Costs
What does it cost to hire a plumber’s apprentice?
Short answer: a plumber’s apprentice paid about $21.02 an hour — the BLS May 2025 mean for plumbers’ helpers, expressed as an hourly rate over 2,080 hours — costs $43,721.60 a year in wages, plus $3,344.70 in employer FICA and $42 in net FUTA. In the labeled example below, state unemployment, workers’ comp, and payroll software bring the total to $49,349.95, or $23.73 per paid hour.
Key takeaways
- Use official wage data as a starting point, then pay what your local market and any registered program require.
- A registered apprenticeship sets a rising wage schedule; an informal “apprentice” is still a regular employee.
- Employer taxes and insurance apply to the wage you actually pay, including raises as skills increase.
On this page
Try these figures The calculator opens at $21.02 an hour, 40 hours a week, and the plumbing trade. Add your state next.
Open the calculator with these figuresWhat official wage data says
The BLS OEWS May 2025 national table reports a May 2025 annual mean wage of $43,730 for helpers of pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters. Divided over 2,080 hours, that is $21.02 an hour, rounded to the cent. The official annual mean is $8.40 higher than 2,080 × $21.02 ($43,721.60), which is the wage used in the table so the hourly math stays exact. Construction-trades helpers as a group had a mean hourly wage of $21.46. Local listings and BLS state or metro tables are a better starting point for an offer than the national mean alone.
If the person is in a registered apprenticeship, the program’s wage schedule controls, and it typically starts as a percentage of the journey rate and rises with hours and related instruction (Apprenticeship.gov (DOL)). That schedule must still meet the highest applicable federal, state, or local minimum wage (DOL minimum wage page, DOL state minimum wage table). In many states, plumbing work also requires an apprentice license or registration before the person can legally do certain tasks. Check your state plumbing board before the first day of work.
A worked example at $21.02 an hour
Federal tax lines are real 2026 figures. State unemployment and workers’ comp use the same hypothetical illustration as our other national cost pages: 2.7% SUTA on a $10,000 base, and $3.00 of workers’ comp per $100 of payroll. Swap those for your state notice and a carrier quote. Indiana owners can instead use the verified state figures on cost to hire a plumber’s helper in Indiana.
| Line (one year, 2,080 hours) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wages at $21.02/hour (from the BLS $43,730 annual mean, rounded) | $43,721.60 |
| Employer Social Security, 6.2% | $2,710.74 |
| Employer Medicare, 1.45% | $633.96 |
| FUTA, net 0.6% on first $7,000 | $42.00 |
| State unemployment (hypothetical 2.7% on a $10,000 base) | $270.00 |
| Workers’ comp (hypothetical $3.00 per $100 of payroll) | $1,311.65 |
| Payroll software (Gusto Simple public price, 1 person) | $660.00 |
| Estimated annual cost | $49,349.95 |
| Per paid hour | $23.73 |
Raises, overtime, and classification
Apprentice wages are supposed to rise. If you move someone from $21.02 to $24 an hour after a set skill checkpoint, wages become $49,920, and employer FICA alone rises with them (7.65% of the raise, before any workers’ comp change). Plan for that path in writing so the true cost does not surprise you later.
Hours over 40 generally must be paid at time and a half (DOL overtime page). A 45-hour week is common in the trades and is not free. And calling the person an apprentice does not let you issue a 1099 if they work under your direction; see the IRS: independent contractor or employee? and our 1099 vs W-2 guide.
Test a starting wage and a raise Start at $21.02 for plumbing, then change the wage to see how a later raise lands.
Open the calculator with these figuresFrequently asked questions
How much does a plumber's apprentice cost to hire?
Using the BLS May 2025 annual mean wage for plumbers' helpers of $43,730, rounded to $21.02 an hour over 2,080 hours, wages are $43,721.60. Employer FICA is $3,344.70 and net FUTA is $42. With hypothetical state unemployment of $270, hypothetical workers' comp of $1,311.65, and $660 of payroll software, the example total is $49,349.95, or $23.73 per paid hour. Your local wage and state rates will differ.
Can I pay a plumber's apprentice less than minimum wage?
No. Helpers and apprentices must be paid at least the highest applicable federal, state, or local minimum wage, plus overtime when required. A registered apprenticeship sets a progressive wage schedule that still has to meet those floors.
Is a plumber's apprentice a W-2 employee?
In ordinary cases, yes. An apprentice who trains on your jobs, under your direction, with your tools is typically an employee for tax and wage-and-hour purposes. A registered apprenticeship does not turn the person into an independent contractor.
Federal figures were checked against 2026 IRS Publication 15 and the linked official pages in November 2026. Rows marked hypothetical are examples only. State rules and rates vary; confirm with your state agencies, an insurance agent, and your accountant before you hire.