Pipefitter Salary in Virginia

$29/hr

Compare Virginia pipe-trades employee wage bands with the systems, schedules and responsibilities included in a pipefitting offer.

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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.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$21.14–$23.72/hr
▲ 1.5% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$23.72–$34.51/hr
▲ 1.5% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$34.51–$37.52/hr
▲ 1.5% from last year

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$/ hr

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.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

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

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Pipefitter
Virginia · Day Shift
Base rate$29.12
+ UA Local 10 Plumbers & Steamfitters Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$3.60
+ Virginia DPOR Journeyman Gas Fitter License$4.46
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.37
Effective hourly$37.55
Straight · 40 hrs$1,502
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$451
Weekly gross$1,952
Annualised · 50 weeks
$97,617
8 OT hrs/week · Virginia

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.

01 / 03$30.34/hr

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.

+ Piping focus
+ Service variety
– Changing sites
– Shutdown schedules
02 / 03$34.24/hr

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.

+ Complex systems
+ Coordinated crews
– Trade congestion
– Inspection delays
03 / 03$29.52/hr

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.

+ Infrastructure work
+ Defined packages
– Outdoor exposure
– Travel demands

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.

  1. 01California$35.01/hr
  2. 02Virginiathis page$29.07/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
UA Local 10 Plumbers & Steamfitters Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$3.60$7,488$00 weeks
Virginia DPOR Journeyman Gas Fitter License+$4.46$9,277$2722 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$1.11$2,309$1594 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.37$770$594 weeks
NFPA Hot Work Safety Certificate (Fire Watch / NFPA 51B)+$0.15$312$499 weeks
AWS Certified Welder (SMAW, accredited test facility)+$2.23$4,638$89711 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $29.07/hr.

40 hr week
$1,163
No OT
50 hr week
$1,599
+$21,802/yr
60 hr week
$2,035
+$43,605/yr
70 hr week
$2,471
+$65,407/yr

Questions workers ask

Do state-funded public projects pay pipefitters prevailing wage?▾
Yes, on covered contracts over $250,000. Virginia Code § 2.2-4321.3 requires prevailing wages on public works paid partly with state funds, and on local projects where the locality has adopted an ordinance. The Department of Labor and Industry sets the rates by trade and area, and contractors must post them at the jobsite.
Must my registered apprenticeship raise my pay as I progress?▾
Yes. Virginia Works, the state agency that registers apprenticeships, requires program standards to include a progressively increasing wage schedule tied to the skills you gain. Ask the sponsor for its written schedule before you sign.
Where can I raise an unpaid overtime issue?▾
Virginia DOLI handles overtime enforcement for overtime earned from July 1, 2026. Earlier claims go through federal Wage and Hour channels or private litigation. Keep time records, earnings statements and the employer's written pay terms.

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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.