Auditor vs Plumber Salary
Auditors earn approximately 23.8% more than Plumbers nationally — $80,000 vs $61,000.
Auditor vs Plumber: salary breakdown
On a national-median basis, Auditors out-earn Plumbers by $19,000 per year — a 23.8% gap. That works out to roughly $1,583/month or $9/hour of difference.
Important context: these are MEDIANS — the middle salary in the country. Real-world variation is wide: entry-level roles in either career may pay 25-35% below median, while senior roles or specialized niches can pay 50-100%+ above. Your specific numbers depend on experience, location, employer, and credentials.
When does the salary gap matter most?
For someone choosing between these careers, the $19,000 annual difference compounds:
- Over 10 years: ~$190,000 in raw salary difference
- Over 40 years: ~$760,000 (without raises or compounding)
- With 3% annual raises: the gap typically grows because the higher-paid role's raises are also larger in dollar terms
- With investment compounding: the $19,000/year extra invested at 7% over 40 years grows to roughly $3,781,000 — significantly more than the raw difference
But salary isn't everything. Job satisfaction, work-life balance, growth potential, and career switching costs all matter. A career you can sustain for decades beats a higher-paying one you'll burn out on.
By state and city — significant variation
National medians are starting points. Real salaries vary 30%+ by location:
- Auditor in California ≈ $94,400 (1.18× national)
- Auditor in Mississippi ≈ $67,200 (0.84× national)
- Plumber in California ≈ $71,980
- Plumber in Mississippi ≈ $51,240
Use our Auditor salary by state pages to drill into specific locations.
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Auditor salary by state — Plumber salary by state — Best cities for Auditor — Best cities for Plumber — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.