How much does a plumber charge per hour in California?
Typical plumber rate, California
$86/hr
Most plumbers in California charge $69 to $118 an hour. A full 8-hour day runs about $688.
Updated October 2026 · Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
How we got $86
| Median plumber wage in California | $35.01 |
|---|---|
| × 1.4 payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance | $49.01 |
| ÷ 0.8 for hours nobody gets billed (driving, supply runs, estimates) | $61.27 |
| × 1.4 overhead (truck, tools, office) and profit | $85.77 |
| Typical rate | $86/hr |
What plumbers earn in California
| Pay level | Wage | Charges about |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th percentile) | $22.76 | $56/hr |
| 25th percentile | $28.36 | $69/hr |
| Median (middle) | $35.01 | $86/hr |
| 75th percentile | $48.17 | $118/hr |
| Top earners (90th percentile) | $63.03 | $154/hr |
47,660 plumbers work in California. The middle earner makes $72,830 a year. Wages are from the BLS Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters category.
How California compares
California plumbers earn 14% above the U.S., ranking #17 of 51 states for plumber pay (#1 pays the most). The typical U.S. rate is $75 an hour.
| State | Typical | Most charge |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $114/hr | $88 to $149 |
| Alaska | $111/hr | $87 to $121 |
| Washington | $95/hr | $71 to $127 |
| Hawaii | $92/hr | $73 to $115 |
| California | $86/hr | $69 to $118 |
| United States | $75/hr | $59 to $100 |
What drives plumber prices
Plumbers commonly charge a trip fee or a one-hour minimum, and night, weekend and emergency calls cost more. Drain and sewer work that needs a camera or jetter is priced above the labor rate alone.
Common questions
How much does a plumber charge per hour in California?
Most plumbers in California charge between $69 and $118 an hour, and about $86 is typical. A full 8-hour day runs about $688. These are estimates built from what plumbers earn in California (a median of $35.01 an hour, BLS May 2025), not quotes.
Why do plumbers charge so much more than they earn?
The wage is only part of the cost. On top of $35.01 an hour, the employer pays payroll taxes, workers' comp and insurance (about $49.01 in total), loses paid hours to driving, supply runs and estimates that nobody is billed for (about $61.27 per billed hour), and has to cover the truck, tools, office and a profit. That's how $35.01 becomes about $86.
What's the lowest rate a plumber in California can charge without losing money?
About $61 an hour for a plumber paid the California median. That covers pay, payroll taxes, insurance and unbilled time, but nothing for the truck, tools, office or profit, so a rate below it loses money on every hour.
Other trades in California
Rates are BidFlow estimates, not quotes. Each starts with the May 2025 wage from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, then multiplies by 1.4 for payroll taxes and insurance, divides by 0.8 for hours that can't be billed, and multiplies by 1.4 for overhead and profit. Updated October 2026. How we calculate
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