Licensing
Plumbing contractors need a C-36 Plumbing license from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). California has no state journeyman plumber license, so worker requirements are set by employers and local jurisdictions.
What plumbers earn in California
Published data- Median hourly wage
- $35.01
- Mean hourly wage
- $39.58
- Middle 50% (25th–75th percentile)
- $28.36–$48.17
- Median annual wage
- $72,830
- Mean annual wage
- $82,320
- Median vs. national
- 14% above national ($30.67)
- Employed in the state
- 47,660
BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 47-2152. Last verified: October 23, 2026. BLS series IDs: OEUS060000000000047215208, OEUS060000000000047215203, OEUS060000000000047215207, OEUS060000000000047215209, OEUS060000000000047215201.
From wage to hourly rate in California
Modeled- 1. Median wage
- $35.01
- 2. Loaded cost per paid hour
- $45.31
- 3. Break-even per billable hour
- $75.52
- 4. Rate at a 40% gross margin
- $125.87
The rate works out to about 3.6× the wage. Change any input below to use your own payroll, schedule and margin.
LeadDuo assumptions: payroll taxes 10%, workers' comp 8%, benefits $4 per paid hour, billable time 60% (typical range 55–65%), and a 40% target gross margin that covers overhead and profit. These are modeled values, not published data.
Labor rate calculator
Charge at least
$125.87/hr
- Loaded cost per paid hour
- $45.31
- Break-even per billable hour
- $75.52
- Rate as a multiple of the wage
- 3.6×
Labor on common jobs at this rate
ModeledLabor only, at $125.87/hr. Parts, equipment, permits and trip charges are extra, so these are not full job prices.
| Job | Typical labor hours | Labor at this rate |
|---|---|---|
| Drain clearing (main or branch line) | 1 | $126 |
| Faucet or toilet replacement | 1.5 | $189 |
| 40–50 gal tank water heater replacement | 3 | $378 |
Labor hours are LeadDuo planning assumptions.
Full job prices with parts: price list template →Working in California
Permits
Water heater replacements need a permit and seismic strapping under California code, and sewer and repipe jobs are permitted by the city or county.
What drives the work
Water-efficiency standards shape fixture work, and the state's large stock of older homes keeps repipe and sewer-line jobs steady.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a plumber make in California?
The median plumber wage in California is $35.01 an hour ($72,830 a year) per BLS OEWS (May 2025), 14% above the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $28.36–$48.17 an hour.
What hourly rate does a plumbing company in California need?
At the median wage and LeadDuo's published defaults (10% payroll taxes, 8% workers' comp, $4/hr benefits, 60% billable time, 40% gross margin), a plumbing company in California needs about $75.52 per billable hour to cover the technician's cost and about $125.87 an hour to hit a 40% margin. Change the inputs in the calculator to use your own numbers.
Do you need a license to work as a plumber in California?
Plumbing contractors need a C-36 Plumbing license from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). California has no state journeyman plumber license, so worker requirements are set by employers and local jurisdictions.
How many plumbers work in California?
BLS counts 47,660 employed plumbers in California (May 2025), about 10.2% of the 465,840 nationwide. The count leaves out self-employed owners.
Other states
Plumbing labor rate calculator (all states) →Sources and freshness
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, SOC 47-2152 (Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters). Last verified: October 23, 2026.
Loaded cost, break-even, selling rate and labor per job are LeadDuo calculations from the stated assumptions, not BLS-published figures. How we use public data · Pricing changelog