Who earns more, a Plumber or a Registered Nurse?

Registered Nurses earn more at the median — approximately $86,000 a year against $61,000, a gap of $25,000 or 41%. The ranges overlap though: Registered Nurse pay starts around $66,030 and Plumber pay reaches about $105,000 at the top, so an experienced Plumber can out-earn a new Registered Nurse.

Do these numbers hold in my city?

Nationally sourced, so treat them as a baseline rather than a local answer. Regional cost-of-living and industry concentration move both careers, but rarely by the same amount, which means the 41% gap above is a national figure and not necessarily yours.

Plumber vs Registered Nurse Salary Comparison (2026)

Registered Nurses earn approximately $25,000 more per year than Plumbers — about 41% — with comparable entry requirements.

What it takes to get in

Plumber roles typically require a high school diploma, while Registered Nurse roles require a bachelor's degree. From standing start to hireable, including training hours and licensing, the totals are roughly 5 years for Plumber and 4 for Registered Nurse.

Licensing applies on both sides: State/local plumbing license required after apprenticeship for Plumber and State RN license via NCLEX-RN exam for Registered Nurse. Neither transfers automatically across state lines, which constrains where you can work on short notice.

Pay range, not just the median

The medians hide most of what matters. Plumber pay runs from roughly $39,000 at the low end to $105,000 at the high end; Registered Nurse runs $66,030 to $135,320. Position within the range is driven by what you specialize in and who you work for, not by the title on the offer.

The two bands are shaped differently. Plumber top earners make about 2.7× what beginners make, against 2.0× for Registered Nurse. A wide band means the ceiling rewards specializing and the median understates what is achievable; a narrow one means pay is more predictable and less dependent on landing the right niche.

What the work is actually like

Plumber: Residential and commercial job sites, crawlspaces, basements. Registered Nurse: Hospitals, clinics, and outpatient centers; long shifts on your feet.

The calendars are not alike either: Plumber runs on on-call rotations, Registered Nurse on shift work, including nights and weekends. Worth weighing as heavily as the pay gap, because it is the part you live with daily.

Moving between the two

There is little skill overlap here — Trades and Healthcare train differently and recruit through different channels — so a move between them is closer to starting over than pivoting. Pipefitters and steamfitters cross over directly; HVAC techs pick it up faster than average due to overlapping pipe and code knowledge. LPNs and paramedics commonly bridge in through LPN-to-RN or paramedic-to-RN programs; RNs can later move into nurse practitioner, educator, or informatics roles with further schooling.

If you are entering rather than switching: Plumber — Complete a 4-5 year union (UA) or trade-school apprenticeship, then pass the state or local plumbing license exam. Registered Nurse — Complete an accredited BSN or ADN program, pass the NCLEX-RN exam, then obtain state licensure.

Pay ranges, education requirements, and employment projections come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. See our methodology for how these are compiled and updated.