The average salary for a Plumber in Detroit is 62,368 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 5,197 $ gross per month and 29.98 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 36,000 $ to 112,000 $. The analysis is based on 33 salary reports from workers and employers in Detroit. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/01/2026 | Plumbing Operations Manager | 44.0 h | 98,000 $ | 89,091 $ | 7,424 $ | 42.83 $ | I manage operations for a regional plumbing contractor overseeing scheduling, procurement, and crew performance. This managerial position requires longer hours and administrative duties. |
| 06/30/2026 | Owner / Plumbing Contractor (Growing Business) | 45.0 h | 120,000 $ | 106,667 $ | 8,889 $ | 51.28 $ | I started my contracting business six years ago and now run a growing operation with multiple crews. My compensation includes owner draws and retained profits; I work long hours managing operations. |
| 06/25/2026 | Emergency Response Plumber | 40.0 h | 69,000 $ | 69,000 $ | 5,750 $ | 33.17 $ | I handle rapid-response emergency plumbing for a regional provider and have on-call responsibilities. My experience level and hazard/urgency pay boost my earnings. |
| 06/05/2026 | Senior Journeyman / Trainer | 40.0 h | 73,500 $ | 73,500 $ | 6,125 $ | 35.34 $ | I work as a senior journeyman who trains apprentices and oversees quality control on projects. I've been in this combined role for five years and remain full-time in the field and shop. |
| 05/17/2026 | Part-Time Service Specialist | 25.5 h | 31,500 $ | 49,412 $ | 4,118 $ | 23.76 $ | I work part-time doing specialized fixture installs and weekend emergency calls while maintaining another part-time job. My hours and income reflect the limited schedule. |
| 04/28/2026 | Residential Lead Plumber | 40.0 h | 65,500 $ | 65,500 $ | 5,458 $ | 31.49 $ | I lead the residential team for a regional contractor handling remodels and new home installs. I'm full-time with six years in leadership and regularly mentor junior techs. |
| 03/15/2026 | Master Plumber / Consultant | 40.0 h | 112,000 $ | 112,000 $ | 9,333 $ | 53.85 $ | I act as a master plumber and technical consultant for complex plumbing system designs. I consult for commercial clients and also take selective hands-on projects. |
| 01/21/2026 | Commercial Project Foreman | 45.0 h | 90,000 $ | 80,000 $ | 6,667 $ | 38.46 $ | I oversee large commercial plumbing installations and coordinate multiple subcontractors. I work long hours on site supervision and scheduling; I've been in this role for eight years. |
| 11/10/2025 | Apprentice (Third Year) | 34.0 h | 39,500 $ | 46,471 $ | 3,873 $ | 22.34 $ | I'm in my third year of apprenticeship and split time between hands-on training and classroom work. I'm part-time due to scheduled night classes and field mentorship. |
| 09/29/2025 | Service Plumber (Independent Contractor) | 40.0 h | 76,000 $ | 76,000 $ | 6,333 $ | 36.54 $ | I work as an independent contractor focusing on emergency service and remodels. I contract for multiple companies and clients; after expenses my gross annual income is in this range. |
| 06/20/2025 | Maintenance Lead Plumber | 38.0 h | 58,500 $ | 61,579 $ | 5,132 $ | 29.61 $ | I lead maintenance for a multi-site property management company. I'm full-time with slightly reduced hours but handle on-call rotations and oversee contractors. |
| 03/03/2025 | Journeyman Plumber (Union) | 40.0 h | 61,000 $ | 61,000 $ | 5,083 $ | 29.33 $ | I work union-scale for municipal and institutional projects. After more than seven years with the union, my pay is steady with strong benefits. |
| 11/11/2024 | Senior Service Plumber | 40.0 h | 68,000 $ | 68,000 $ | 5,667 $ | 32.69 $ | I've been a service plumber for over ten years handling high-end residential and custom work. I'm full-time and often called for complex troubleshooting and remodels. |
| 06/28/2024 | Plumbing Contractor (Owner) | 44.5 h | 102,000 $ | 91,685 $ | 7,640 $ | 44.08 $ | I run a small contracting firm with five crews. As owner, I handle business development, project management, and sometimes hands-on work; revenue growth in recent years has increased my earnings. |
| 02/14/2024 | Plumbing Supervisor | 44.0 h | 83,000 $ | 75,455 $ | 6,288 $ | 36.28 $ | I supervise multiple crews and coordinate large commercial jobs. I've been in this supervisory role for four years; responsibilities and longer hours drive my compensation. |
| 10/06/2023 | Service Plumber (Part-Time) | 25.0 h | 29,000 $ | 46,400 $ | 3,867 $ | 22.31 $ | I took a part-time role to balance family responsibilities and mainly cover weekend service calls. I earn proportionally less because I work about 25 hours a week. |
| 07/19/2023 | Estimator / Senior Plumber | 40.0 h | 72,000 $ | 72,000 $ | 6,000 $ | 34.62 $ | I do estimates and lead plumbing teams for a regional contractor. My role blends field work and office estimating; I've been in this combined role for five years. |
| 03/27/2023 | Master Plumber | 42.0 h | 88,000 $ | 83,810 $ | 6,984 $ | 40.29 $ | I'm a licensed master plumber and handle permits, complex system design, and on-site troubleshooting. I supervise a small crew and manage high-end residential and light commercial projects. |
| 12/02/2022 | Commercial Pipefitter / Plumber | 40.0 h | 65,000 $ | 65,000 $ | 5,417 $ | 31.25 $ | I do pipefitting and plumbing for larger commercial projects. I've got nine years of experience and work full-time for a contractor on multi-trade jobs. |
| 09/13/2022 | Self-Employed Plumber / Owner | 45.0 h | 78,000 $ | 69,333 $ | 5,778 $ | 33.33 $ | I own a small plumbing business and have been running it for six years. I work long hours doing service calls, estimating jobs, and managing two employees; my pay reflects owner revenue after expenses. |
| 04/08/2022 | Service & Repair Specialist | 40.0 h | 59,500 $ | 59,500 $ | 4,958 $ | 28.61 $ | I specialize in emergency repairs and high-end fixture troubleshooting. I've been doing this work for eight years for a mid-size company and am considered senior technical staff. |
| 11/22/2021 | Apprentice (Second Year) | 34.0 h | 34,500 $ | 40,588 $ | 3,382 $ | 19.51 $ | I'm in my second year of apprenticeship and work part-time while completing on-the-job hours. I assist with installations and am learning drain-waste-vent systems. |
| 08/05/2021 | Journeyman Plumber (Night Shift) | 40.0 h | 51,000 $ | 51,000 $ | 4,250 $ | 24.52 $ | I work full-time on nights doing service and emergency repairs for a regional company. I've been on the night crew for three years; night differential helps push my pay above average. |
| 03/17/2021 | Commercial Plumbing Foreman | 42.0 h | 56,000 $ | 53,333 $ | 4,444 $ | 25.64 $ | I'm a foreman on commercial projects with about 10 years' experience. I manage a small crew, coordinate subcontractors, and handle complex installs; my hours are longer due to oversight duties. |
| 09/29/2020 | Residential Installer | 40.0 h | 45,000 $ | 45,000 $ | 3,750 $ | 21.63 $ | I install residential plumbing systems for a local builder. I'm full-time with four years' experience in installation and finish carpentry level detail work. |
| 06/11/2020 | Service Plumber (Part-Time) | 20.0 h | 26,000 $ | 52,000 $ | 4,333 $ | 25.00 $ | I work part-time doing emergency service callbacks and weekend shifts while attending trade school. My pay reflects the 20 hours I work each week. |
| 10/15/2019 | Journeyman Plumber (Union) | 40.0 h | 47,000 $ | 47,000 $ | 3,917 $ | 22.60 $ | I'm a union journeyman with six years' experience doing commercial plumbing. Benefits and union scale help my pay; I work full-time and sometimes pick up overtime. |
| 04/30/2019 | Plumbing Technician (Non-Union) | 40.0 h | 43,500 $ | 43,500 $ | 3,625 $ | 20.91 $ | I work for a small non-union contractor doing both installs and service. I've been with the company five years and handle medium-complexity jobs; I'm full-time with occasional overtime. |
| 12/09/2018 | Maintenance Plumber | 35.0 h | 39,500 $ | 45,143 $ | 3,762 $ | 21.70 $ | I maintain plumbing systems at a multi-building residential complex. I'm full-time but hours are on the lower end; I've been in this role four years and focus on preventive maintenance. |
| 07/18/2018 | Journeyman Plumber | 40.0 h | 42,000 $ | 42,000 $ | 3,500 $ | 20.19 $ | I became a journeyman two years ago and work full-time on commercial service contracts for a mid-size company. I travel between sites and do not have direct reports. |
| 11/03/2017 | Residential Plumber | 38.0 h | 38,500 $ | 40,526 $ | 3,377 $ | 19.48 $ | I've worked as a residential plumber for three years. I'm full-time with steady hours handling repairs and small installs for a local contractor. |
| 05/22/2017 | Service Plumber (Entry-Level) | 40.0 h | 36,000 $ | 36,000 $ | 3,000 $ | 17.31 $ | I do service calls for a small plumbing company and have been here two years. I'm full-time and handle basic diagnostics, unclogs, and fixture replacements; I don't supervise anyone. |
| 08/12/2016 | Apprentice Plumber | 30.0 h | 30,500 $ | 40,667 $ | 3,389 $ | 19.55 $ | I'm an apprentice and have been training on residential service calls for one year. I'm part-time while finishing my certification classes and mostly assist journeymen with installs and repairs. |
Detroit’s building revival, aging housing stock, and ongoing infrastructure upgrades are keeping demand for skilled plumbers steady across the city and the larger tri-county metro area. From multifamily conversions in Midtown and downtown to neighborhood rehabs, many properties in Detroit were built decades ago and often need full plumbing system updates, code-compliant replacements, and modern water-saving fixtures. This mix of new construction and retrofit work typically sustains hiring throughout the year.
Major capital projects also shape the outlook. The Ford Michigan Central redevelopment in Corktown, continued work tied to the Gordie Howe International Bridge, and the significant Henry Ford Health expansion in New Center all require extensive plumbing and mechanical scopes. At the same time, regional utilities are investing in water and wastewater reliability, and municipalities across Southeast Michigan are advancing lead service line replacement and stormwater resilience efforts—workstreams that commonly call for licensed plumbers and pipefitters.
Plumbers in Detroit operate within a diversified regional economy anchored by healthcare, higher education, automotive manufacturing, logistics, and commercial real estate. That diversity tends to spread demand across several customer types: hospital campuses, university buildings, industrial facilities, offices, and single- and multifamily housing. Frequent freeze-thaw cycles, older piping, and heavy rainfall events have also kept service calls and flood-mitigation upgrades active in many neighborhoods.
Local hiring often follows permitting and project pipelines. Detroit’s ongoing residential rehabilitation and downtown core renovations typically support steady service, remodel, and tenant-improvement work. On the institutional side, hospitals and universities maintain large facilities teams that regularly schedule preventative maintenance, backflow testing, and code-driven repairs. Municipal and utility projects—such as water main work, service line replacements, and pump station upgrades—also generate opportunities for plumbers with excavation, civil coordination, and pipefitting experience.
Licensing and training are important in this market. In Michigan, plumbers generally need a state-issued journeyman or master plumber license through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), and apprentices work under licensed supervision while accumulating experience and classroom instruction. In the Detroit area, many contractors are signatory to UA Plumbers Local 98, which offers apprenticeship and upgrade training that employers often look for on larger commercial and industrial jobs. Familiarity with the Michigan Plumbing Code, backflow prevention, medical gas systems, hydronic piping, and construction safety standards can make candidates more competitive.
Plumbers in Detroit are hired by a mix of mechanical contractors, public agencies, institutional facilities, and service companies. Examples in the Detroit metro area include:
Many employers in Detroit prefer candidates who can read plans and isometrics, coordinate with other trades, and document work for inspections. For hospital, lab, or manufacturing projects, additional credentials—such as medical gas brazing qualifications or cleanroom experience—can be helpful.
Plumbers in Detroit can pursue several paths:
With experience, Detroit plumbers can move into foreman or superintendent roles, estimating and project management, inspection, or become licensed master plumbers and pursue plumbing contractor registration. Given the region’s mix of redevelopment, infrastructure spending, and institutional expansion, well-trained and licensed plumbers generally find a consistent stream of projects and service work throughout the city and its suburbs.
The average salary for a Plumber in Detroit is 62,368 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 5,197 $ 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 Detroit. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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