Statewide pay Government data
Plumbers in Arkansas earn a statewide median of $48,660 a year, 21% below the typical U.S. metro, ranking #51 of 50 states and DC. About 3,370 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Arkansas
See all states on the plumbers nationwide.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes plumber pay for 5 Arkansas metros: Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Jonesboro and Little Rock.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| FayettevilleARKANSAS · AR | $52,100 | $57,032 | 830 |
| Little RockARKANSAS · AR | $49,190 | $55,045 | 890 |
| Fort SmithARKANSAS · AR | $48,350 | $56,294 | 250 |
| JonesboroARKANSAS · AR | $47,030 | $54,765 | 160 |
| Hot SpringsARKANSAS · AR | $46,820 | $54,613 | 140 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Pay outside the cities Government data
BLS also reports pay for Arkansas's rural (nonmetropolitan) regions.
BLS OEWS nonmetropolitan areas, May 2025.
The job (national)
Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems. Includes sprinkler fitters.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 42,000 openings a year. Typical training: apprenticeship.
Nationally, plumbers have 144 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.7× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
What the work is like Government data
How often plumbers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Getting started: registered apprenticeship Government data
Most plumbers train through a paid apprenticeship: you work and earn under experienced pros while taking classes, and pay usually rises as you progress. 727,586 people were active registered apprentices nationwide in FY2026, up 87% since FY2016, and construction is the largest field with 290,043 of them (40%), according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Search apprenticeship openings ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
Registered apprenticeships Government data
Of plumber apprentices in Arkansas who finished or left a registered program in fiscal years 2020–2024, 34% completed (U.S.: 55%), about 146 graduates a year. The typical program runs 8,000 hours, about 4 years of full-time work. Union programs had a 14% completion rate, compared with 36% for non-union programs.
U.S. Department of Labor, RAPIDS apprentice records (Completion Rate Analysis), FY2020–2024 exits.
Where to train in Arkansas Government data
2 schools in Arkansas offer plumbing programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State University Three Rivers Malvern, AR · Public | Certificate | $16,130 | 0 | — |
| Arkansas State University Three Rivers Malvern, AR · Public | Associate degree | $16,130 | 0 | — |
| NorthWest Arkansas Community College Bentonville, AR · Public | Certificate | $10,261 | 0 | — |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Licensing in Arkansas Official source
The main state licensing office in Arkansas is the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing. Home of the Contractors Licensing Board; some trades are licensed by other state agencies. It can point you to the right license for plumbers.
Official Arkansas licensing site ↗
Requirements for plumbers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 2.8% of wage and salary workers in Arkansas were union members, below the U.S. rate of about 10% (#48 of 51 states and D.C.), and 3.5% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only plumbers.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Arkansas
All trades in Arkansas.