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Salary Guides / Virginia
Pipefitter Salary in Virginia
Compare Virginia pipe-trades employee wage bands with the systems, schedules and responsibilities included in a pipefitting offer.
What Pipefitters Earn in Virginia
Virginia employee wages span $21.14–$37.52/hr, with published annual figures of $43,970–$78,050 a year. BLS combines plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, so these figures cover the wider pipe trades. For a Richmond building assignment or Hampton Roads piping job, compare the actual duties and paid hours. Premium pay and benefits sit outside these wage figures. Write down whether the offer covers fabrication, installation, maintenance or a combination. Then discuss the joining methods, travel area and expected schedule with the contractor.
Hourly rates by level in Virginia
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
Where do you stand?
Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other pipefitters in Virginia.
What are you making?
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Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.
You're right around the middle
$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
Calculate pay with extra credentials
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
1Your level
2Certifications you hold
3Shift & work type
4Overtime & per diem
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
Who pays the most in Virginia
These national construction-sector figures help frame Virginia offers for building piping and utility work. Each covers the combined pipe-trades occupation.
Building Equipment Contractors
Mechanical contractors install and service building piping. For a Richmond assignment, ask how the employer pays travel between installation and service jobs. Discuss required yard reporting and loading.
Nonresidential Building Construction
Commercial building employers coordinate piping with other trades. On Virginia hospital projects, discuss inspection stages, access and the hours available between handoffs. Ask whether crews move to another task when an inspection or another trade holds up installation.
Utility System Construction
Water and sewer construction puts piping crews around excavations. For Virginia utility assignments, ask about outdoor schedules, travel and paid weather interruptions. Clarify the reporting location and how the contractor handles a workday interrupted after the crew arrives.
Which states pay pipefitters the most
Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.
What each certification is worth
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UA Local 10 Plumbers & Steamfitters Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$3.60 | $7,488 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| Virginia DPOR Journeyman Gas Fitter License | +$4.46 | $9,277 | $272 | 2 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$1.11 | $2,309 | $159 | 4 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.37 | $770 | $59 | 4 weeks |
| NFPA Hot Work Safety Certificate (Fire Watch / NFPA 51B) | +$0.15 | $312 | $49 | 9 weeks |
| AWS Certified Welder (SMAW, accredited test facility) | +$2.23 | $4,638 | $897 | 11 weeks |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $29.07/hr.
Questions workers ask
Do state-funded public projects pay pipefitters prevailing wage?▾
Must my registered apprenticeship raise my pay as I progress?▾
Where can I raise an unpaid overtime issue?▾
See Open Pipefitter Jobs in Virginia
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Current BLS Virginia employee wages for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, SOC 47-2152; the occupation combines plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters. Employee wages exclude premium pay and benefits.
Last updated October 26, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.