Plumber Salary in Denmark 2026: What Do Plumbers Earn?
Plumbers and HVAC fitters (VVS in Danish) install and service heating, water and sanitation — a Positive List trade where Danish demand consistently outstrips supply. Figures are official standardised earnings for the trade.
What does a plumber earn in Denmark in 2026?
The official number (incl. pension and supplements, full-time equivalent): The standardised monthly earnings average 49,973 DKK/month (DISCO 7126, 7,766 full-time employees, all sectors, 2024 — pulled directly from Statistics Denmark). Source: Statistics Denmark, LONS20 — direct table extract.
Work permit note: This trade appears on Denmark's official Positive List for skilled work — with a job offer, non-EU citizens can apply for a residence and work permit through the scheme. Lists update every 1 January and 1 July; always check the current list. Source: nyidanmark.dk — The Positive Lists. See also our working in Denmark guide.
The real salary spread — quartiles straight from Statistics Denmark
Averages get pulled up by top earners. The quartiles show where pay actually sits for plumbers (standardised hourly earnings, all sectors, 2024):
| Quartile | Hourly earnings (DST) | Monthly equivalent* |
|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile (25% earn less) | 269.37 DKK | approx. 43,188 DKK |
| Median (the middle salary) | 313.80 DKK | approx. 50,312 DKK |
| Upper quartile (25% earn more) | 357.43 DKK | approx. 57,307 DKK |
Half of all plumbers earn between approx. 43,188 and 57,307 DKK/month. Hourly figures are DST's raw numbers — *monthly figures are OUR calculation (hourly earnings × 160.33, DST's standard month). Source: Statistics Denmark, LONS20 — direct table extract. Last fact-checked 16 July 2026.
What makes up the salary?
The standardised hourly earnings in this trade (311.69 DKK/hour, 2024) break down like this:
| Component | DKK per hour (DST) | Share* |
|---|---|---|
| Base pay | 258.55 DKK | 83.0% |
| Pension incl. ATP | 34.44 DKK | 11.0% |
| Shift/inconvenience supplements | 6.24 DKK | 2.0% |
| Irregular payments (bonus etc.) | 11.56 DKK | 3.7% |
| Employee benefits | 0.89 DKK | 0.3% |
Hourly figures are DST's raw component numbers — *shares are OUR calculation. Source: Statistics Denmark, LONS20 — direct table extract. Last fact-checked 16 July 2026.
What moves the pay in this trade?
District heating and industrial piping pay above standard sanitary work, and certified welding competences stack well with the trade. Service vans with on-call rotas add fixed supplements — and the natural next step, the authorised VVS installer running projects, moves into a different pay bracket.
How to read the numbers
The figures are standardised monthly earnings: everything the employer pays (base pay, pension, supplements, holiday pay) converted to full time. That is usually higher than the base salary on a payslip — but it is the honest number for comparing trades. Part-timers are converted to full-time equivalents. All figures are before tax.
Applying for jobs in Denmark?
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Average salary in Denmark · Trades careers in Denmark · Working in Denmark guide