National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Plumbers earn a national median of $61,550/year vs Truck Drivers at $54,320/year. Plumbers earn 12% more nationally. The gap is $7,230 per year — or $603 per month.
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Plumber
$61,550
national median/year
$5,129/mo • $30/hr
VS
Truck Driver
$54,320
national median/year
$4,527/mo • $26/hr
Annual salary gap
$7,230
Plumbers earn 12% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $81,954.
Best states for Truck Drivers
vs Plumbers
Arkansas+$2,000
Alabama+$0
Kentucky+$0
Mississippi+$0
North Carolina+$0
Best states for Plumbers
vs Truck Drivers
Hawaii+$30,000
New York+$22,000
Alaska+$20,000
California+$16,000
Illinois+$16,000
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Plumbers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Plumbers is $61,550 versus $54,320 for Truck Drivers — a difference of $7,230 per year or $603 per month.
The national median salary gap between Plumbers and Truck Drivers is $7,230 per year. Plumbers earn 12% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $81,954.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Alaska pays Plumbers the highest median salary at $82,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Alaska pays Truck Drivers the highest median salary at $62,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Plumbers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters and Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Plumbers earn approximately $30 per hour nationally and Truck Drivers earn approximately $26 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
