I run a placement firm. Pay is the first thing everyone asks me and the last thing anyone puts in writing. So here it is.
These numbers come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (OEWS, May 2025) for the Denver metro. Not a job-board estimate — a government survey of what employers actually pay.
The numbers
| Electricians | Plumbers & pipefitters | |
|---|---|---|
| Working in the metro | 10,450 | 5,750 |
| Bottom quarter earns under | $23.52/hr | $28.81/hr |
| Median | $30.36/hr | $30.72/hr |
| Top quarter earns over | $38.28/hr | $39.11/hr |
| Top 10% earns over | $45.27/hr | $49.41/hr |
| Median annual | $63,150 | $63,900 |
| Top-quarter annual | $79,620+ | $81,350+ |
If you're hiring
The tech you want is not the median tech. A licensed journeyman who shows up, passes inspection, and doesn't burn your customers is a top-quarter worker. That means $38 to $39 an hour and up, before overtime. Price your band there or expect a long search.
I won't send a $38 candidate to a $28 job. It wastes their time, your time, and mine.
If you're a tech
Know your number. The median includes everyone from first-year helpers to thirty-year veterans. A Colorado journeyman license took you 8,000 hours of work for electrical, or 6,800 for plumbing, per the state licensing board. That work has a market price. In this metro, the top-quarter number is your negotiation floor, not your ceiling.
Sources: wage data — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Denver-Aurora-Centennial CO metro area, occupations 47-2111 (electricians) and 47-2152 (plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters). License requirements — Colorado DORA, Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board.