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Salary Guides / California
Plumber Helper Salary in California
California employee wages for plumbing support, with related pipe-trades helpers included and national construction sectors shown separately.
What Plumber Helpers Earn in California
California's combined pipe-trades helper wages span $18.69–$29.99/hr, with published annual earnings of $38,880–$62,370 a year. The figures include helpers supporting pipelayers, pipefitters and steamfitters alongside plumbers. They cover employee wages and exclude premium pay and benefits. The range describes support workers across employers, including jobs with different mixtures of shop and field duties. Compare the offered duties with that scope, especially when a vacancy mixes material handling with supervised plumbing tasks.
Hourly rates by level in California
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 plumber helpers in California.
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 California
These national sector figures show three settings for pipe-trades helpers. Ask California employers which plumbing tasks, travel arrangements and schedules their vacancies involve.
Building Equipment Contractors
Plumbing contractors install and service building systems. Helpers prepare fittings and tools, so discuss paid loading and moves between service calls. For a California offer, identify the shop location and daily reporting arrangements.
Nonresidential Building Construction
Commercial building crews coordinate plumbing support with other trades. Ask who directs material staging and how the employer schedules access around installations. Compare that schedule with the hours and overtime terms in your California offer.
Which states pay plumber helpers 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 246 Plumbing/Pipefitting Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$2.91 | $6,053 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$0.61 | $1,269 | $159 | 7 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.20 | $416 | $59 | 8 weeks |
| Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator | +$0.05 | $104 |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $22.66/hr.
Questions workers ask
Do the experience labels describe licensed plumbing grades?▾
How should I compare offers with different schedules?▾
Can a public project use these bands as its wage schedule?▾
See Open Plumber Helper Jobs in California
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Current BLS California employee wages for Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, SOC 47-3015; combined pipe-trades helpers, not plumber helpers alone, excluding premium pay and benefits.
Last updated October 21, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.
