Out of all of the topics that we have discussed on Howtobecomeaplumber.net, the topic of money has yet to be addressed. On average there are 2400 searches in Google per month for the term Plumber Salary. A Plumbers salary is a topic that can be hard to pin down, however, the opportunities are endless. There are many factors that can impact the amount of money that a plumber makes. Some of those factors are easier to overcome, while some may seem restrictive. Like many professions, the biggest factor in determining a Plumber’s salary is the amount of effort and willingness on the part of each individual.
According to the Department of Labor (D.O.L.) the median (median means middle number) annual wage in the United States for Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters is $46,660, with the median hourly wage at $22.43. The important aspect to remember is that that is the “median”, ask yourself do you want to be in the middle or do you want to be at the top…
As discussed in previous articles on Howtobecomeaplumber.net, there are different types of plumbers, easily categorized into 2 categories, Service and Install. A plumber’s salary will vary drastically between the two. Typically an install plumber has a predetermined hourly wage so their annual income is relatively consistent with the exception of overtime, which is never a guarantee. The benefit to this is the stead, consistent income.
If you are a licensed plumber, which is highly recommended by Howtobecomeaplumber.net, you also have the potential for “side work” as long as there isn’t a conflict of interest with your employer; again, this is not necessarily steady or consistent work.
The service plumber is more of the, you get what you put into it model. While there are service companies that do pay based on an hourly wage, many service plumbing companies pay a percentage of time and material or T&M. This model gives you some flexibility to vary your pricing depending on the nature of the work being performed, as long as it is within the company guidelines and isn’t price gouging. It is important to remember that the best customer is a repeat customer. The service plumber that gets paid on this model shouldn’t really fit properly into the Department of Labor statistics because the number of hours that they work varies on any given week and it is difficult to determine and standard hourly wage.
The need for plumbers is in demand, according to the Department of Labor. Plumber jobs will increase substantially from 2008 to 2018. Below is statistical data on how the number of plumbers will increase, it should be noted, that typically when demand increases so does the demand for appropriate wages. So for those of you considering careers in plumbing this information should be of some use to you.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment 2008 | Projected Employment-2018 | Change; 2008-2018 |
| Pipe-layers, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters | 47-2150 | 555,900 | 642,100 | 86,300 or 16% |
Below is a chart by state that outlines the mean (mean means average) Plumber Salary for that given state, shooing one of the biggest contributing factors to earning potential. There are a number of factors that drive the mean salary in a particular state, the biggest of which is cost of living.
Plumber Salary by State - Click the image to enlarge
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