§ 03 Trade wages
Plumbers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Plumbers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro earned a median of $28.90 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OEWS), 6% lower than the national median of $30.67. The middle half earned $23.25 to $31.27. About 620 people work in this occupation here. That ranks 198 of 334 metros with a reliable estimate for this trade. These are employee wages, not what a contractor bills you per hour.
BLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC 47-2152
Plumbers, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
25th pct$23.25per hour
Median$28.90per hour
75th pct$31.27per hour
10th pct$21.07
90th pct$36.76
Mean$28.19
Workers620
Your multiplier: ×2.0Median wage × multiplier: $58/hr
OEWS reports what employers pay these workers per hour. A contractor’s bill also covers the business: insurance, licensing, vehicles, tools, office staff, warranty callbacks, unbilled travel time and profit. The wage is a floor for understanding a quote, never a price. You set the multiplier; we publish no typical markup because we have no citable source for one.What else is in a bill for this trade
- Trip or after-hours charges on service calls
- Permit fees for water heaters and repiping in many cities
- Truck stock, haul-away of the old unit and code-required parts (expansion tanks, venting)
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC · mean RSE 1.8%Employee wages from the BLS employer survey. Not what a contractor bills.
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Water heater, replaceQuote Check, price + termsInterior water pipes, add or replaceQuote Check, price + termsPlumbing fixtures, add or replaceQuote Check, price + termsSeptic tank, add or replaceQuote Check, price + termsDishwasher or garbage disposalQuote Check, price + termsBathroom added or convertedQuote Check, price + terms