Plumber.
Wilmington.
$66,000
median salary, 5% above the national average
$51,000 to $86,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Plumber offer in Wilmington, DE, here is the reality: $51,000 to $86,000, with $66,000 as the midpoint. 5% above the national average. Licensed master plumbers earn 25 to 35% more than journeymen, with commercial and industrial specialization pushing pay to the top of the range. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Plumber in Wilmington, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $74,860 for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152) in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, based on 7,150 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$48,400
25th percentile
$60,900
Median
$74,860
75th percentile
$103,770
90th percentile
$142,210
Workers surveyed
7,150
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152) rather than Plumber specifically. The Wilmingtonrange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such. Wilmington is reported by BLS within the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area.
View the BLS source for SOC 47-2152Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $59,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$43,000
to $53,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$56,000
to $69,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$73,000
to $86,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$83,000
to $102,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $16,000 to the total package.
Base
$66,000
Equity
$9,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $82,000
How Wilmington compares.
Wilmington, DE
$66,000
Cost of living: 2% above average
National Average
$63,000
Wilmington is $3,000 above
Plumber salary by city.
Salary by role in Wilmington.
What you should know.
Here is what the Plumber market actually looks like in Wilmington. Wilmington is a corporate law and financial services hub, home to most U.S. credit card companies thanks to Delaware's favorable incorporation laws. The city's compact size belies its outsized role in banking, legal services, and corporate governance. Chemical and pharmaceutical companies also maintain a strong presence. Licensed master plumbers earn 25 to 35% more than journeymen, with commercial and industrial specialization pushing pay to the top of the range. Plumbers who handle gas line work, backflow prevention, or medical gas systems command premium rates. Union membership in major metro areas provides the strongest wage floors.
Apprentice plumbers start at $32,000 to $40,000 during their four to five year apprenticeship. Journeymen earn $46,000 to $65,000, while master plumbers reach $65,000 to $85,000. Plumbing contractors who run their own businesses can earn $90,000 to $150,000 or more. In Wilmington, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Union plumbers receive health insurance, pension contributions, and annuity funds worth $15,000 to $25,000 annually on top of wages. Overtime during emergency calls can add $8,000 to $15,000 per year, especially for on-call residential specialists. And on the tax side: delaware has a top income tax rate of 6.6% but no state sales tax. Wilmington has a city wage tax of 1.25%. The no sales tax benefit partially offsets the income tax burden. When someone quotes you $66,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage Delaware's corporate density. Banks and legal firms here pay competitively to retain talent that might otherwise commute to Philadelphia or New York. The range for Plumbers in Wilmington runs from $51,000 to $86,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
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