | 4,250 $ | 24.52 $ | I work full-time as a journeyman for a medium-sized plumbing contractor. I do service, remodels, and occasional commercial jobs. I've been here five years and received a few small raises. |
| 04/12/2018 | Maintenance Plumber (Commercial) | 38.0 h | 46,000 $ | 48,421 $ | 4,035 $ | 23.28 $ | I handle maintenance for a couple of commercial buildings. I'm full-time and have four years of experience. The employer is a property management firm and pay was modest when I started. |
| 10/09/2017 | Journeyman Plumber | 40.0 h | 42,000 $ | 42,000 $ | 3,500 $ | 20.19 $ | I've been a journeyman for three years at a small residential company. I'm full-time and do service and remodel work; we didn't have raises in the first two years. |
| 05/03/2017 | Apprentice Plumber | 32.0 h | 28,000 $ | 35,000 $ | 2,917 $ | 16.83 $ | I work as an apprentice for a mid-sized plumbing company, doing on-the-job training and some service calls. This is a part-time schedule while I progress through the apprenticeship. |
| 11/15/2016 | Service Plumber (Residential) | 30.0 h | 34,000 $ | 45,333 $ | 3,778 $ | 21.79 $ | I'm a residential service plumber working part-time for a local contractor. I handle service calls and have been with the company two years. |
| 07/22/2016 | Apprentice Plumber | 20.0 h | 22,000 $ | 44,000 $ | 3,667 $ | 21.15 $ | I'm an entry-level apprentice working part-time for a small plumbing shop while finishing trade school. I've been here one year and only work nights and weekends. |
Chicago’s plumbing labor market reflects the scale and complexity of one of the nation’s largest metros. From century-old multifamily buildings on the North and West Sides to soaring downtown high-rises, hospitals, universities, airports, and industrial facilities, the region’s built environment creates steady, year-round demand for licensed plumbers. Ongoing infrastructure work and building modernization projects across the city and suburbs also tend to keep contractors and facility teams busy.
Local demand is influenced by several region-specific factors. Chicago’s aging housing stock often requires repipes, code upgrades, and backflow protection. Large commercial and institutional campuses rely on sophisticated domestic water, sanitary, storm, and booster pump systems that need installation, testing, and ongoing maintenance. The city’s Lead Service Line Replacement efforts and broader water/wastewater funding streams can generate consistent project pipelines for contractors. Seasonal weather swings—freeze-thaw cycles and heavy rain events—also contribute to emergency and preventive service needs, such as burst pipe repairs, sump systems, and flood mitigation plumbing.
Plumbers in Chicago typically work in a strongly unionized environment. Many contractors are signatory to UA Local 130 (Plumbers Local 130 UA), and apprentices are trained through a formal program that combines classroom instruction with on-the-job experience. Employers often look for candidates who hold an Illinois plumber license issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), are familiar with the Chicago Plumbing Code, and can navigate the city’s permitting and inspection processes.
Specialized credentials can improve prospects in key sectors. Backflow testing and cross-connection control device inspector (CCCDI) credentials are commonly requested for municipal, school, and healthcare work. Hospitals and lab environments frequently prefer plumbers with medical gas installer credentials (such as ASSE 6010) and strong brazing skills. Experience with high‑rise systems—pressure zones, recirculation loops, and booster pump sets—is highly valued in the downtown core. Increasingly, employers also note comfort with tablets, digital work orders, and BIM/VDC coordination as helpful on complex jobs.
Hiring needs generally rise in the spring and summer construction season, while service, facilities, and public-sector roles remain active throughout the year. Emergency service contractors often see surges during cold snaps and heavy storms. Candidates who can read plans, coordinate with other trades (such as pipefitters and fire protection teams), and communicate clearly with tenants and property managers are often favored in the competitive Chicago market.
Plumbers in Chicago, Illinois, are employed across public agencies, institutions, contractors, and service firms. The following organizations and companies commonly post openings or utilize plumbing talent in the Chicago area:
In addition to these, many signatory plumbing contractors in the metro area hire through Local 130, and large general contractors often rely on union subcontractors for major commercial projects.
Career paths for plumbers in Chicago typically start with apprenticeship and move to journeyman roles, foreman or superintendent, and into estimating, project management, or code compliance positions. Facility-based roles at hospitals, universities, airports, and transit agencies can offer exposure to complex systems and steady maintenance workloads. Contractors focused on commercial build-outs and multifamily work often need plumbers who can interpret coordinated drawings, install large-diameter systems, and handle punch-list and turnover efficiently.
Specialization can open doors to high-demand niches: backflow testing and cross-connection surveys, medical gas installation and verification support, high-rise domestic water and hot-water recirculation, or stormwater and flood mitigation systems common in the region. Experienced plumbers sometimes transition into inspection or plan review roles with city or suburban jurisdictions, or into technical training and manufacturer representation. Many also pursue entrepreneurship, starting licensed plumbing businesses that serve residential neighborhoods or focus on commercial service and tenant improvements.
Overall, the outlook for plumbers in Chicago is generally positive. The combination of ongoing public infrastructure investment, a large and aging building stock, and the metro’s concentration of healthcare, education, logistics, and hospitality facilities tends to support consistent hiring. Plumbers who maintain licenses, stay current with code updates, and add credentials relevant to hospitals, schools, and high-rise environments are well-positioned to secure opportunities across the Chicago region.
The average salary for a Plumber in Chicago is 68,500 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 5,708 $ gross per month.
Part-time and full-time reports are normalized to a 40-hour workweek so salary reports can be compared fairly.
You can find more comparisons on the profession overview for Plumber and the city overview for Chicago. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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