Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salary in Colorado
The average Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salary in Colorado is $71,500 per year on WePayFairly's 2026 basis. The 25th-to-75th-percentile range is $54,000 to $81,500. Based on BLS state wage data, aged to 2026.
The following occupation, experience, industry and career information describes the role nationally. For Colorado pay, use the state figures above and the state salary questions below.
Total cash compensation
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$74,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$8,000
10.9% of base
Total target cash
$82,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$5,00050th$8,00075th$13,000
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
ShareLink copied
About this role
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is a professional role within the function in the Construction and Extraction job family.
Typical entry preparation: Post-Secondary Certificate and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
Top skills:Critical ThinkingTroubleshootingRepairingJudgment and Decision MakingMonitoringTime Management
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters pay by experience level
Entry level$45,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$52,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$66,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$88,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$112,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+4.5%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
44,000
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salary by industry
Specialty Trade Contractors
349,050 workers
$74,500
Building Equipment Contractors
340,140 workers
$74,500
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
17,400 workers
$70,500
Construction of Buildings
17,150 workers
$79,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
16,660 workers
$76,000
Utility System Construction
14,960 workers
$69,500
Administrative and Support Services
11,550 workers
$65,500
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
11,480 workers
$74,500
Nonresidential Building Construction
10,790 workers
$78,500
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
8,930 workers
$73,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 624,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
3.1%
White
86.5%
Black or African American
7.1%
Asian
2.8%
Hispanic or Latino
30.3%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $56,330 to $63,800.
+13.3% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$45,500
Early career25th percentile
$52,000
Median50th percentile
$66,000
Experienced75th percentile
$88,000
Top earners90th percentile
$112,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Critical ThinkingTroubleshootingRepairingJudgment and Decision MakingMonitoringTime Management
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$74,500
2027$77,000
2028$80,000
2029$82,500
2030$85,500
2031$88,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
Get your Personal Pay Report for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Keep your market comparison in a print-ready PDF, with negotiation targets, a script using your numbers, and a five-year market-pay illustration. Career ladder where available.
StateYears of experienceCurrent salary
One-time purchase. Review the final total, including any applicable tax, in Stripe before you pay. Report available immediately after successful payment. Full refund on request within 7 days of purchase. Refund terms. Prefer to explore first? Run a free market check.
Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
Your free market check includes an estimated percentile and pay gap when you enter your salary. The paid report adds a PDF, negotiation targets and script, and a five-year market-pay illustration. See a full sample report
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters pays 15% above the average across 63 roles in the Construction and Extraction job family (family average $65,000).
Similar-paying roles in Construction and Extraction
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Colorado salary questions
How much does a Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters make in Colorado?
The average base salary for a Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Colorado is $71,500 per year, or about $34.38 per hour, on WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
What is the median Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salary in Colorado?
The median is $65,500 per year on the same 2026 basis. The median is the middle wage in the state distribution; the average is $71,500.
What is the typical Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters salary range in Colorado?
The 25th-to-75th-percentile range in Colorado is $54,000 to $81,500 per year on the 2026 basis. These percentiles describe the state wage distribution; individual pay varies by employer and experience.
How does Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters pay in Colorado compare with the national average?
The Colorado average of $71,500 is $3,000 (4.0%) below the national average of $74,500. Both figures use WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
Where do these Colorado salary figures come from?
The state figures come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state data. WePayFairly applies the same compounded market movement factor used elsewhere on this page to express the published figures on a 2026 basis. They are estimates, not a guarantee of a particular offer.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
