National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Plumbers earn a national median of $61,550/year vs UX Designers at $98,000/year. UX Designers earn 59% more nationally. The gap is $36,450 per year — or $3,038 per month.
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Plumber
$61,550
national median/year
$5,129/mo • $30/hr
VS
UX Designer
$98,000
national median/year
$8,167/mo • $47/hr
Annual salary gap
$36,450
UX Designers earn 59% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $413,171.
Best states for UX Designers
vs Plumbers
California+$57,680
Virginia+$51,680
Washington+$51,680
Maryland+$43,680
Colorado+$41,680
Best states for Plumbers
vs UX Designers
Alaska+$-3,680
Hawaii+$-5,680
North Dakota+$-7,680
Wyoming+$-11,680
West Virginia+$-15,680
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UX Designers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Plumbers is $61,550 versus $98,000 for UX Designers — a difference of $36,450 per year or $3,038 per month.
The national median salary gap between Plumbers and UX Designers is $36,450 per year. UX Designers earn 59% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $413,171.
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, California pays UX Designers the highest median salary at $136,000 per year.
Salary is one factor — UX Designers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters and Web and Digital Interface Designers 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 UX Designers earn approximately $47 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.
