Plumbers in the Bremerton area earn a median of $82,960 a year, 35% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #38 of 387 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Seattle and Bellingham, but less in Olympia.
Bremerton scorecard for plumbers Our calculation
Grades compare Bremerton with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($61,430).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Bremerton Our calculation
Prices in the Bremerton area run 6% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $78,555 would in a typical place, ranking #80 of 383 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What plumbers do
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.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- 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.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, plumber jobs are projected to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 42,000 openings a year. About 8% are self-employed.
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 near Bremerton ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
Licensing in Washington Official source
The main state licensing office in Washington is the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. It can point you to the right license for plumbers.
Official Washington licensing site ↗
Requirements for plumbers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
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.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying WA metros for plumbers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BellinghamWASHINGTON · WA | $102,750 | $99,435 | 540 |
| KennewickWASHINGTON · WA | $97,130 | $97,053 | 840 |
| SeattleWASHINGTON · WA | $95,230 | $85,690 | 6,350 |
| BremertonWASHINGTON · WA | $82,960 | $78,555 | 1,040 |
| LongviewWASHINGTON · WA | $80,710 | $82,741 | 200 |
| OlympiaWASHINGTON · WA | $80,030 | $77,197 | 310 |
| Mount VernonWASHINGTON · WA | $77,540 | $75,691 | 230 |
| WenatcheeWASHINGTON · WA | $74,200 | $71,446 | 180 |
| SpokaneWASHINGTON · WA | $72,800 | $72,549 | 810 |
| Walla WallaWASHINGTON · WA | $70,390 | $71,448 | 80 |
See every metro in Washington.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Bremerton area's unemployment rate was 4.2% in 2025 (all workers, not just plumbers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.9% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Bremerton area is 28 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 18% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 62% drive alone, 5% take transit and 18% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
New construction
New-home permits in Bremerton are down 22% from 2021 to 2025 (2,285 → 1,780).
In 2025 the Bremerton area approved permits for 1,780 new homes (631 single-family), or 6.4 per 1,000 residents, ranking #97 of 393 metros, among the busiest building markets in the country.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 42 one-person businesses (no employees) in plumbing & HVAC contracting, averaging $143,333 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 87 plumbing & HVAC contracting companies that have employees (about 740 workers in total). 60% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $82,960 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get plumber pricing & estimate templates →Compare Bremerton with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.