Plumber Helper Salary in California

$23/hr

California employee wages for plumbing support, with related pipe-trades helpers included and national construction sectors shown separately.

Change trade or state

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.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$18.69–$19.75/hr
▼ 5.66% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$19.75–$26.38/hr
▼ 5.66% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$26.38–$29.99/hr
▼ 5.66% from last year

Find Plumber Helper jobs in California.

Browse open jobs

Where do you stand?

Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other plumber helpers in California.

What are you making?

Type your hourly rate. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere — it stays in your browser.

$/ 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 Plumber Helper
California · Day Shift
Base rate$23.06
+ UA Local 246 Plumbing/Pipefitting Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$2.91
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$0.61
+ Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator$0.05
Effective hourly$26.63
Straight · 40 hrs$1,065
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$320
Weekly gross$1,385
Annualised · 50 weeks
$69,251
8 OT hrs/week · California

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.

01 / 03$20.29/hr

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.

+ Plumbing focus
+ Service variety
– Changing sites
– Dispatch changes
02 / 03$18.74/hr

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.

+ Larger crews
+ Building experience
– Trade congestion
– Schedule pressure
03 / 03$21.34/hr

Utility System Construction

Water and sewer projects involve underground pipework. Compare material-handling assignments with excavation responsibilities and ask how outdoor work and travel are organized. For California vacancies, distinguish underground utility support from plumbing inside buildings.

+ Underground experience
+ Infrastructure work
– Outdoor exposure
– Excavation hazards

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.

  1. 01Californiathis page$22.66/hr
  2. 02Virginia$18.36/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
UA Local 246 Plumbing/Pipefitting Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$2.91$6,053$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$0.61$1,269$1597 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.20$416$598 weeks
Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator+$0.05$104$5930 weeks
American Red Cross Adult First Aid/CPR/AED+$0.04$83$10264 weeks
Forklift / Rough-Terrain Forklift Operator (formal instruction)+$0.02$42$6075 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $22.66/hr.

40 hr week
$906
No OT
50 hr week
$1,246
+$16,995/yr
60 hr week
$1,586
+$33,990/yr
70 hr week
$1,926
+$50,985/yr

Questions workers ask

Can a public works contractor pay me apprentice rates as a helper?▾
No, unless you are enrolled in a DAS-approved apprenticeship. The Labor Commissioner's Public Works Manual requires the higher journeyman rate for craft hours by unenrolled workers.
How should I compare offers with different schedules?▾
Start with the hourly range, then compare paid hours, overtime, benefits and travel requirements. Under IWC Wage Order 16, enforced by DIR's Labor Commissioner, construction overtime applies generally after eight daily or 40 weekly hours, with qualifying exceptions. Required loading and cleanup belong in the hours record. A higher hourly offer with fewer paid hours produces a different weekly total.
Who sets helper pay on a public plumbing project?▾
The DIR Director does, through prevailing wage determinations by craft and county. The employer must identify the classification covering the work. Ask payroll which determination applies to your assigned plumbing-support tasks.

See Open Plumber Helper Jobs in California

Verified positions matching this trade and location.

See Open JobsBuild My Profile — Free

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 23, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.